Päivänkysymys.....
I practice european medieval swordsmanship in a club in Turku. We use hand and a half metal longswords. The blade is blunted, but measures approx. 85-90cm, total length 125-140cm. So, it looks like the real thing in every way except it has no edge, and the tip is rounded.
Now, I have been practicing outside alone in a fairly secluded park and obviously with the weather at the moment I won't be doing this again until April or May of next year, but does anybody know about, or where I can find out if I'm breaking the law? I don't carry the thing around the centre of town or try to practice in the Kauppatori etc. And if I'm en route somewhere, I have it covered in a bag, so it could pass for a sählymailakotelo, or something equally innocuous.
In other countries, it usually comes down to the user's intent, and further action by the cops is at their discretion. I get strange looks occasionally from people, while training, fair enough, but so far, nobody has called the boys in blue yet.
I just had visions after watching the programme on cops last night, of being summoned over to the mariah and having to explain in crap Finnish, that I'm not a nutter, and that although the sword is metal, it's blunt. Then my sword and possibly myself would be carted down to the local nick. Ugh! The horror!
Kevin.
Sword practice in public
You could always persuade a friend to grab a baseball bat and practise
with you, afterall one person in a park with a sword fighting by himself
demands a SWAT team, two people fighting in a park with sticks and
swords demands an audience.
Reminds me of the time myself and a mate had to drag two 1.5kg
broadswords across Finland a few years back while interrailing and
the curious looks we got. It's also quite difficult to crouch around on the
trains with a naked blade protruding 10 inches from your rucksack without
drawing attention to yourself. Customs at Dublin airport weren't amused
either and took some convincing that the blades were not that sharp that
we would be launching a Highlander spree on the unsuspecting public.
with you, afterall one person in a park with a sword fighting by himself
demands a SWAT team, two people fighting in a park with sticks and
swords demands an audience.
Reminds me of the time myself and a mate had to drag two 1.5kg
broadswords across Finland a few years back while interrailing and
the curious looks we got. It's also quite difficult to crouch around on the
trains with a naked blade protruding 10 inches from your rucksack without
drawing attention to yourself. Customs at Dublin airport weren't amused
either and took some convincing that the blades were not that sharp that
we would be launching a Highlander spree on the unsuspecting public.
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briandinneen
- Posts: 13
- Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2006 12:06 pm
I presume he managed to find one in the Czech republic (they make excellent swords there for reasonable prices) while interrailing and wanted to bring it home. Personally I would have mailed it, but it was cheaper to bring it.
it's a lot harder to find a (usable, i.e. re-enactment/fencing/legitimate use)sword in Ireland without paying the earth, and usually all you get is a "wallhanger"....Rip off Ireland indeed!
Kevin.
it's a lot harder to find a (usable, i.e. re-enactment/fencing/legitimate use)sword in Ireland without paying the earth, and usually all you get is a "wallhanger"....Rip off Ireland indeed!
Kevin.
Ni bheidh mo letheid aris ann.
Yep, bought it in Prague. I didn't start out with the intention of buyingsnowcelt wrote:I presume he managed to find one in the Czech republic
one when visiting Prague, but certain circumstances contrived to make
purchasing one a necessity for the protection of my well-being - interrailing
companion spends a week binging on absenthe and weed, stops shaving and
develops syptoms of proptosis, buys a broadsword and threatens me with
it after refusing to speak to him for three days..