2005-09-08 - 8:34 a.m.
That could very well be the best photo ever taken.
I�m having a hard time trying to pick up the thread from the last post, no pithy comment seems to springs to mind anyway.
Court was fun, if hot and a bit crowed behind the thrones. I think I�ve mentioned that it is much more fun to see peoples faces when they receive their awards, it makes standing through court well worth it. I think I will get a small foam mat and try to stash it behind the thrones. That and I need to carve a sword rest into the top of the thrones, I almost dropped the sword of state on the king last event when it slipped off the top of the rail.
Adventures I�ve had with that sword so far:
I whacked a fellow retainer in the head with the end of the sword two minutes into my first court. (it was light, and flat by the way)
As mentioned, while resting the pommel on the back of the throne (as advised) the sword slipped off and into the throne itself, (while it contained the Royal presence) only a quick squeeze on the scabbard saved the day.
And this event, I left the sword sitting on the thrones in the feast hall over night. This was not an accident, I put it there on purpose thinking it was where it went, but I should have taken it back to Royal with me.
Who knows what other trouble that sword will cause me in the next few months. And who decided that a sword that small needed two pounds of brass in the pommel J? I can�t complain too much, the sword of state in Calontir is five feet long and weighs about 40 pounds. (ok not really, but it sure feels that way)
Feast was really good, especially the noodles and roast chicken. The dessert was also very yummy and I kept trying to find a way to smuggle a full pie out of the feast hall.
After feast and clean-up we went back to royal to chill for a while, hoping to find a bardic later on.
We did get a small bardic started after three failed attempts, but since very few people actually stayed on site the attendance was limited. It was a pretty fair evening though, and a short bardic meant more time to spend alone with Elee.
The ride home was pleasant but uneventful, and I spent Sunday watching movies and filing my spurs. I had to enlarge the slots that hold the leathers, and it was pretty slow going, I think it took about four hours of steady work with small files to enlarge and smooth the slots. It would have taken minutes with my dremel tool, but that venerable old workhorse finally gave up the ghost cutting links for my new chain. (the hacksaw worked better anyway)
I had plenty of time to think while I was filing (I had already seen the movies) I�ve seen some really intricate metal work from early periods, and I�m simply amazed at what they were able to archive with fairly crude tools. It took me hours to make nice smooth oblong slots with my finely made needle files. I can�t imagine trying to perform the same task with anything less effective or precise.
Anyway, it got me to thinking about exactly what was available in the way of metal working tools in the pre 1000 period. Hammers, anvils, tongs, pliers ect obviously. The tools in the Mastermyer chest are fairly crude, but seem to be more general purpose carpentry and blacksmithing tools, not specialty metal working tools like small files and cold chisels.
I would imagine anything as small as my needle files would disappear completely in a couple hundred years of rust.
Anyway, just something I�ll research a bit. I�ll probably not find the actually tools, but some of the objects that the tools made are still around and bear witness to what made them.
Justus
