Preparing For Glory ... Part II: The Vambraces

Two down. Two to go! JJ's queue has been quite full as of late, and my poor armorer is working his fingers to the bone to get all of his commissions back on a reasonable time track, my Spartan, Faramir and shield commissions included.

The good news, though, is that I got an email from JJ that he's finished the vambraces. And I must say, they look as authentic as the helmet. JJ suggested that we use buckles and straps instead of lacing. JJ has had some experience in this area, and he had a severe case of chafing when he used laces. Of course, Gerard Butler and the other Spartans had armor made of resin; mine is bronzed mild steel - there's a whole world of difference between the two materials. I'm used to wearing real metal maille and plate over many hours and JJ said the buckle/strap combination would be more comfortable.

So, for this commission I'm only waiting for the greaves and sandals. With JJ, it's always better to let him work at his own pace. I get beautiful work that has a lot of thought, skill and exactitude built into it.

I've Made History!!!

Russ Sharek (of Morpheus Designs) is one incredible guy. Not only is he a jeweler/artisan par excellence, he also comes up with the most astute and sidesplitting observations.

We were discussing the final designs on the Minbari Ranger badge (as described in the previous post) as well as how my "300" armor was coming along when he brought this to my attention:

Him: "Do you have your armorer on speed dial?"

Me: "Yes. Why? I have you and Andrea on speed dial also."

Him: You realize you've made history, right?

Me: "Huh?"

Him: "At the time people had personal armorers they didn't have cell phones. You're buying exactingly detailed, wearable battle armor. And you call up your armorer for it."

The more I thought about it, the more I chuckled. He was right - I have made history ...

Denn'Bok for Fun and Profit

It HAS been a while since the costuming bug bit me. After all, I'm still waiting to finish off my Spartan "300" outfit (which, by the way, is coming along nicely albeit slower than I'd like) but the bright side is that this is giving me more time to work on my abs, chest and arms. Damn, I'm sounding vain, aren't I?

I went into Express Men to pick up a couple of shirts. The store was relatively quiet so this time, I had sales associates help me out. Normally, I pick out my own stuff and I have people ask me what looks good on them. Obviously, my reputation has proceeded me as an excellent customer and someone who is "not stuck up". It's second nature for me to return items folded or on hangers back where I found them and in the same state as I took them.

This doesn't seem to be "normal" for customers.

I picked up a deep emerald green solid, a deep sapphire blue solid and a pale blue shirt with a white stripe. The solid shirts are more vivid than I usually buy, but they worked! The two salesmen (plus two ladies that were dressing their boyfriends) were really amazed at how great I looked! I just had my hair cut on Saturday, so it is shorter and a bit lighter (you see a lot of gold and copper highlights).

The two ladies asked me, "Are you a model?" I demurred, and one of the gals said, "Well, you look and move like one!"

*Ahem* (pats self on the back)

I had just finished watching the new direct-to-DVD movie, "Babylon 5: The Lost Tales" which was a welcome return to the B5 universe. As I was watching this, I was thinking, "You know, the Minbari Rangers are so cool."

As any long-time readers can guess, a phone call to Andrea was forthcoming.

Then a call to Russ for the Ranger shield.

For those of you who haven't followed Babylon 5, this was a five-year space opera that borrowed heavily on themes from Lord of the Rings. The Rangers here (as well as in the LOTR universe) were basically "Special Forces" that provided intelligence, reconnaissance and covert operations. Since Faramir and Aragorn are two of my favorite characters (and represent the southern and northern Rangers), this seems to be a logical extension of my appreciation of this type of character.

The Anla'Shok (Rangers) were organized by the Minbari for the purposes of providing a dedicated fighting force specifically for the prophesied second Shadow War that the cultural hero Valen warned would occur in the future.

Their motto:

We are Rangers.
We walk in the dark places no others will enter.
We stand on the bridge, and no one may pass.
We live for the One, we die for the One.

Which brings visions of Gandalf and the Balrog in Khazad-Dum.

The badge of their office is their black and grey robes that include a large pin that has a large turquoise crystal in the center, which is surrounded by a human and a Minbari at either side with the crystal symbolizing the Future or Isil'Zha. This is a recent style, however. The original badge used had a pair of Minbari hands holding the gem, but the two heads design was chosen to symbolize the unity of the two races. According to the book To Dream in the City of Sorrows, which is considered canon, the crystal is partly created by the blood of human and Minbari, and is highly prized by its bearer. If you are a B5 fan, then you should definitely collect books that detail the history and activities of the Rangers.

Andrea is doing her costume research, and I know that the end result will be mind-blowing. However, Russ and I were discussing a slightly different design for the badge - something far more ... Minbari ...

Their preferred weapon in close quarters is the Minbari Fighting Pike known as the Denn'Bok. It is quite compact and easy to carry, but can open up to be a formidable weapon. The weapon is not dependent on an energy source, unlike the PPG pistols carried by Earthforce personnel. It takes a great deal of training and skill to use the weapon in an effective and in a relatively safe manner. Most weapons are quite old - the pike Marcus Cole carried was at least 700 years old. As the weapon is handed down from generation to generation, production of new pikes is rather limited. Because of the effort to keep the fighting pikes from falling into the wrong hands, they can fetch a considerable price on the black market.

The Denn'Bok also reminds me of the quarterstaff -- another weapon I've always wanted to learn to use. I may have to check out the local SCA chapters and see if I can find any instructors.

"Geek" vs. "Nerd"

On several occasions, I have used the term "geek" regarding myself and I have had several people tell me that I should not be so belittling.

Au contraire ... I see it more as a badge of honor, rather than a derogatory term.

A nerd - on the other hand - is something that I consider an insult and would seriously consider splitting aforesaid insultor from crown to crotch!

Below are the definitions (courtesy of Wikipedia) of the two very distinct species:

GEEK

• A person who is interested in technology, especially computing and new media.
• A person who has chosen concentration rather than conformity; one who pursues skill (especially technical skill) and imagination, not mainstream social acceptance.
• A person with a devotion to something in a way that places him or her outside the mainstream. This could be due to the intensity, depth, or subject of their interest. This definition is very broad but because many of these interests have mainstream endorsement and acceptance, the inclusion of some genres as "geeky" is heavily debated. Persons have been labelled as or chosen to identify as mathematics geeks, engineering geeks, sci-fi geeks, computer geeks, various science geeks, movie and film geeks (cinephile), comic book geeks, theatre geeks, history geeks, gamer geeks, music geeks, art geeks, philosophy geeks, and literature/rp geeks.
• In a 2007 interview on The Colbert Report, Richard Clarke said the difference between nerds and geeks is "geeks get it done".

NERD

• Nerd is a term that refers to a person who passionately pursues intellectual activities or esoteric knowledge rather than engaging in more social activities, such as organized sports. Therefore, a nerd is often excluded from physical activity and considered a loner by peers.

  
  
• Nerds typically appear either to lack confidence or to be indifferent or oblivious to the negative perceptions held of them by others, with the result that they become frequent objects of scorn, ridicule, bullying, and social isolation. They show a pronounced interest in subjects which others tend to find dull or complex and difficult to comprehend, especially topics related to science, disambiguation, mathematics and technology.
  
• Nerds are often portrayed as either obese or incredibly thin. They are also stereotyped to playing role playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, MMORPGs, and other things relating to fantasy and science fiction. They are also stereotyped for being obsessed with Star Trek, Star Wars, and other sci fi shows or movies.

Clears up the confusion, doesn't it?

I recently related the geek/nerd comparison to a good friend of mine who is an avid reader of this blog:

A GEEK fences with a forged high-carbon spring steel blade with a live edge commissioned from an armorer.

A Nerd tries to fence with a plastic lightsaber, if he doesn't trip over his feet first.

A GEEK shoots a 72" wooden longbow with at least a 40lb draw weight, using arrows with hand-forged iron bodkin tips and fletched with feathers.

A Nerd shoots rubber-suction cup thingies from a toy gun, if he can avoid pointing it at himself and/or can locate the trigger.

It's all in the details ...

"… And that was what Aragorn had done. He had left the City like a thief in the night - only two people had seen him go - Boromir and Faramir of the Citadel. He had kissed them farewell, and, to his never-ending shock, Faramir, Faramir the shy, reserved, silent little boy kissed him on the cheek, and said softly, “I’ll miss you!”

He had never been able to forget that, nor Boromir's childish salute. That young man in Harad - he knew it was Faramir. Only once had he gotten cleanly away from the homestead, had he looked at the pendant. A swan for Dol Amroth, and a Tree for the Citadel, and his heart had frozen.

For there were only two children in all of Middle-Earth with that lineage - one was safely home, and the other thought dead."

-- From "I Vow to Thee, My Country"

Some LOTR fan fiction is incredible - other stuff you have to wonder how the author was able to string two sentences together. The quote above is from the former category. I had found this story on WarOfTheRing.Net and I was amazed at this AU ("alternate universe") story of Faramir, Boromir, Denethor and Aragorn. In this story, Denethor is not the unmitigated bastard he is in the movie adaptations nor in the Tolkien books.

I was fascinated by the description of the medallion. This was the type of thing that would really top off (in my estimation) my Faramir outfit, even if I was the only one who knew I was wearing it.

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FYI - I wrote this post in April - the same time I received the medallions. Since I asked Russ to make two of them - one for me and one as a Christmas gift - I had to wait until December to actually post this so I wouldn't give the surprise away. How's that for patience?

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I gave Russ a call. This man is AMAZING. He absolutely thrives on challenges. For those of you finding this blog for the first time, Russ Sharek made me a Kyle Rayner version of a Green Lantern Ring.

I found the images I wanted to use on the medallion and told him I needed the thing to look old. Really old. Third Age of Middle-Earth old.

I got the medallions today. I was speechless. I mean it. Seeing the designs as an illustration was one thing, seeing them in the actual medallion was another. Looking at it, feeling it, holding it, wearing it - I could actually imagine this was one of the only two medallions ever made as such in Middle Earth. The patina of age and the less than absolutely perfect-ness only solidified the suspension of disbelief when I put it on.

And wearing it every day under my regular shirt is a pleasure in itself. The leather cording has darkened a bit which only adds to the authenticity of the piece.

A very telling incident happened during June. I was wearing the medallion under my shirt (as usual) and it happened to slip out while I was over at a friend's house checking out his new gargantuan plasma TV. We were watching Return of the King on DVD (yes, my friend and his wife are Tolkien geeks also - and what better way to "break in" the set???) and I was treated to a rush of indrawn breath from my friend's wife and a "Holy crap!" from him. (This was also on top of the comments made regarding Halfdan's Ring of Barahir) They couldn't believe how incredibly made and how amazingly authentic the medallion was. Russ deserves heaps upon heaps of kudos for making this idea a reality.

What do you think?



Even more to the point, how do you think the person who is getting the Christmas gift is going to respond?

It really is better to give than receive!!!