Author | Lightnews

Bill Grandy

@billgrandy.bsky.social

58 followers 52 following 69 posts

Former professional HEMA instructor of 20 years, currently a historical craftsman and artist. Still teaching HEMA as a hobby rather than a career these days. HistoricalHandcrafts.com More recently, I’m a children’s book author.

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Bill Grandy @billgrandy.bsky.social · 27d

Finn MacCoul and the Well of Wisdom has officially launched on Kickstarter! Remember, this book only gets published if there are enough backers, so please share this around! www.kickstarter.com/projects/213...

Finn MacCoul and the Well of Wisdom

An adventure for young readers from Irish mythology, retold in an all-new original story!

www.kickstarter.com

Bill Grandy @billgrandy.bsky.social · 5d

Finn MacCoul and the Well of Wisdom is officially done up on Kickstarter! It is fully funded AND reached a stretch goal that I didn't expect to reach! I sent a message to all of the backers of the project to thank you all, but just in case, here's the link to it: www.kickstarter.com/projects/213...

Bill Grandy @billgrandy.bsky.social · 10d

Finn MacCoul and the Well of Wisdom has just reached 100% funding on Kickstarter!!!! And with a few days left to spare! Thank you all who backed the project, promoted it, and were all in all supportive about it! I couldn’t have done this without you all!

Bill Grandy @billgrandy.bsky.social · 14d

78% funded on Kickstarter, with 8 days to go! I know many of you have already backed the project and shared it around, and I am so very grateful. If you can help give this a little extra push this final week, I would appreciate it even more, because we’re sooooo close to crossing the finish line!

Finn MacCoul and the Well of Wisdom

An adventure for young readers from Irish mythology, retold in an all-new original story!

www.kickstarter.com

Bill Grandy @billgrandy.bsky.social · 18d

Tired of hearing me plug my book? The one that’s finishing up on Kickstarter in LESS THAN TWO WEEKS, SO HURRY OVER AND BACK IT NOW! I’ll post Historical Handcrafts news instead. This will be a “portmanteau”, which is a fancy way of saying “saddle bag”. Not done, but I think it will turn out nice.

Reposted by Bill Grandy

Melissa Marr @melissamarrwriting.bsky.social · 25d

Bill was the only FT historical swordfighting coach at a Olympic level US gym. He was MY coach & continued to instruct me after I moved across the country. ANY sword in my books? Bill's teaching.

So I edited his beautiful book.

Please consider backing it.

www.kickstarter.com/projects/213...

Finn MacCoul and the Well of Wisdom

An adventure for young readers from Irish mythology, retold in an all-new original story!

www.kickstarter.com

1 3

Bill Grandy @billgrandy.bsky.social · 27d

Ha, me too on all of the above. I only remembered I had an account with this just today (and that’s only because of my KS campaign). So, allow me to welcome you back so that I can get back to forgetting all about the platform again in a minute!

Bill Grandy @billgrandy.bsky.social · 27d

Finn MacCoul and the Well of Wisdom

An adventure for young readers from Irish mythology, retold in an all-new original story!

www.kickstarter.com

Bill Grandy @billgrandy.bsky.social · Sep 15

Our group, Field and Feather, founded by the prolific Charles Lin, has just put up a new website for our activities and discoveries for discussion. Our first article is about the Vegetius March that Charles and I did last spring.

Eighteen Miles in Six Hours in Full Armor — Field and Feather

Recreating a Roman military march in medieval armor. Eighteen miles, in six hours, in full armor. Why?

www.fieldandfeather.org

Bill Grandy @billgrandy.bsky.social · Sep 4

Updated Kickstarter Launch Date! Life threw some unexpected speed bumps at us, but everything’s back on track, and the Kickstarter campaign for Finn MacCoul and the Well of Wisdom will now launch on September 23!
www.kickstarter.com/projects/2136650114/finn-maccoul-and-the-well-of-wisdom

Bill Grandy @billgrandy.bsky.social · Aug 28

At the last Feldlager in Germany, Jared Adamo filmed this cool skirmish between cavalry vs infantry. I’m the leftmost foot soldier wearing a fringed red hood under my helmet and leg armor fighting against the riders. One of the crazier personal moments for me at that event. vimeo.com/1113114728

Feldlager Infantry vs Cavalry

Feldlager 2023 skirmish, filmed by Jared Adamo

vimeo.com

Bill Grandy @billgrandy.bsky.social · Aug 26

Separate note, the Kickstarter launch date is being delayed a couple weeks due to unforeseen issues, but everything is still going forward. Thanks to everyone who’s supported me!

Bill Grandy @billgrandy.bsky.social · Aug 26

I didn’t want to make an issue of this, but: In my book, the protagonist is raised by two women who are wives. I want my son to grow up knowing that there are families that are different than ours, and they love each other just like our family does. If this is a problem, maybe my book isn’t for you.

1 1

Bill Grandy @billgrandy.bsky.social · Aug 19

I do part time work at the local library. Imagine my surprise when I walked in tonight and found that my co-workers repurposed this display to have my Finn MacCoul book’s name on it! (It’s premature… the book still needs to be funded on Kickstarter, but it was super sweet of them nonetheless!)

Bill Grandy @billgrandy.bsky.social · Jul 30

This little trouble maker is Dobby, the tiniest of four horses I help take care of. He’s more imp than house elf. He’s constantly sneaking out, he’s figured out how to reach over gates and unlock them, and I swear he says “Mischief Managed” when my back is turned. But darn it all if he isn’t cute.

Bill Grandy @billgrandy.bsky.social · Jul 30

The client who commissioned this scabbard is a practitioner of Fiore dei Liberi, and requested specific tooled and painted imagery from the Fiore Segno. The coat of arms belongs to the client. The Italian script was deliberately left unpainted to be more subtle. Poplar core wrapped in leather.

1 3

Bill Grandy @billgrandy.bsky.social · Jul 28

Starting August 26 my Kickstarter launch goes live for Finn MacCoul and the Well of Wisdom! Please push the "Notify me on launch" button if you haven't already, so that the algorithm doesn't hide the page from other potential backers! Thank you! www.kickstarter.com/projects/213...

Bill Grandy @billgrandy.bsky.social · Jul 26

A pair of pattens. These were commissioned by a client who clearly is tired of cleaning gross shoes—Pattens were worn in the medieval era for those especially muddy days before the age of rubber soles. Carved entirely by hand with beeswax and lanolin rubbed in for water proofing.

Bill Grandy @billgrandy.bsky.social · Jul 25

Week 17 of leading students through Lecküchner’s messer treatise. We finally reached the infamous Ungennant plays, which were treated with all the reverence Lecküchner ever could have asked for.

Bill Grandy @billgrandy.bsky.social · Jul 22

Follow up on my children’s book, here’s a promo vid. My son worked very hard to memorize his one line. Please be sure to follow my Kickstarter page for updates! www.kickstarter.com/projects/213...

I wrote a Kid’s Book! Finn MacCoul and the Well of Wisdom

YouTube video by Bill Grandy

youtu.be

Bill Grandy @billgrandy.bsky.social · Jul 22

I wrote a children’s book, and the pre-launch page on Kickstarter is live. Please tap the “notify me” button in the link! www.kickstarter.com/projects/213...

Coming soon: Finn MacCoul and the Well of Wisdom

An adventure for young readers from Irish mythology, retold in an all-new original story!

www.kickstarter.com

Bill Grandy @billgrandy.bsky.social · Jun 27

Poleaxes make me smile.

3 7

Bill Grandy @billgrandy.bsky.social · May 8

Not going to lie: I thought this was fake until I looked into it. I don’t know why I keep having the reaction, “That can’t be true…” with this administration.

Bill Grandy @billgrandy.bsky.social · Apr 24

A scabbard for a Landsknecht Emporium Gottfried messer. Wood core with gothic floral decorations on the leather. The German word “Indes” is carved near the hilt, meaning “in the instant”, a vital concept of decision making in the Liechtenauer tradition of fencing. HistoricalHandcrafts.com

Bill Grandy @billgrandy.bsky.social · Apr 23

Late night scabbarding. Need to take a break before my fingers go numb.

Bill Grandy @billgrandy.bsky.social · Apr 11

A small chest that doubles as a seat. It uses “snipe hinges” and has a simple hasp. Decorations were kept fairly minimal, with small file marks along the lid and light carving at the feet.