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.

Product review: Javelin head from AntiqueCraftsShop

AntiqueCraftsShop is an Etsy-based retailer that sells a variety of items, mostly historical weaponry.  I came across the listing for their Viking Hand Forged Spearhead Medieval Javelin set recently while looking for a lightweight spearhead that would be acceptable for our time period.

As you can see, it has a similar rough-ground and blackened appearance to the Lord of Battles spearhead.  Given that both companies' products appear to be Indian-made, I wouldn't be surprised if some of the same cottage industry workers produced items for both companies, but that's speculation.

I was, however, pleasantly surprised to find that the AntiqueCraftsShop javelin head is much closer to its retail photos and specifications.  On my postage scale, the points weigh a hair over 5 ounces/142 grams, and they measure 20.5 and 21cm long, actually a tiny bit lighter and shorter than the official specs.  The kite shape is a good match for some of the spearheads from Deve Hüyük and the diamond grind is acceptable.  The length is too short and thus they're proportionally a little squat, but at this late stage, I'm willing to overlook that.

More importantly, the points are decently symmetrical, have straight centerlines, and the edges are slightly convex.  They're not perfect, but they're a far cry from the sloppy quality control suggested by the Lord of Battles piece, and more than good enough for my purposes.

A few drawbacks:  As far as the spearhead itself goes, the rough finish is quite ugly.  Luckily I now have a belt sander and should be able to clean it up pretty quickly.  It also lacks a pin hole, which would help affix it more securely to the shaft.  I may be able to add one by grinding a pit with a round Dremel cutter and then finishing with a drill press, but if the steel is hardened, that may be very difficult.

With regards to the seller, AntiqueCraftsShop doesn't appear to sell items singly, so you have to buy at least two if not more.  They seem to have a limited supply of each item as well.

On the whole, I think this has been a worthwhile purchase, and I hope to finish and haft both of them to bring to Plataia this year.

Tablet-woven sash by Aleksandra Zwawiak

Since Giannis Kadoglou alerted us to the idea of tablet weaving several years ago, I've wondered whether the narrow sash worn with Medo-Persian and Elamite dress was made by this method or by cutting and stitching.  I had first made some sashes in 2013 from cotton webbing, but the one I wore in 2015 was essentially a double-wide strip cut from wool yardage, sewn into a tube, inverted, and gathered at the ends.  This works well enough, but several of us at Amphictyonia have long been of the suspicion that the zigzags shown on the Egyptian statue of Darius the Great were made by tablet-weaving instead.

Over the summer, I gave a shot at tablet-weaving my own belt from hemp.  My conclusion?  Practice a lot, or leave it to the professionals.

I contacted Aleksandra Zwawiak, proprietor of SagaWeaving (UK), about the possibility of a custom belt three weeks ago after seeing that she had produced belts with apparently the same weave pattern.  We discussed the specifications and settled on a design over a couple of days.  She ordered the yarn right away and had created the belt within a few days after that, and it arrived at my door this morning.  Aleksandra was very pleasant to work with and, having some glimmer of the effort and care this technique requires, I'm impressed at the quality and speed of her work as well, as how modestly-priced it is.

I requested a solid off-white or beige as might be obtained from a white sheep, and a width of 35-40mm - it comes in at a hair under 40mm.  The belt is a bit thick, but it has to be for the weave to be visible, and the wool is very soft and easy to tie.  It differs from the Egyptian statue in not having the lengthwise stripes with apparent Holbein stitching.  It's my best guess that these represent appliqued trim rather than part of the sash's weave, so I didn't expect or request that they be included.

(I seem to be having a bit of trouble with square knots lately.)  The standard length of 135cm between the tassels is just about right for my waist (around 30 inches or 76cm); the square knot takes up more length than a simple knot would.  The loose ends of the tassels will have to be trimmed almost to nothing, but I haven't yet decided how to eliminate the risk of the knots becoming untied once this is done, so I asked Aleksandra to leave them at full length in the meanwhile.  A possible solution would be to immediately soak the trimmed knots in melted rosin-beeswax glue to turn them into solid lumps; this would be permanent and waterproof, though the discoloration might look unsightly.

It must be emphasized that this is a speculative reconstruction.  I think it's a highly plausible one, as good as any other, and fits the available evidence.

Product review: Lord of Battles forged medium spearhead

Spearheads are a dime a dozen on the reenactor market, but it's strangely difficult to find one that's quite right for our time period.  The vast majority are either too large, the wrong shape, or very expensive.  In fact, India-based manufacturer Lord of Battles' forged medium spearhead is the only one I've found in its price bracket that looks approximately right (though if you have another example, I'd be much obliged if you'd let me know!).

Judging by the finds from Deve Hüyük and elsewhere, the typical Achaemenid spearhead should be relatively small (usually less than a foot long counting the socket) and have narrow kite- or leaf-shaped blades with diamond cross sections, preferably but not always with a mid-rib.  I know of only two whose weights are published, at 196g/6.91oz. and 139.2g/4.91oz.  They may have weighed more before corrosion, but I would imagine the upper weight should be well under 300 grams or 11 ounces for an average-sized spearhead.

Lord of Battles' low prices are presumably a result of lower labor costs than in Western countries, loose manufacturing tolerances (i.e. the company will accept more pieces from workshop[s] despite pieces not being exactly what they should be) and rough finish (less labor required in absolute terms).  I say all this to explain why I think this spearhead is the way it is.

I bought mine through Kult of Athena, who list it at 11.5 inches overall, blade 6.5 inches, socket about 1 inch on the inside, weight 6.7 ounces.  The measurements of the one I received are 11.75 inches overall, blade 7.125 inches, socket 1 inch on the inside, weight almost 11 ounces.  The blade also appears to be wider and more sharply tapered.  Mine also lacks the advertised rivet hole to help attach it to the spear shaft, and the socket isn't quite circular.  Combining all this with fact that one edge is visibly concave and the centerline is curved, I'm left with a poor impression of Lord of Battles' quality control.

The size differences are minor and the asymmetrical appearance might be considered forgivable considering how cheap the spearhead is, but the weight difference (at least for someone like me) is pretty significant.  We are talking about something you affix to the end of a 6+ foot handle and wave around in one hand.  The edges are pretty thick and the point is squared-off, so thinning and slight re-profiling with an angle grinder or belt sander might noticeably improve it.  (In fact, while parts of the spearhead may indeed be forged, I suspect the blade was shaped largely by grinding to begin with.  The fact that it has a rough-ground finish doesn't help that impression.)  At this price, someone who is set up for that kind of work already might consider it a bargain, and aftermarket finishing would certainly improve its appearance.

Product review: Crazy Crow bag

Last year, RAT member Ivor (Crispianus) alerted me to the book Leatherwork from Elephantine (Aswan, Egypt):  Analysis and Catalogue of the Ancient Egyptian & Persian Leather Finds.  Among other useful information, you can see on page 102 (104 of the PDF) an Achaemenid-period bag in the form of a cylinder with a circular bottom and drawstring top.  While it may or may not be Persian, it at least gives solid evidence for a kind of purse or pocket that was carried during our time and within the borders of the empire.

A reenactor needs a small bag that can be kept on one's person for holding phones, money and other possessions that are best not left unattended around camp.  This bag is just about appropriate for that purpose.  It should be easy enough to make a replica should you have the time to do so, but similar bags already exist for the reenactment market.

One that caught my eye earlier this year is marketed by Crazy Crow Trading Post:  the large ball bag.  (British readers may pause to finish laughing before reading on.)  Its basic structure and even its size are similar to the Elephantine find:  6-1/2 by 4 inches (165 by 102mm) versus the Egyptian bag's 140 by 95mm.  The Egyptian bag is sewn with linen.  Its leather wasn't tested for tanning technique, but it has the color of and somewhat looks like smoked wet-scrape braintan.  The Crazy Crow bag is most likely made of a chrome-tanned cowhide split, dyed to resemble smoked braintan.  I have no idea what the stitching is made of.

There are some minor construction differences:  The Egyptian bag has two side seams where the Crazy Crow bag has only one, with thin folded rands on one side seam and around the bottom seam which the Crazy Crow one lacks entirely.  The Egyptian one also has a pattern of punched holes near the top, which could of course be added to a commercial bag after purchase if you have a small awl.

In person, the Crazy Crow bag is made of medium-weight suede, rich golden (a color that can be achieved by smoking undyed leather), with a much shaggier surface than would be produced by wet scraping.  The long drawstring is made of the same leather, which is thankfully not very stretchy.  Note that the catalogue description implies that these bags are made of various leathers - I expect they use whatever they have on hand that works - so the exact weight, color and texture will probably vary somewhat from one batch to the next while still fitting the general description of moccasin-weight cow suede.

As for practical use, I selected and borrowed some items that you might want to keep close to you at an event:  a 5-3/4 by 2-7/8 inch (147 by 73mm) smart phone, wallet, coin purse holding a few emergency medicines, roll of 10 bills and key ring with various mechanical and electronic keys.

The answer:  just about.  The drawstring almost entirely hides the top of the phone.  You would probably also be able to cram a passport in there.

Conclusion:  This isn't a top-of-the-line item, but it will certainly do if you're pressed for time to construct one that's a little more authentic. 

Product review: Fluted brass beads from Crazy Crow

Fluted spherical beads, nowadays commonly called "melon" beads, were a common feature in Achaemenid jewelry and were even used on the thigh cords of akinakes scabbards.  They could be made of metal, stone, glass or ceramic, and often, but not always, featured a small rim at one or both openings.

I recently acquired a bag of fluted beads from Crazy Crow Trading Post.  They are advertised as hollow but heavy and 3/8 inch (about 9.5mm) in diameter; no indication as to whether that refers to the stringing length or the width.  I chose brass as a substitute for gold.

As you can see, they are not quite as advertised...

While the metal used may indeed be brass, it's "red" brass (that is, with a low zinc content and thus a more coppery orange hue) rather than the common yellow brass that it appears to be in the catalogue and online photos.  This isn't necessarily bad, but it does mean they're a less effective substitute for gold and look more like a medium- to low-alloy tin bronze, which was also used for some beads.  Reinforcing this effect is the fact that the beads are "raw" brass with no protective coating.  As you can see, some of them are rather badly tarnished.

In other respects, the beads do live up to the ad copy.  They measure a hair over 9mm in width and 9.5mm in stringing length.  They're surprisingly heavy, much more so than some of Crazy Crow's other hollow metal beads that I've bought, though lighter than solid beads would be.

The raw brass gives me pause.  While all unpainted metal would be "raw" in period, it would also be difficult to polish these without leaving any polishing agent in the grooves or getting it into the inside of the bead, where it could permanently etch the metal (I have seen Brasso do this when allowed to remain in crevices).  Therefore keeping them bright and shiny would be a challenge.

Otherwise, I think these would be excellent for period jewelry if you know what they are and how to use them.  As a substitute for bronze rather than gold, they would probably be appropriate for an impression of a well-off but not especially rich person.  Also, they might be useable on the thigh cord of a small akinakes, paired with a small chape - my examination of Persepolis reliefs indicates that the width ratio of the chape to the bead ranged from 3.57:1 to 5:1, so a 9mm-wide bead could be paired with a chape that is at most 45mm across.

Atlanta Cutlery Arkansas toothpick blade

This is an item I've previously considered for use as an akinakes blade, but have only just gotten my hands on.  I actually ordered for another project entirely, but might as well comment on it here.

The blade, advertised as 3/16 of an inch thick, is actually only 1/8 inch, and due to its breadth at the shoulders, gives the impression of being rather thin.  Together with its acutely tapered profile and full 12-inch length, I cannot say it resembles the few examples I've seen of the Achaemenid akinakes very closely.  On the plus side, the tang is much wider than it appears in catalogue photos, and the edges curve smoothly into the point.

To sum up, I was already doubtful about whether to recommend this blade for this use, and I'm now even more so.  I'm reluctant to rule it out because I know of no comparable items in this price bracket.  Also, given the greater known variations in size and shape, it would probably be acceptable as a Scythian dagger.

Native Way G202

While the socketed trilobate arrowhead is the most common and preferred type for our period, Native Way's model G202 (their G200 looks very similar) belongs to a type attested from findings at Persepolis and is therefore an option for the Achaemenid reenactor.  I also happen to find it very cool-looking.

It's molded from an original and cast in a "lightly leaded" tin bronze which as you can see cleans up very nicely.  It is unfortunately cast rather thick and heavy at 12 grams, but filing and trimming the tang (above, I've cut the tang down by about a third) will help, and also let you define the mid-rib more clearly.  I've managed to get the one I've worked on down to around 9g and could go further.  Because the dust contains lead, I'm guessing your should avoid high-speed power sanding.

The best thing about these, along with being perfectly authentic, is they're very inexpensive as far as reproduction arrowheads go:  Rough-cast, they retail for $3 each, and for the U.S.-based reenactor, shipping costs are far lower than overseas options.  If you don't mind doing some of the work yourself, these are a great option for the reenactor on a budget.