James grew up on an Ozarks farm where tools like axes and picks were still used in the daily routine and the blades of stockman's pocketknives served their original functions. Receiving his first pocketknife at age four he got it open by himself nearly a year later and spent his formative years wandering the woods with a succession of ever larger knives, a book of matches and a rifle.
A veteran of Vietnam, James also served in Alaska during a stint in the Army, receiving his first intensive culinary training by setting a record for extra KP at Ft. Richardson.
Settling in the Pacific Northwest after his discharge, James crewed on sailing yachts in local races, backpacked hundreds of miles of mountain trails in search of good trout fishing, and occasionally attended college.
His first serious job as a civilian resulted from answering a Seattle Post Intelligencer want ad requesting someone who could lift 120 pounds repeatedly and wasn't afraid of fire. James apprenticed to John Frazier -- the most knowledgeable traditional foundryman in North America at that time -- for the next six years.
Returning to the Ozarks James made his living by growing ginseng on a hand-terraced wooded hillside and selling handmade wood turnery, furniture, sculpture and architectural carvings. James harvested trees from his own land, processing logs into posts and beams and turnery billets with saws, axes, froes and planes. Since many tools he needed were no longer available, James built his own forge from a barbeque grill, a vacuum cleaner and a 55 gallon steel drum, found a chunk of railroad track for his first anvil, and taught himself blacksmithing -- creating his own knives and tools from scrap steel and sweat.
Changing economic pressures eventually forced James back to the restaurant industry in Branson, Missouri, and later to even more success as a maintenance engineer for one of Branson's largest condominium resorts. Finally escaping to Indiana, James now makes his living telling true stories as a freelance writer.
Longswords with ring-shaped pommels aren’t limited to Irish traditions. The ring pommel was a simple and practical solution to sword construction in many parts of the world, known in Germany and Korea as well as in Ireland. If you’re looking for an accurate Irish bastard sword, this replica does come close to many Irish weapons of the Middle Ages.
Bastard swords in general belonged in a class of weapon often known as “hand-and-a-half.” Not quite as large as the claymore, a two-handed version favored by Scotsmen, the bastard sword combined two-handed power and one-handed dexterity. Ring-shaped pommels cut down on the weight while still providing enough blunt force for a crushing reverse blow. In some Irish weapons, a trademark feature was a rat-tailed tang which extended through a ring of steel and was capped at the end. This modern replica sword follows that old Irish pattern.
With an overall length of 36 inches, the Irish Ring sword isn’t too much for one-handed use. The double-edged, 27-inch blade of high carbon stainless steel is well shaped and polished, but not sharpened to a razor edge. Most materials used in the sword are traditional including hardwood for grip and scabbard and genuine leather coverings for both. The sword’s cross-guard is simple stainless steel, functional but not decorative, and appropriate for a true combat sword.
All the weapon lacks is combat quality steel and the details of tempering and construction you don’t get from a replica weapon. If you need a display sword or a costume piece, the Irish Ring Bastard Sword fits.
See the Cold Steel version of the Hand-and-a-Half Longsword for a practical, modern, combat-quality interpretation of this old weapon.
James grew up on an Ozarks farm where tools like axes and picks were still used in the daily routine and the blades of stockman's pocketknives served their original functions. Receiving his first pocketknife at age four he got it open by himself nearly a year later and spent his formative years wandering the woods with a succession of ever larger knives, a book of matches and a rifle.
A veteran of Vietnam, James also served in Alaska during a stint in the Army, receiving his first intensive culinary training by setting a record for extra KP at Ft. Richardson.
Settling in the Pacific Northwest after his discharge, James crewed on sailing yachts in local races, backpacked hundreds of miles of mountain trails in search of good trout fishing, and occasionally attended college.
His first serious job as a civilian resulted from answering a Seattle Post Intelligencer want ad requesting someone who could lift 120 pounds repeatedly and wasn't afraid of fire. James apprenticed to John Frazier -- the most knowledgeable traditional foundryman in North America at that time -- for the next six years.
Returning to the Ozarks James made his living by growing ginseng on a hand-terraced wooded hillside and selling handmade wood turnery, furniture, sculpture and architectural carvings. James harvested trees from his own land, processing logs into posts and beams and turnery billets with saws, axes, froes and planes. Since many tools he needed were no longer available, James built his own forge from a barbeque grill, a vacuum cleaner and a 55 gallon steel drum, found a chunk of railroad track for his first anvil, and taught himself blacksmithing -- creating his own knives and tools from scrap steel and sweat.
Changing economic pressures eventually forced James back to the restaurant industry in Branson, Missouri, and later to even more success as a maintenance engineer for one of Branson's largest condominium resorts. Finally escaping to Indiana, James now makes his living telling true stories as a freelance writer.
Longswords with ring-shaped pommels aren’t limited to Irish traditions. The ring pommel was a simple and practical solution to sword construction in many parts of the world, known in Germany and Korea as well as in Ireland. If you’re looking for an accurate Irish bastard sword, this replica does come close to many Irish weapons of the Middle Ages.
