Brian Wolfe

Hi Chris,

"I use my pic as I am the lord of the rings :-) " And yet your wife has the ring that rules them all. 

You make a very good point and perhaps that alone condones the use of avatar names.  The internet is full of people hiding behind their avatars while launching an attack on another's view point, religion or race.  This was the point I was going for however your view is quite valid. 

From now on I am changing my avatar name to, "Not Brian Wolfe, some other guy not to be confused with the Brian Wolfe you might think it is".  Too long?

Regards

Brian (or maybe some other fellow)

Hi Paul,

Thanks for your comments.  I do agree with you and my comments were in regard to the Internet in general, especially social media.  Here you will be stopped short if you get out of line, however this is not the case for much of the internet.  I think forums are pretty good on the whole to keep insults and ignorant comments in check.  My issue is with those who hide behind an avitar name mainly because they are to cowardly to take ownership of what they say.  Personally I don't really care if people use avitar names as long as they remain respectful; after all, what's in a name anyway; a rose by any other name, so-to-speak.

Regards

Brian

That's a good one. No there is no patent pending and the copyright, as always, is quite vauge at best.  We are working on water proofing these shoes with the use of two plastic grocery bags and two elastic bands to hold them on the shoes.  This will also be available in our gift shop along with the nifty rain pouncho made from a large plastic garbage bag; plus sizes will also be offered made from yard waste bags.

Here's a warning.  Once you get them made "off shore" and approach the "big box stores" they will want to give you a skew number and an order for thousands.  Be careful because if you fill the order without an iron clad contract spelling out the cost to them, which they will ignor, then they will tell you that they will only offer you 25% of the agreed upon price.  You will then find out the only part of that iron clad contract that seems enforcable is the part where you can only sell to that particular chain.  Better to flog them on the internet or Shopping Channel.  We, here at the Home Office are happy to sell them through the gift shop.

Good luck with your venture.

Regards

Brian

Thank you for you kind comments, it is high praise indeed.

Paul,

The adult size shoes should be available in the Home Office Gift Shop for Christmas. 

Regards to all,

Brian

Thanks for your comments.  A new year is a lot like your first day on a new job.  You can hold out hope that you can't possibly screw up for the first day; after that it's anyones guess.

Regards

Brian

Thank you for your comments Brett.  It is getting more difficult to get people out for the cerimonies all the time.  Many are, of course, working and school children are not given the day off though they are often bussed to the cenotaph then back to school after the service.  Many government employees with the day off (Federal government offices are closed) see this as a day to go shopping etc.  Shopping malls and different stores and shops do observe a two minute silence which is both a little surprising and welcomed, of course, by people who see the importance of remembering.

Regards

Brian

Thanks for your comments Chris and Dave, It is comments such as were posted here and on other blogs I've submissed that makes the effort worth while and dare I say add greatly to my knowledge and help shape my often slanted point of view.

This was so much fun it is hard to stop.

Having said that and in keeping with the movie theme, watch for the next sibmission,

"Accuracy in Movies: The Sequel" insert movie theme music here)

Regards

Brian

Hi Bayern,

Thank you for your comments. I often wonder if all of these inaccuracies have any lasting effects on the younger viewers or if they really don't care about such details.  Even period dramas such as Downton Abbey were the interior shots are filled with what could be considered antiques today matter to some of us; but is that important to younger viewers.  Perhaps I should have used the term "normal" viewers?

Thanks again for your response.

Regards

Brian

Hi Simon,

Yes I have seen that movie and enjoyed it. I suppose we just have to resign ourselves that movies will never reach the accuracy level we would like to see and just enjoy them for what they are.  But keep looking for errors...it's a great sport.

Regards

Brian

Thanks for your comment Michael.

Lawyers help us remember that there is a difference between planning ahead and premeditation.

Regards

Brian

I know I am treading the line of sexism when I say all wives seem the share a common bond; being able the see through our smoke screens. Perhaps that, in a sense, is our burden to bear, poor us.

Regards

Brian

It would certainly seem that way according to the blog. There is indeed a plan based on decades of collecting and finally getting to know my own short comings. If I have the cash I will by just about anything, even if it will not fit any of the collecting themes I have.  I tend to dislike using my credit card either directly or through an ATM transaction.  So if I see something I think I want to purchase I will take longer to decide just how much I really want it if I don't carry the cash.  That works well for me unless there is no ATM on site, then it's a matter of making a "down payment" and running out to a bank machine off site. 

We have found that most people who attend any type of show/sale are there just for the "outing".  The percentage of serious buyers is always quite small, so much so that we only sell on-line. 

Regards

Brian

You need to set your computer to the Northern Hemisphere setting.

Regards

Brian

Thanks GreyC. It took a while but I am glad I took the time to build them.

Regards

Brian

Hi Chris,

Thanks for your comments and also for putting a smile on my face and keep looking for that system.

Regards

Brian

Thanks Nicolas,

I think everyone needs at least one place where they can retreat from the world and be in the surroundings that makes them comfortable.

Now my shop and office are more along the lines of semi-organized chaos.

Regards

Brian

Hi Paul,

Thanks and yes I did build them all.  Sometimes it is an advantage to have a cabinet shop all to yourself.

Hi Chris,

Ummm, but thanks...I think.

Regards

Brian

Thanks for the comments and support fellows.

Actually, Paul, I have 5 kids though I was talking about my three youngest daughters and their husbands.  Believe me 5 was plenty, especially when the four girls were all in their teens at the same time; and they say war is Hell.   

Thank you for your comments Spasm.  The bow strings are make of one very long piece of string which is wound onto a jig.  The problem was that the posts on the jig were too close on the first attempt.  This is, of course, is an error that bites me much more than it would many people as one of my numerous careers, and one that persists to the persent day, is that of a cabinet maker. So, measure twice, cut once, go back to the lumber stacks, select another piece of timber and cut that one correctly. LOL

I also noticed that I said the English made use of sharpened "steaks".  Perhaps that harkens back to the time when I worked as a butcher.  I doubt the French would have been too frightened by a bunch of pointy Porterhouse steaks.

It would be great to be able to show a video clip here on the GMIC as the actual shooting of the crossbows was quite interesting.  In retrospect it would have been nice if we had even taken some photographs to post.  I was more interested in proving my theory regarding the removal of the bow strings.

I'm not sure if I will do any more experiments, unless I can get my hands on some weapons grade plutoniun.

Regards

Brian

Thank you for your kind comment Percy.

Regards

Brian

HI Bernhard,

I was so tempted to say "boulder dash" but even I would stoop to a pun as low as that.  Oh, I guess I just did.

Thank you for your comment and I am reminded of something I read where the South Africian troops would often fire their FN rifles just in front of a prone enemy thereby sending shards of rock into their faces. 

Regards

Brian

I knew that sooner or later my blogs would drive some of the members to drink.

If this offended you wait until my Easter blog where I take a shot at the Easter Bunny.  My theory is that he or she is pure myth.

So be vewy vewy quite; I'm hunting the Easter Wabbit.

Regards

Brian

I thought I would add photos of the bolts (arrows) I made for the crossbow trials now.  There is a photo of an original from Prauge of around the same time period as the Battle of Crecy as an example for compairson with the ones I made.  Mine are shorter and a little lighter but since I was not trying to use them to test penetration I was staisfied that they would do the job.  The fletching (arrow feathers) of the original, now mostly lost, were made of thin wood.  I could have copied this as well but it seemed to me a lot of bother when plastic sheet would do just as well.  The originals were set on a partial spiral to give the bolt a spin and therefore more accuracy.  Mine are straight.  The ends of the bolts, I have read, were prone to damage when fired due to the action of the string.  I have never seen such damage but to avoid the possibility I used a small strip of plastic glued to the end where the string would contact the bolt.  Note that the original bolt was shaped to fit into the arrow slot of the crossbow.  I copied this to a point but again exact copies were not necessary. 

In total I made two dozen bolts of the same weight and proportion so that Brian and I would not have to do as much walking to and from the target.   I also experimented with much lighter bolts and some with a third feather on the top.  These were much more accurate than the copies of the original and a lot of fun to play with.  I think there were two or three that we either didn't loose or destroy.  If I can locate the one I have around here I'll post it later.  I will be taking a trip to the local armourer/blacksmith to have some experimental tools made for the shop, and possibly to market, soon and intend to have him make a reproduction bodkin tip as in the photo.  I will then make a reproduction of the bolt I have in the collection to display with my crossbow, but that is a story for later.

Regards

Brian

It might be interesting to add a couple of photos of a chain mail hood or "coif" I have here in the Home Office.  Where it came from and how I got it I have no memory of but it's here.  It is a modern reproduction but gives some idea of the construction, which in this case is quite nice.  As noted in earlier posts either by Steve or me, the bodkin arrow point was designed to penetrate chain mail.

Again, my sincere thanks to you, Steve, for your assistance in making this an interesting blog.

Regards

Brian

Hi Steve

You make some very good points.  The French did indeed change their tactics concerning mounted knights wearing heavy armour to what we would see as cavalry in modern thinking.  At the battle of Crecy I have read that King Philip had mounted infantry but decided to use them as ground troops.  Why didn't the armoured knights just wade through the arrow storm is another good point. One suggestion (from past thinking) was that the heavy amour would not allow fluid movement and rendered the knight to moving like a slow robot.  This is simply not true as tests with full armour has shown that getting up after a fall such as tripping or side-stepping an opponet is quite possible.  I would think that it was a matter of vision.  Vision through the visor slot was quite obstructed.  I have had the opportunity to wear a reproduction helment and it is like wearing a box over your head with only a very narrow slot to look through.  Any larger slot would allow arrows to pass through.  Taking the helmet off to allow clear vision would allow the head to be unprotected with an easy target for the longbow or even a crossbow at distances where the knight's weapons would still not be able to be put to use.  As you have pointed out the attacking forces needed to cross over a field strewn with dead and dying soldiers and horses.  The point you make about the French soldiers being very worthy to bear arms for Philip could not be more accurate.  Overall I don't think either side saw much cowardness in either their own troops or those of the enemy.

Regards

Brian

Hi Steve,

Thank you once again for the additional information on the battle and history.  I didn't really want to spend a lot of time on the material you have added, even though I had intended to do so, in the next installment.  So, again thank you, you've saved me a lot of time and now I can spend my efforts on my findings.  Considering the short draw of a crossbow neither Brian nor I had a lot of faith in the two bows I had constructed.  Brian held his opinions until after I admitted my own doubts, however, I found it good to realize I was not alone in those misgivings.  Not to give a lot away (i.e. spoiler alert) we were both quite surprised, specially in our first vollies which were far too high to hit the target.  The surprise came when we needed to retrieve the bolts (arrrows) and couldn't find them at all, initially.  After some frustration we moved our search farther back and eventually located the spent bolts, also called quarrels.  After this we moved the target farther away.

Naturally my crossbows are not as good as the originals especially when considering their range  However considering Brian and I have both hunted with standard bows  which were rated at 80 and 100 pound draws I consider our findings as a fair representation.  Honestly I'd say our findings are as good as many of the experiments found on so-called History and Discovery Channels. 

Please feel free to add as much as you please to this blog.  Who knows we may have the beginnings of a book here. 

Regards

Brian