As we announced last week, Dr. Nathan Clough will be lecturing and leading a handling session of antiquities at SoCal Swordfight March 14-16, 2025. We don't get out to the West Coast too often, mostly because we are too busy making swords to justify the trip, but this event looks so great Nathan is taking a week off of work to drive from Minneapolis to LA with about a dozen antiquities from the Oakeshott Institute collection, and a bunch of Arms and Armor products to sell at the event.
We haven't been out to this event since before the plague and we are looking forward to seeing a lot of old and new friends. As always, our swords and other weapons are entirely made by us, by hand, at our shop in Minneapolis, MN. Sword blades are hand ground of 6150 carbon steel, hardened and tempered to 50-52 Rockwell. Arms & Armor is dedicated to quality and authenticity. For over four decades we have worked with museums, collectors, and scholars to develop a deep understanding of European weapons; knowledge we use to make products that exemplify the finest qualities of the very best historic pieces. When we select historic items to reproduce, being pretty isn't enough, they have to move with grace and beauty, and beg to be used when in the hand. These are pieces that feel as good as they look, and that work as well as they feel.
Check out our full line of products here.
Nathan Clough, Ph.D. is President and CEO of Arms and Armor and a member of the governing board of The Oakeshott Institute. He is a historical martial artist and a former university professor of cultural geography. He has given presentations on historical arms at events including Longpoint and Combatcon, and presented scholarly papers at, among others, The International Congress on Medieval Studies.
Craig Johnson is the Production Manager of Arms and Armor and Secretary of The Oakeshott Institute. He has taught and published on the history of arms, armor and western martial arts for over 30 years. He has lectured at several schools and Universities, WMAW, HEMAC, 4W, and ICMS at Kalamazoo. His experiences include iron smelting, jousting, theatrical combat instruction and choreography, historical research, European martial arts and crafting weapons and armor since 1985