Michael | 
07 30th, 2009| 
Remember that cool looking sword that the elf army used at the beginning prologue thing of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring? The one where they did a sick uppercut maneuver with. I remember all the LotR forums were crowded with comments talking about it. Well nine years later and I finally got one. 
Just thought I’d make you all jealous.
Jul
30
Jul
28
I recently saw the new establishment of the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, and I have to say I was impressed. The movie was fresh and funny. Although I was long there were hardly and parts that dragged along and I found myself laughing as though I was watching a comedy. I did read the book when it first came out (can’t remember how many years ago that was?) but I still was surprised at times and eager to know what was going to happen, as if I didn’t already. Overall, it was a fun and fresh movie.
Jul
27
For those of you who are not sure or need a quick refresh on what a crossbow is/does then listen up. A crossbow is a range weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shots bolts (ammunition, similar to an arrow). The development of these weapons dates back to Ancient Greece and they played significant roles in warfare till the introduction of guns. Here is a picture to further spark your imagination.
Now that we set the mood lets get back to the topic on hand shall we. That is, Crossbows in the Medieval Era. Crossbows played an important role throughout the Medieval period. The crossbow was really the first hand-held weapon that could be used by an untrained soldier to injure or kill a knight in plate armor. The most powerful crossbows could penetrate armor and kill at 200 yards. Crossbows are easier to aim than longbows because the crossbowman doesn’t have to use a hand to hold the string back while aiming. It was easier to master then a typical bow, therefor making it ideal for unspecialized soldiers. The only downfall to this was that a crossbow took a lot longer to reload.
In the armies of Europe, mounted and unmounted crossbowmen, often mixed with javeliners and archers, occupied a central position in battle formations. Usually they engaged the enemy in offensive skirmishes before an assault of mounted knights. Crossbowmen were also valuable in counterattacks to protect their infantry. The rank of commanding officer of the crossbowmen corps was one of the highest positions in any army of this time. Along with polearm weapons made from farming equipment, the crossbow was also a weapon of choice for insurgent peasants such as the Taborites.
Based on how we praised the crossbow above you may be surprised by the following statment. Medieval crossbows were inefficient. The reason for this is that the draw length and the lathe (also called a prod) of crossbows are short. So even though a crossbow may have a great deal of stored energy when spanned, the tips of the lathe do not have enough time to reach the maximum velocity, so the amount of stored energy is not transferred fully to the bolt. It is the lathe tip velocity that determines the speed of the bolt that is loosed.
Jul
18
Hey readers! Sorry about the long delay but we are now back in blog business. OK so a couple of blogs back we talked about a new line of items that are out based on the Assassin’s Creed video game series (there are two games atm I believe). We I am going to do now is kinda review individual items and talk about what makes it so special. We’ll do one at a time and today start with the ‘Amazing Assassin Extension Knife’. With ‘Amazing’ in the name it must be something! Sounds corny to me, I’ll have to look into that.
So lets take a look at this ego-driven Assassin’s Creed collectible shall we. Alone this product is fun but has its limits. This is because there is nothing to hold it to your arm! There are hinges on the sides which you can custom make some straps to secure it. Once you get the glove and vambrace your life will be much easier. With the blade hidden the base measures 10-3/4 inches from tip to tip. The weight is perfect, only 1.2 pounds. The finishing is done by hand but looks professional and not hurried.
While I was bringing out the blade for the first time I was impressed with its size. “Man, how long does this thing get!”. The entire blade (or at least what sticks out) is 8.5 inches and .5-.75 inches wide, Bringing this entire contraption to 18-3/4 inches. Only about 4″ of the blade is naked; the rest is shielded off but not 100% invisible. While it still serves poking purposes (be careful near eyes and other delicate body parts), the blade is unsharpened/dull. All pew pew assassin action stays put in the virtual world. This Assassin’s Creed collectible is all show and tell.
One of my favorite features is the secure lock it has which prevent the blade from engaging/disengaging on its own. To engage the blade you just move the lever found on the base up. Simple enough. So do you just move it down to disengage? No! There is a button (yes, a button) that needs to be pressed before you touch the level. Mastery engineering if you ask me. Well that pretty much sums up this Assassin’s Creed collectible. Catch me next time when I review the impressive Altair Over Tunic With Hood.
Amazing Assassin Extension Knife:
Pros:
-Safe
-Perfectly balanced weight and dimensions.
-Looks wickedly cool!
Cons:
-Needs to come standard with a hand strap thingy.