Man of Arms

I'll resist from making a heavy metal joke, but dude, that's some seriously heavy metal.  Meet master swordsmith and renound prop master Tony Swatton of Burbank's Sword and Stone.  He's been a blacksmith armorer for over 30 years and has created weapons and other metal accoutrements for 200+ feature films.  Tony and his team have forged original pieces for film, Broadway and Renaissance festivals all over the world.  As Tony would say, these are not aluminum props ... these are deadly weapons of forged steel made much the way weapons were made in the middle ages.  Heavy metal, man!

I had the pleasure of watching Tony showing off his brilliant skills at the recent Getty Center Family Festival Day of Chivalry.  There was enough courtly bling to make your inner damsel swoon and your inner vavasseur long to kick some medieval ass.  (And for what it's worth, I found out that there were a few women knights back in the day.  Yes, that scene in Elizabeth where Cate Blanchett charges up to her troops on her horse wearing armor is not entirely anachronistic.  See below for more details.)

I have to say, of all the amazing swords, armor, shields and chain mail goodies on display from Tony's team, this one was my favorite:

For a gallant horse who just longs to be a unicorn, or perhaps for anyone into a bit of really weird roleplaying...

Tony's YouTube channel Man at Arms offers great clips of his blastforged metal world.  Be sure to check it out.  Oh, and about those lady knights, I give you: The Order of the Hatchett.