When you order a new piece of armor and it finally arrives in the mail, all you want to do is rip the box open and get your hands on it!  Be forewarned that your hands will come out quite oily.

This is normal.  In fact, I would be worried if I received any armor without a light coating of oil on it.  Companies ship armor, which includes swords and weaponry as well, in a coating of oil to prevent rust from building up during it’s travel.  It’s a good idea to wipe off the oil with a clean cloth and some mineral spirits and reapply a coat yourself.  This will ensure even coverage to further prevent rust.

Even when a piece of armor is simply on display, you have to take care of it to maintain its appearance.  It’s a good idea to oil it about once a month.  This will help keep it dust and rust free.

Rust isn’t the only thing you need to be careful of.  For your sword hilt and scabbard or body armor with straps, you will need to tend to those as well.  For leather, it’s best to use wax to keep them flexible and looking their best.  For any wooden parts, such as a sword handle, it’s good to use lemon oil.  This will help replenish the wood and keep cracks at bay.

So, go ahead and enjoy your newly aquired armor!  Put it up for display for all to see and keep it looking fresh with these simple tips.

Admit it.  Medieval flails are pretty awesome.  Granted, it wouldn’t be so cool to be on the receiving end of one, they are really interesting weapons.  There are many different variations of flails and maces, and their history is pretty neat.

The use of a flail in the Middle Ages was brought about by peasant farmers.  These agricultural flails were sometimes used by the peasants to defend themselves in an uprising.  This evolved into a weapon, and the appearance changed.  The new weapons had studs or spikes embedded in the end.  These flails were used in the German Peasants War in the 16th Century.

Later on, the long handled flail gained popularity in India.  Not so much as a weapon, but as a status symbol.  There is an example of a mace with two iron spiked balls, attached with separate chains in the Royal Armouries collection.