Forums at Society of the Military Horse

Steel can lose an edge simply from sitting on a shelf due to simple oxidation, but to what extent it dulls depends on several factors- steel hardness, the actual chemistry of the steel, whether it was oiled, what it cut last (salt, blood, and acids can accelerate oxidation.) I've never seen a knife ...

I have really missed this site, and the quality of info to found here. Thanks again! I seem to remember reading somewhere- perhaps on SMH- a letter from a cavalry officer lamenting the quality of his latest shipment of sabres, noting specifically that they wouldn't take an edge. Such an arm would ha...

Excellent start! Thanks, Richard! The debate rages on at THR; my comments are posted under the nom de net AJumbo. That being said, what would be the liability encountered with a sharp sword? A tendency to stick in bone? A clear and present danger to Dobbin's ears? I know that troopers throughout his...

I am remimded of an account I read of an 18th-century 'beef shoot" that highlights the scarcity of lead on the frontier- The shooting was done at targets, and the prizes were the rear quarters of a beef cow for first place, the hindquarters for second place, and the target backing log for third...

First things first- I hope 2014 finds everyone happy, and in good health! Now my question- On another discussion board, a member posted a question about whether sabres were actually sharpened during the ACW era. He references a remark made by a friend, indicating that sabres were not sharpened becau...

The river crossing scene is pretty impressive as the river is obviously so deep. Off hand, I can't recall a movie scene from another movie where a horse is so obviously in deep water. Miss Steinfeld did her own riding in that scene. What I like most about the movie is that it wasn't supposed to be ...

I wonder if TG may have gotten all the attention it has because it's a Coen Bros film. They consistently do quality work, even if it can be more than a little quirky. Their movies don't really fit into any one genre; they just make whatever movie they want, based upon whether the story is good enoug...

Merry Christmas, troops!

The pumps are "generally unserviceable".....could we set new members to bailing as a sort of initiation ceremony? If the pumps are unserviceable, how do they figure she's "stable for towing?" An unpowered ship without pumps is a potential anchor, isn't it?

I saw a few differences, and I don't really think they're from the same mold. I wonder, however, if they might both be influenced by some other image, a recruiting poster or the like.

After the end of the ACW, a number of bronze foundries offered somewhat generic martial statues. The market was towns that wanted to memorialize their war dead. For an extra price, a "stock" statue could be fitted with a head in the likeness of a specific soldier. The WW1 soldier statues i...

Everybody and their dog has covered "Ghost Riders." Burl Ives, Johnny Cash, Chris LeDoux, and, of course, Riders In The Sky are just the ones that pop into my head right now. The rock band referenced by Pat, the Outlaws, was always more of a Southern or country-rock group and the song was ...

You can be carrying a human flu that is too weak to hurt you, then contract a swine or avian flu that theoretically CAN'T hurt you, but then they'll start talking to each other, sharing DNA strands, and all bets are off. I heard a dr. on the radio say that the 1918 flu was a human/avian/swine cockta...

...so I was about halfway through my one hour work commute today when i had to do an emergency "pull over and vomit" maneuver. Turns out it was just something I ate last night, and I'm fine now, but I just didn't need the scare. The superintendent on the job sent me home anyway, so I would...

Perhaps I've missed it, but who was to be Hitler's replacement in the event of a satisfactory ending to the July 20 plot? I can't say I've read extensively on the subject, but I don't see a clear choice among those in the high command, and most folks know little of the civilian political scene of th...

One aspect of their enterprise, that was apparent in the scenes that were shot at the mill when the buyer was toting up the proceeds from their labor, was that they were serious about making a living at it- as distinct from a company of occasional players. And it seemed to me that they had found a ...

The Bill Williams Mountain Men used to have a 30-ft. kitchen trailer that included a restaurant size gas stove and oven, refrigerator, water reservoir, sink, water heater, generator, and pantry. It needed a Mac tractor to pull it. I last saw it used around 1990, when they tried a converted Ryder tru...

Couvi wrote:....... Moss or hay pads 10;.......

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Though this list dates from 1901, I wonder if these are the same as an ACW-era spanish moss pad?

I've never read it, or SEEN it, but Berger wrote a sequel to "Little Big Man." It's supposed to a very under-rated book, and the one person I know to have had it in her posession said it's a must-read. She didn't loan it to me, of course.... I've read the Elmore Leonard short story "3...

While I agree that the afore-mentioned stinkers all stunk on ice, I present for your consideration "The Master Swordsman," starring Tom McLaughlin, the guy from "Billy Jack." It's set in some kind of parallel universe Spanish California, where the toughs, good and bad, all carry ...