Medieval History
On the outskirts of New Delhi, in a cramped concrete workshop where the air shimmers with the light of welding torches, an Indian businessman has become a master craftsman of Napoleonic swords. And medieval chain-mail armour. And Second World War hand grenades and helmets.
From Hollywood war movies to Japanese Samurai films to battle re-enactments across Europe, Ashok Rai, 31, is one of the world's go-to men for historic weapons and battle attire.
Rai's workshop reverberates with the sounds of metal being hammered and beaten into chain mail, swords, axes, muskets, sabres, spears and helmets.
Rai, a trap-shooting enthusiast, says he has been a history buff since childhood. "I would watch every war movie that came to town. All my life, I've been reading up on all the major battles in history. Now when we make medieval battle gear it's easy for me to explain to my craftsmen exactly what's to be done."
Click here to read this article from the Associated Press
- Why The Soldiers Of The First World War Should Have Looked More Like Medieval Knights
Michael Vlahos offers a fascinating article in The Atlantic about how "hundreds of thousands of lives" in World War I could have been saved if soldiers wore helmets and body armor just as medieval knights did hundreds of years earlier. He writes, "medieval...
- Largest Medieval Armour Collection On Auction
A German octogenarian puts his lifelong fascination with armour under the hammer Tuesday when the largest private collection of medieval weapons goes on sale for millions of euros. The collection, valued at between three and four million euros ($4-5.4...
- An Afternoon With Sheffield?s Medieval Re-enactment Society
Will, one of the leaders of the Medieval Re-enactment Society, has just arrived in Fusion. He is casually dressed, and has brought a large bag with him, which he places down on one of the sofas with a clanking thump. One of the group reaches inside and...
- Arms And Crafts: Return Of The Samurai
Among the highlights of the huge Asian collection at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria ? 8,000 artifacts making up more than 40 per cent of the gallery?s collection ? is a group of Samurai suits that date back to the 16th century. Ornate, functional...
- Armor Makers Busy Ahead Of Medieval Battle Replay
Just like his Medieval counterparts 600 years ago armourer Tomasz Samula has hardly any time to outfit his knights before battle commences. Samula is racing to add the final touches to the metal breastplates, helmets, gloves and other accoutrements needed...
Medieval History
Weapons maker to the world: Meet the go-to man for battle attire
From Hollywood war movies to Japanese Samurai films to battle re-enactments across Europe, Ashok Rai, 31, is one of the world's go-to men for historic weapons and battle attire.
Rai's workshop reverberates with the sounds of metal being hammered and beaten into chain mail, swords, axes, muskets, sabres, spears and helmets.
Rai, a trap-shooting enthusiast, says he has been a history buff since childhood. "I would watch every war movie that came to town. All my life, I've been reading up on all the major battles in history. Now when we make medieval battle gear it's easy for me to explain to my craftsmen exactly what's to be done."
Click here to read this article from the Associated Press
- Why The Soldiers Of The First World War Should Have Looked More Like Medieval Knights
Michael Vlahos offers a fascinating article in The Atlantic about how "hundreds of thousands of lives" in World War I could have been saved if soldiers wore helmets and body armor just as medieval knights did hundreds of years earlier. He writes, "medieval...
- Largest Medieval Armour Collection On Auction
A German octogenarian puts his lifelong fascination with armour under the hammer Tuesday when the largest private collection of medieval weapons goes on sale for millions of euros. The collection, valued at between three and four million euros ($4-5.4...
- An Afternoon With Sheffield?s Medieval Re-enactment Society
Will, one of the leaders of the Medieval Re-enactment Society, has just arrived in Fusion. He is casually dressed, and has brought a large bag with him, which he places down on one of the sofas with a clanking thump. One of the group reaches inside and...
- Arms And Crafts: Return Of The Samurai
Among the highlights of the huge Asian collection at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria ? 8,000 artifacts making up more than 40 per cent of the gallery?s collection ? is a group of Samurai suits that date back to the 16th century. Ornate, functional...
- Armor Makers Busy Ahead Of Medieval Battle Replay
Just like his Medieval counterparts 600 years ago armourer Tomasz Samula has hardly any time to outfit his knights before battle commences. Samula is racing to add the final touches to the metal breastplates, helmets, gloves and other accoutrements needed...