Hahaha, bless that David Jones employee. Supporting nerds.

Still have a couple of the Bodum champagne flutes (though I bought them before seeing the Deanna Troi wedding episode).

Also a set of Luigi Bormioli square whisky tumblers, à la Blade Runner.

In the 1980s someone at David Jones in Woden (ACT) regularly mis-priced cool stuff in the kitchen dept 🤭

Probably full of decorative wall hangers with poor quality steel. And I would *absolutely* visit and buy something.

Yeah, we had plenty of swords (including indigenous ones), but they don’t have quite the same edge here. So to speak.

6. History isn’t neat because “history” is just an earlier multifarious present. That blunt practice sword was from 1575, very late for a longsword. It’s supposed to be the era of the sidesword or rapier. But traditions endure as long as they’re practiced. (I often use a fountain pen.)

4. We have one of the European swords only because Arabic institutions preserved it (i.e. the Mamluk arsenal in Alexandria). See also: the Renaissance.

5. Swords retain a talismanic power that has no relation to their usefulness. They're fucking cool.

A few observations:

1. The swords are light and/or balanced. Movie scenes of huge chunks of steel being swung about clumsily -- they're just movie scenes.

2. Swords & armour were developed together. Innovations in one invited innovations in the other.

3. Even the fanciest swords will kill you.

It was a gift, but an expensive one I grant. I use a Lamy for editing — a beautifully designed, robust, comfortable workhorse. And cheaper than dinner out for the family.

No colour coordination, but I maintain that the vibe is coherent.

And so say we all.

She’s my favourite (out of many favourites from that series)

Similar vibe

Adore her too