Craftsmen spent hours upon hours pouring their sweat, blood and time into the creation of tools used to protect, conquer and project the will of strong men to great heights. To this day even the everyman pays homage to this craft; however the focus has shifted to shine light on those who create weapons. A noble craft indeed, but we neglect those that focus on saving others, those that create armor or defensive tools.
What caused this fall from the light of honor and recognition? Who decided that tools to kill deserved a higher level of honor and praise? One could say whit the addition of firearms to the repritiore of warriors, armor became useless, yet again did Kevlar and Bulletproof gear not rise to the challenge? And again, even in this age of electricity and high powered guns, consumers still collect and even use the "Last World" weaponry, buying forged swords and axes in abundance. Why not armor as well? They were a source of great honor for a warrior of the older ages, displaying a family crest, or the signet of a liege, denoting the knight's allegiance and right, often sporting very fine decoration, filigree and other handsome features.
We must preserve and honor this dying craft. Once again find our hearts drawn to the splendor and glory of man-made armors, crafted with a deft hand and a careful eye. No warrior is complete without proper gear, and this extends beyond the sword he carries to the cuirass he trusts to stop a deathblow, the greaves he shod so as to tread uncaring across a torn battlefield, the helm that he dons so he can face the might of his opponent unfettered by fear.
Even the collectors of today have trained their eye onto weaponry, forsaking armor. Unfortunately this leaves their collections lacking, for no collection can shine fully without a full set. Collecting weapons only can be said to be akin to buying a car without the engine, or a horse with no legs. The collector is missing out on the full picture, only taking care to notice the more media-fueled portions of the craft they pay homage to.
One would hope that those dedicated to the art of war, now or then, to proudly don not only the weaponry necessary, but the protection necessary as well. Pride should be taken in one's full regalia, not simply in the tool used to finish a fight, but in the tools that allow you to survive a fight as well. As well should the Collector, fleshing out his collection to show the full story. - 31404
What caused this fall from the light of honor and recognition? Who decided that tools to kill deserved a higher level of honor and praise? One could say whit the addition of firearms to the repritiore of warriors, armor became useless, yet again did Kevlar and Bulletproof gear not rise to the challenge? And again, even in this age of electricity and high powered guns, consumers still collect and even use the "Last World" weaponry, buying forged swords and axes in abundance. Why not armor as well? They were a source of great honor for a warrior of the older ages, displaying a family crest, or the signet of a liege, denoting the knight's allegiance and right, often sporting very fine decoration, filigree and other handsome features.
We must preserve and honor this dying craft. Once again find our hearts drawn to the splendor and glory of man-made armors, crafted with a deft hand and a careful eye. No warrior is complete without proper gear, and this extends beyond the sword he carries to the cuirass he trusts to stop a deathblow, the greaves he shod so as to tread uncaring across a torn battlefield, the helm that he dons so he can face the might of his opponent unfettered by fear.
Even the collectors of today have trained their eye onto weaponry, forsaking armor. Unfortunately this leaves their collections lacking, for no collection can shine fully without a full set. Collecting weapons only can be said to be akin to buying a car without the engine, or a horse with no legs. The collector is missing out on the full picture, only taking care to notice the more media-fueled portions of the craft they pay homage to.
One would hope that those dedicated to the art of war, now or then, to proudly don not only the weaponry necessary, but the protection necessary as well. Pride should be taken in one's full regalia, not simply in the tool used to finish a fight, but in the tools that allow you to survive a fight as well. As well should the Collector, fleshing out his collection to show the full story. - 31404
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If you still want to learn more about ancient weapons, be sure to check out my article about Roman Swords and other weapons of the Roman Legions.
