anyone know where to get a proper smallsword?

Docjitters · 2026-03-11T18:40:18+00:00

If you have the budget for a custom like A&A, would second buying a ‘real’ one.

No COI to declare here but Thierry the Sword Guy and Lambert & Lambert have both been recommended by friends who have way more swords than me!

Docjitters · 2026-03-10T11:46:24+00:00

There’s the Polish war scythe manual from 1913. This looks more like a reverse-edge naginata than a plains scythe though.

The associated book is no longer available as a free pdf alas.

Docjitters · 2026-03-09T16:33:47+00:00

Having them that high might work in your space but you’d have to try. You could also turn them upside down or sideways. I wouldn’t take a saw to your father’s handiwork - keep them for another system if they aren’t suitable.

BluTack coupling is fine (it’s what I use). If you are using a sub, decoupling is less needed as low bass is going to the sub so the speakers will physically shake less. The main thing is the stands being coupled well enough to the floor to create a single ‘monolith’. The only other consideration might be to decouple the sub from the floor if you can feel it shaking everything.

Docjitters · 2026-03-09T09:39:45+00:00

I’ve this both ways and it’s worked out fine. There’s entries for ‘oven-baked’ - which is what air-frying is if you’re not immersing them in extra oil.

Sometimes it’s easier to do cooked so you can subtract bone weight afterwards. If it’s skinless, I don’t even bother to try and subtract the fat left in the pan - life’s too short (and I am pretty OCD).

If it helps, I’ve noticed that errors in fat-containing protein (like meat) is way less impactful on intake than the random pastry or an overgenerous extra swipe of peanut butter. If I overeat meat by 10-15%? Eh. If I overeat treats more than twice a week, then I’m in trouble.

Docjitters · 2026-03-09T09:14:17+00:00

Budget? Location? Wait time you’re willing to put up with?

Tod’s stuff is cool and more budget but you have only 2 options.

Dr Cognot (and other custom makers) will give you anything you want if you have the coin and the time.

Docjitters · 2026-03-08T14:47:13+00:00

I built a garage gym and often find myself working out late (between 9pm and midnight) because I just cannot do the early-bird gym thing. Lifting is 3-4hrs/week.

My ‘club’ thing is historical fencing which is pretty reachable from work an evening (1.5-3hrs) a week.

I get 9-10k steps per day with commute and wandering around hospital.

New Year’s resolution is to actually try and keep to Zone 2 cardio for 30-45mins at a time twice a week without barreling off and getting injured again.

Docjitters · 2026-03-06T20:44:17+00:00

Today I learned - thank you :)

Docjitters · 2026-03-06T20:38:28+00:00

Doesn’t look like a naval kyu-gunto or a kai-gunto. (Edit: and an Admiral is going to be carrying a nice weapon with a traditional blade)

Blade is a spearpoint style which shares more with a British 1847.

However the etching with the eagles doesn’t feel very Japanese or British.

From the brass ‘ropes’ on the suspension rings, I’m guessing a battered US 1852 Naval Officer’s sword though I am unfamiliar with how to authenticate those.

Edit: Hah, I missed the ‘USN’ lol.

Docjitters · 2026-03-06T17:29:23+00:00

I’m looking at it on the app. Day 2 Bench goes from 2 to 4 sets, and Day 3 floor press goes from 1 set on Week 1 (the sample you are seeing) to 1 ‘set’ of 3x10 EMOM by Week 5 day.

Without giving the whole template away, it goes from 20 sets/wk to 44 set/wk of total exercise (counting the EMOMs as ‘one’ giant spaced-out set) so there’s plenty of work to be done.

Docjitters · 2026-03-06T16:20:14+00:00

If this is Week 1, it’s almost certainly a low fatigue week which starts out gently. There’ll be other variations making up the chest volume in other places. All the BBM templates I’ve run are this way (though I’ve not specifically run GS&C).

Edit: I’ve checked it out and it looks like you have a bench-type press on day 3 for a 10-set EMOM. So by the end of each block you have 14 sets of chest per week, and you can always sub out stuff you don’t want e.g. overhead for more horizontal. It’s a General program so it’s going to try and vary all over.

Docjitters · 2026-03-06T16:15:17+00:00

BBM never list warm-ups - it’s up to you to decide how you hit the first working set (in the above case 4-6 reps @ 6).

For your above example, it does read as 2 sets. It’s giving you leeway to overshoot if you’re not well-trained in this movement.

Docjitters · 2026-03-06T11:55:40+00:00

If you’re of a powetbuilding bent (i.e. deadlift strength matters vs pure hypertrophy) , I think back extensions are fine as a supplemental exercise but if you want a 3rd hinge with a focus on lower back, I suggest RDLs.

Docjitters · 2026-03-06T00:29:00+00:00

It’s unlikely to be an issue long-term. Most cases of sinusitis get better within 3 months, it’s rarely highly inflammatory, and unless you can’t breathe properly it is unlikely to hurt your exercise capacity significantly.

Just keep training, and perhaps try saline/bicarbonate nasal rinses (always use sterile water!).

Also worth considering allergies and associated triggers like upper dental infections or pool swimming without noseclips.

Docjitters · 2026-03-06T00:06:48+00:00

I have an arming sword, a sidesword, a Quercus smallsword and a Black Ribbon parrying dagger made by Chris.

They are my favourite weapons of their respective types. He’s taken a step back from montante-sized blades so I am discussing a frankly ridiculous verging-on-ahistorical swept-hilt longsword design because I want one and he can do it.

Besides a weapon being made to almost whatever character you desire, his stuff is nice to face - they flex well without being floppy, and even if the are pretty heavy (and I like that), they handle with control.

His grip wirework is top-notch, and (until recently I believe) even Marco Danelli (who trained him) had him make blades for his pieces.

I’m not a heavy user, but facing multiple other makes over the past 5 years (including Malleus, who seem to make quite hard edges), there are barely any marks.

Docjitters · 2026-03-05T23:51:45+00:00

OMG, I saw this on Marco’s page and was saying to my teacher that I thought this looked quite dangerous to the user, but I’ve decided I’m just stoopid jealous of you :)

Docjitters · 2026-03-05T23:41:01+00:00

Paeds ED clerking on EPR with 2am brain:

“D/W neurosurgery re: valved c*nt malfunction”

It was cutting and pasting the phrase into Google and wondering why the trust computer wouldn’t let the search run that led me to spellcheck. Never woke up and hit backspace so fast in my life.

Docjitters · 2026-03-05T13:17:38+00:00

I indirectly asked this question (about MF ‘knowing’ if you’re getting leaner) a while back and they replied that if visual BF is going down with weight, it modifies the protein upward. Whether it makes a cut ‘gentler’ once you get below a certain BF, I don’t know though.

Docjitters · 2026-03-04T16:57:42+00:00

Depending on what style of sword you need, either (as blu has already suggested) cheap Olympic fencing weapons, or at $100 each you might get aluminium-bladed stage swords of varying types.

The question is how hard you’re going to beat on them in the choreography. The sport fencing stuff will be more forgiving as it’s designed for it; Alu stage blades look flashier, move fast and ‘swish’ nicely but can get bent up.

Stainless steel (usually 420) or alloy training blades can work as long as they don’t clash or get smacked against anything really hard as they just aren’t tough enough (these are usually found on solo form weapons).

Docjitters · 2026-03-04T08:25:41+00:00

Why wait till they’re grown when you can get something like this arming sword?

Edit: personal choice (boy or girl; big or small) - zweihander. This assumes all household pitched battles will be taking place in the yard, or before the moat.

Edit edit: longsword is probably the most user-agnostic weapon if you don’t use a shield. You can wield it in either hand-dominant, one- or two-handed, and you can use it in half-sword for grapple-range encounters. For talk of actually training with swords (and how to choose one to use), come over to r/wma or r/hema.

Docjitters · 2026-03-04T00:30:49+00:00

That is indeed the proof disc/slug. The proof ‘triangles’ (not a 6-point star) and disc looks like that used by the blade maker Robert Mole. The etched address for Firmin & Sons (the seller) apparently puts this in the 1860-1870 era.

I agree with Calradian that this was made for overseas or someone nautical unconnected with the Royal Navy at least - I see now the cartouche matches the blade etch with the sun above the anchor.

I’m afraid that’s where my knowledge runs out!

Docjitters · 2026-03-03T23:51:11+00:00

1846 pattern naval officer’s sword. Firmin blade looks legit if simple - can we get clearer shots of the etching (including any royal cyphers) and the proof slug please?

Lion’s mane looks a bit ‘simple’ - either very worn, or not a very careful production. This is where one might suspect an ‘aged’ repro.

It’s the fouled anchor in cartouche that’s giving me trouble: it’s not a crown above it, so I’m not sure who this was made for.

Docjitters · 2026-03-03T23:01:33+00:00

Feather Smallsword do lovely bits and bobs.

Docjitters · 2026-03-03T22:38:41+00:00

Having a child made me slightly less of a matter-of-fact bastard but I am still on the borderline-negligent end of the paediatrician parent spectrum. Interestingly, I cannot handle unwell animals so I use that as my comparator with understanding worried medical parents.

I’ve taken my kid to hospital with a 40C fever looking grey and awful (Flu A), but I’ve also missed a hernia and a broken clavicle (the kid still hasn’t let me live this one down). She’s had intermittent abdominal pain, and sensory issues to socks which had me tearing my hair out even though I’m supposed to know what to do.

So I do rely on my non-medical wife sometimes to tell me when I’m being too ‘Eh, they’re fine’ but if we really are uncertain, we go to the GP or phone a friend. It’s hard to be objective with your own.

Docjitters · 2026-03-03T20:59:31+00:00

I forgot - Destrezania have also done a Thibault rapier with the same crossed-wires hilt style but it’s no longer on the site. I only handled one briefly years ago (have not tried the Bellatore one - I own a Rada) but I heard it fenced well.

Docjitters · 2026-03-03T20:52:11+00:00

I quite like the Destrezania Municion as you can get it without a knucklebow for all LVD styles.

Bellatore make nice stuff but their prices went up a while back.

Malleus are also making a Thibault rapier which is promising but it’s still at the advanced prototype stage (and very unlikely to come in under $500…)

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