Ashley Holt passed away yesterday.
Many of you will have known Ash through the Hoplite Association and his work as an itinerant presenter at historical events and schools. He was also an equestrian and a caretaker of animals. I first met him at 2011, where he and the Hoplite Association were the first reenactors I met after arriving alone in Nea Makri. They couldn't have been more welcoming. Anyone who saw Ash at work was impressed by his passion about history and education. Even while discussing his failing health, Ash maintained an extraordinary sense of dignity and wit.
Our hearts go out to his wife, Pat Carlton, and his closest friends.
Sunday, April 21, 2024
A friend has left us
Monday, January 29, 2024
Product review: Lord of Battles javelin head
Anyone in the market for small javelin heads for a peltast or similar impression is not spoiled for choice at the moment. Personally I find most javelin heads are big enough to be spearheads, while large arrowheads still have small sockets that would tend to result in shafts breaking off in the socket when used as javelins (which I've unfortunately confirmed firsthand).
If you prefer a lighter javelin and want to carry more than one or two, I believe Lord of Battle's Medieval leaf-bladed javelin is the best non-custom middle ground I've been able to find so far. They retail direct from the manufacturer for 24.99USD.
Trio of Lord of Battles Medieval leaf-bladed javelin heads. Note the angled cut of the middle socket and the bend of the lowermost blade.
I bought three late last year but have only just gotten around to reviewing them. As before, Lord of Battle's quality control isn't spectacular. Two of the points have edges that become very thick toward the point. They're not safety javelins that could be used for reenactment combat, but on the other hand they'd require a lot of sharpening to use as real weapons. The point with the thinner edges also has a blade that's slightly but obviously curved out-of-plane with the socket. I'm not sure whether I want to try bending it straight in a vise; I have no idea how hard the steel is or whether bending it cold would cause some kind of micro-damage. Lastly, one of the straight blades has a socket that's cut at a noticeable angle. The point should still be straight when installed, all other things being equal, but it's a little odd-looking and will require a little extra care if you like to cut a tenon into shafts so that the sides of the shaft are flush with the socket (the sockets are about 3/4 inch or 19mm wide on the outside). As an aside, note that the sockets all have two 1/8 inch (3.175mm) rivet holes.
The QC is, on the other hand, better than in some of Lord of Battle's products. The blades are a more consistent shape than their older small spear/javelin heads, as you can see here, and the finish is much better, especially for the price. (The product that seems to have replaced the small spear/javelin head, the current "light" spear head, is larger than the older model and requires a thicker shaft, thus moving it out of this size category.) As for the old medium spearhead, there's no comparison.
Size specifications: The bent point is 6-1/4 inches or just under 159mm long, has a blade 1 inch (25mm) wide, and weighs a little more than 3 ounces (85g). The one with the angled socket is 6-5/16 inches (160mm) measured from one side and 6-3/8 inches (162mm) from the other, 15/16 inch (just under 24mm) wide, and weighs about 3-1/2 ounces (99g). The last one is 6-5/16 inches long, 1 inch wide, and weighs a bit more than 3-1/2 ounces. All three have sockets with an inner diameter of 5/8 inch (just under 16mm).
On the whole, I would give this one a tentative recommendation; it's far from perfect but it's still decent, and I don't know of any other small javelin head that won't run you the price of custom metalwork.
If you prefer a lighter javelin and want to carry more than one or two, I believe Lord of Battle's Medieval leaf-bladed javelin is the best non-custom middle ground I've been able to find so far. They retail direct from the manufacturer for 24.99USD.
I bought three late last year but have only just gotten around to reviewing them. As before, Lord of Battle's quality control isn't spectacular. Two of the points have edges that become very thick toward the point. They're not safety javelins that could be used for reenactment combat, but on the other hand they'd require a lot of sharpening to use as real weapons. The point with the thinner edges also has a blade that's slightly but obviously curved out-of-plane with the socket. I'm not sure whether I want to try bending it straight in a vise; I have no idea how hard the steel is or whether bending it cold would cause some kind of micro-damage. Lastly, one of the straight blades has a socket that's cut at a noticeable angle. The point should still be straight when installed, all other things being equal, but it's a little odd-looking and will require a little extra care if you like to cut a tenon into shafts so that the sides of the shaft are flush with the socket (the sockets are about 3/4 inch or 19mm wide on the outside). As an aside, note that the sockets all have two 1/8 inch (3.175mm) rivet holes.
Size specifications: The bent point is 6-1/4 inches or just under 159mm long, has a blade 1 inch (25mm) wide, and weighs a little more than 3 ounces (85g). The one with the angled socket is 6-5/16 inches (160mm) measured from one side and 6-3/8 inches (162mm) from the other, 15/16 inch (just under 24mm) wide, and weighs about 3-1/2 ounces (99g). The last one is 6-5/16 inches long, 1 inch wide, and weighs a bit more than 3-1/2 ounces. All three have sockets with an inner diameter of 5/8 inch (just under 16mm).
On the whole, I would give this one a tentative recommendation; it's far from perfect but it's still decent, and I don't know of any other small javelin head that won't run you the price of custom metalwork.
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