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Cutting targets for Albion Swords

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Sir Ulrich:
I have my Albion Reeve, I met up with my friend Elliot and we decided to cut targets with swords, we had one milk jug a bunch of newspaper targets and some seltzer bottles to cut. For some reason the seltzer bottles did NOT get cut even when I used proper method. I had no problem getting through the milk jug and even neatly cut the top off. The seltzer bottles simply got batted away and never would get cut, when I took a mace to them they CRACKED and exploded literally. My question is does anyone know where I can get more cutting targets and perhaps a stand to put targets up on. I did use a plastic table and a cardboard box but it had metal so in case we DO miss and believe me I actually had my mace fly out of my hand while using it due to my linen mittens for my gambeson not having the best grip. Would prefer a wooden stand honestly and I lack woodworking skills to make my own. Also does anyone know a cheap source of targets that can literally just be disposable, as doing this stuff is quite addicting honestly and a good work out, much better and entertaining than lifting weights which I stopped doing cause it was so boring.

Sir Edward:

Yeah, you do have to be careful. Occasionally you'll make a bad cut, and the sword will come out of your hand, or hit the stand. It happens to all of us, so it's important to have the right kind of stand, and to make sure friends and bystanders are behind you while cutting.

A wooden stand will be best. A 4x4" post works pretty well for water bottles and the like. If you decide to try tatami-mats, you can buy stands made specifically for those. But that's not the cheapest or quickest route, since you have to spend time preparing the tatami (soaking it overnight, for instance).

Foam targets are mostly a bust, but will work in a pinch. You can buy pool-noodles, but you want the really thick ones (4 or 6 inches wide, since the thinner ones tend to just bat around), and you'll need a stand with 1" thick peg to stick the pool noodles on.

Milk jugs cut very easily. Too easily in fact, since they don't give you any feedback on your technique. They only show you how good your aim is. If you're using the gallon-size plastic jugs, the fun thing with these is that if you do perfectly horizontal cuts, you can actually slice the entire jug down, one-inch at a time.

2-liter coke bottles filled with water will work well. They're pretty forgiving, and will cut if your edge alignment is decent. If it's way off, you'll bat the thing aside. This is true of 16oz bottles too.

Pumpkins make great targets. They're a bit destructive to overly thin & stiff blades, but the Albions just eat pumpkins for lunch. The only thing here is you need to be sure to really clean the blade afterward, because the pumpkin juice will discolor the blade if left on there.

Sir James A:

--- Quote from: Sir Ulrich on 2013-12-26, 03:45:25 ---I have my Albion Reeve, I met up with my friend Elliot and we decided to cut targets with swords, we had one milk jug a bunch of newspaper targets and some seltzer bottles to cut. For some reason the seltzer bottles did NOT get cut even when I used proper method.
--- End quote ---

"Proper method" is something that can take years or decades to learn. I'm still a novice with it. The seltzer bottles may be thicker plastic, which is less forgiving on any slop in cutting technique. It also requires a better edge just to get that initial "bite" of the cut into the plastic; a sharp Albion should be sufficient, but I've got a bunch of carbon steel swords with duller edges that do the same thing almost regardless of technique.

Sir Ian caught me grinning in enjoyment at VARF earlier this year during a cutting demo we did at the last show, when I was doing the "shaving" down inch by inch that Sir Edward mentioned. Granted, it's cabbage, not a milk carton, but they both cut easily and the idea is the same... keep making thin slices until it is gone. Probably could have done better without the gauntlets, and had I not been doing the combat demo 3 times earlier that day. I did okay though. :) I think I got 6 or 7 cuts out of that one.



It was a little awkward since the stand wasn't overly steady, but I didn't remember to bring mine so we had to improvise one. When you get that perfect horizontal mittelhau (however it's spelled!), the sword should be almost "invisible" like mine is in the picture; it shows that the edge alignment stayed flat and true. Keeping the edge aligned properly through the entire cut is something that takes *a lot* of practice. Again, I'm still pretty novice, just lucky that Sir Ian caught me during a good one.


--- Quote from: Sir Ulrich on 2013-12-26, 03:45:25 ---I had no problem getting through the milk jug and even neatly cut the top off. The seltzer bottles simply got batted away and never would get cut, when I took a mace to them they CRACKED and exploded literally.
--- End quote ---

Milk jugs are thin and cut very easily. You can cut them with junk stainless steel wall hangers. That makes them useful to analyze your cuts on. And maces are certainly fun; I've hit full bottles with an 8 pound sledgehammer just for the thrill of it. And to yell "I. Am. THOR!" afterwards, of course...


--- Quote from: Sir Ulrich on 2013-12-26, 03:45:25 ---My question is does anyone know where I can get more cutting targets and perhaps a stand to put targets up on.
--- End quote ---

I've got some rough cell phone pics of a couple cutting stands I made, on my website: http://www.james-anderson-iii.com/wma/pages/the-pell/

One is simply a 4x4 post that I cut to size and put in the ground with a removable 4x4 post stake. The 2x4 one doesn't go into the ground at all, and requires almost no woodworking skills; it's literally just cutting pieces to length and then screwing them together. It can be done with a hand saw and screwdriver, but much faster with a compound miter saw and power drill w/screwdriver bit. If you want to make one let me know if you have any questions, they're pretty easy.


--- Quote from: Sir Ulrich on 2013-12-26, 03:45:25 ---Also does anyone know a cheap source of targets that can literally just be disposable, as doing this stuff is quite addicting honestly and a good work out, much better and entertaining than lifting weights which I stopped doing cause it was so boring.

--- End quote ---

I use 2 liter bottles, water bottles (the 16 oz ones), kitty litter jugs and milk jugs. Ideal since I acquire them just by drinking/using stuff, and since it's all recyclable material, once it's cut up, I just gather up the pieces and toss it in the recycle bin. No waste!

One thing you can do, is not just think of "I cut it" or "I didn't cut" it. Examine the cut pieces:

* Did it curve upwards or downwards?
* Did it cut most of the way through and leave a jagged edge where it failed by momentum strain instead of a clean, perfect slice?
* Do you have a straight, smooth cut?

Video to review from is also probably great. I want to do that at some point. It lets you see your technique slowed down to see exact edge alignment, it lets you see if you are striking on the best part of the blade, it lets you see your foot work and other minor-but-important details that help bring the whole of the art of cutting together cohesively.

While expensive and a bit burdensome, tatami is excellent for that kind of technique review since it is "solid" all the way through as compared to bottles. I'll try to get a picture of mine later from Longpoint 2011 when I did the cutting class with an Albion; it is very good at showing the trail of the cut.

One of the coolest things I saw at Longpoint in 2011 was when Edelson started the cutting class and did a "hanging cut" (not sure of the proper term); he had a tatami mat on the stand, and he did a forward cut, followed by a reverse cut from the forward cut, and another forward cut - 3 cuts really quickly - and then the tatami pieces fell off. He literally cut so quickly and so smoothly that it slid off like the crazy katana cartoons. It was WAY too cool.

Sir Nate:
Sir James how did you get such a perfect cutting pic?

Ian:

--- Quote from: Sir Nate on 2013-12-29, 01:07:48 ---Sir James how did you get such a perfect cutting pic?

--- End quote ---

I just use a very fast shutter speed to freeze the action and try to time it as well as possible.  I took a lot of photos of this cutting demo, only a few of them get that magic timing, but like a smart photographer, I only publish the good ones :)

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