Once in a while, I get asked to make a piece for a benefit raffle or auction. A few months ago, I was contacted about doing a piece to benefit Ernie Gygax, the eldest child of Gary Gygax. Ernie has had some medical issues, and the bills have been piling up. Ernie and I conspired, […]
Real Steel: Shadow Bane, A Benefit Roll Off Read More »
And the winner is… Anthony Jennings! His Blade of Ancient Visions has stolen the hearts—and minds!—of all that would look upon it. And now this blade crafted by the hands of Todd Gdula can go on to speak to a new wielder with its wondrous visions and whispers. (Well, when you’re paranoid, you’re never alone, right?)
Real Steel: Blade of Ancient Visions Read More »
Gamers are fairly well versed on the wide variety of real life weapons that have made their way into our campaigns. It’s pretty unusual that I feel like I can show you something that there’s even a small chance you haven’t seen before. I’ll bet that for some of you, this is one of those
Real Steel: Kerambit Read More »
In an effort to gather more entries for our judges to enjoy — especially from those of you who were working on your taxes until today — we’re extending the contest deadline until April 25, 2016. So, if you haven’t yet pulled together an entry for this contest, you have some more time! If you’re
Real Steel Contest: Date Extended Read More »
I make some fairly unusual blades and metalwork, but it’s not often that I get commissioned to make a pure fantasy piece. When I got the initial call on this one, I knew it was going to be fun. I did a fairly comprehensive WIP (work in progress) that I’m very excited to share with
Real Steel: Cthulhu Cutlass—A Work in Progress Read More »
The many types of short swords have origins from almost everywhere in the old world. Indonesia has an amazing variety of big knives and short swords. The Indian region and Africa offer some of the more unusual types. Asia has a number of entries into the category, while Europe offers the small sword and the
Real Steel: Short Sword Read More »
Historically, falchion come in two basic varieties: heavy and light. The heavier type arrived earlier and is a somewhat crudely made, heavy, cleaver-like sword. The lighter type is a longer and more finely made sword. They appeared in the eleventh century and persisted into the sixteenth century. Very few originals have survived to the present
Real Steel: Falchion Read More »
Coins. Gold, silver, bronze, and copper. Throughout history, they’ve been struck, cast, engraved, and cut. Their style and artwork are a reflection of the culture that created them. It’s no surprise that coins are being used in gaming. They can help build the flavor of a world and give insight into the religions and art
Real Steel: Coins of the Southlands Read More »
Daggers, darts, and staffs. That was your choice of weapons when you rolled that level 1 mage with 1 hit point and one sleep spell way back when. Many of us chose the dagger or darts (more on darts and spikes another time) because they can be thrown and keep that single hit point out
Real Steel: Throwing Knives Read More »
Whether called target, targa, targo, or targe, it’s a round shield ranging from approximately 18”–21” in diameter, used by infantry forces in various European armies from the 13th through the 16th centuries. Constructed of wood and usually wrapped with leather or rawhide, it was designed for close quarters combat and offered good protection for its
Real Steel: Spiked Targe Read More »
The cutlass is a short sword in the saber family, usually having a broad, curved blade. It was commonly seen in naval service, most likely due to its ability to cut, thrust, and brawl in close quarters. It was also no doubt used to cut rope, canvas, and even brush when carried as a side
Real Steel: Cutlass Read More »
The Mammen axe is known from a single example found in a grave at Mammen, Denmark, and it dates from about 970-971 CE. The axe is very well made and inlaid with silver, and it was probably ceremonial and purpose-made to be buried with its rich and powerful owner, likely a Viking Jarl. OK, Not
Real Steel: Mammen Axe Read More »
Mjolnir. The name conjures images of godly strife, powerful storms, and supernatural battles. This is something my brother, David, and I had wanted to do for a long time. Some of you followed or backed our Kickstarter. Thank you! For those that didn’t, this is how I made Mjolnir. The Process For this project, David
Real Steel: Mjolnir Read More »
In the recent past, we talked about the options for my next project. Then I asked for input from the kobolds, who made their choice here, and who also gave generously here and here. The mace is done—ready to ship to its proud new owner. As promised, I did my best to document the build
Real Steel: Kobold’s Choice—Building the Mace Read More »
Our little benefit raffle to help out a fellow gamer in a time of need is done, and one thing is very clear: Kobolds care . . . a lot. All told we raised $580 to help Ernie get back on his feet. I’m in contact with his brother, Luke, who has set up a
Real Steel: Kobold’s Choice Benefit Raffle Update Read More »
In case you haven’t heard, Ernie Gygax recently had a disastrous house fire and lost pretty much all his possessions. All people and pets got out OK. Although we’re friends on Facebook, I’ve never met Ernie in person. But that doesn’t matter. Ernie is a member of our community. Let’s use this project to help
Real Steel: Kobold’s Choice Read More »
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