Hello historical arms enthusiasts,

First of all, a big thank you to everyone who purchased our new Spear & Shield Combat online course, and to everyone who followed us through the launch campaign!

Your special gift should have arrived by now. I hope you will enjoy it!

And apologies for a little digital hiccup that may have caused the gift email to land in your inbox twice. No worries — you're welcome to keep both!

Now, on to some swords, upcoming events, and a glimpse behind the scenes of two film projects.

The Widest Blade?

How wide could an early medieval sword blade be?

Most Carolingian and Viking Age sword blades measure around 5 cm across, occasionally approaching 6 cm. But one remarkable sword from Tiszalomon (Solomonovo) may have had a blade no less than 7 cm wide — possibly even wider.

In my latest Patreon post, I explore this unusual weapon, its geometric design, and what such an exceptionally broad blade might tell us about its maker's intentions and the requirements of combat.

Swords Polished — Ribe Awaits!

Meanwhile, my own Viking Age swords are being sharpened and polished in preparation for the Ribe Bouts this weekend, 16–18 October.

I am very much looking forward to crossing blades with fellow fighters at Ribe VikingeCenter in Denmark, where historical martial arts and Viking Age living history come together.

If you happen to be in the area, do come by and say hello!

Fiore 2 — A New Poster!

If your interests lean more towards the Late Middle Ages, you may already be eagerly awaiting Fiore 2, the upcoming film by Alberto Mattea featuring the famous Italian master-at-arms Fiore dei Liberi.

I previously shared some exclusive stills from the production in an earlier newsletter. Now the film poster has been released.

To follow the project and enjoy more glimpses behind the scenes while waiting for the film's release, visit the filmmakers on Instagram.

From Hand-Drawn Comic to Animated Film

Remember the Roman legionary and his wardrobe problems from my recent Patreon post?

The illustrations I drew by hand originally served as a storyboard for a short video, but I had so much fun with them that I also turned them into a tongue-in-cheek comic page, which you can still download for free.​

Now you can see those same illustrations brought to life in a short, AI-assisted animated clip, created in collaboration with my fellow illustrator Oliver Wünsch at HistoRealities.

What I find particularly exciting is how well the original character and my drawing style have been preserved in the animation. A fascinating development for illustrators — and quite a leap from what we could achieve only a year ago!

That's all for this week. I have some swords to prepare and equipment to pack!

Hope to see some of you in Ribe.

Swords up!

Roland

If you enjoyed this newsletter, please recommend it to your friends. They can sign up here or on my website. Or simply forward them this email.

Improve your skills with our online courses.

If you wish to read more, find hundreds of related posts on my Patreon. Special thanks to all my loyal supporters on Patreon – you keep me going! And if you are not a patron yet, you are most welcome to join.

If you feel like dropping a coin into my tip jar, you can do so here. Thank you for your time and your interest.

You are receiving this newsletter because you have signed up for it, or because you have previously expressed your interest in my work and events. If you prefer to not receive further emails, you can unsubscribe below.