trident

[Martin Kealey]

Do any of you out of USA gladiator re-enactors know a good source for an accurate trident head? The ones available here (from Museum Replicas and Deepeeka) are too large, heavy, weak, or just plain wrong in design, and I can find no others on line. I would especially like to know who supplies Ars Dimicandi's tridents, they look so light, yet sturdy.

[Martin Moser]

Do any of you out of USA gladiator re-enactors know a good source for an accurate trident head?

Problem is we don't have any find of it. The best thing you can go by is to research all the available depictions of this weapon and have one build after that. Those you mention from Ars Dimicandi (the ones I saw on pics of their site at least) are relatively wide by comparison e.g.

[M. Demetrius]

I'm considering making some from square steel rod, but they won't be those huge, unwieldy ones that you see in the movies. Probably, the spines will be about 6" long, and the span of them about 5 or 6" wide. The plan is to make one barb on the inside edge of the outer two, and a double barb on the center spine. I will probably forge weld and also rivet the connection between the crosspiece and the central "spear".

No picture yet, since it's just a concept at this point. I think I'll make it a socketed type. Since this was used as a weapon, and not an ordinary fish spear, I may put a small prong on the back of the crossbar, to facilitate hooking the edge of a shield.

PM me and I'll keep you posted as to progress. This thing is about ten down on the to-do list, but rising to the top.

[Medusa Gladiatrix]

I'm facing the same problem for the retiarius of our group. What would you guys think of trying to find a pitchfork with three prongs and try to hammer them straight. The problem would be to find such a thing since today's pitchforks are with four prongs.

[Martin Kealey]

M. Demetrius:

Your dimensions (about 6"x6") seem to me about right, based on what I see of the tridents in the pictorial record. I have been thinking of contacting a blacksmith about custom making one, but was hoping to find a less expensive route, since I do no metal work myself. Keep me appraised of your work. By the way, are you going to be at Mobile, AL in February?

[M. Demetrius]

Yes, I'm planning to be there, and will likely fight as a gladiator, if there's need for one, and then most likely as a retarius. I'll be bringing 3 Needled Felt tridents, and if it gets done, one metal one. If the metal goes well, and there's time, I might make a second one.

I don't automatically plan to come home with all of them, if anyone wants to buy some, I'll have agreeable pricing. This isn't the forum for selling, though, so if you want details closer to the event, let me know, and I'll talk off group with you.

Martin, are you a retarius, too?

[Martin Kealey]

As a matter of fact, I do fight as a retiarius, indeed in the last two shows I won both bouts with a very large (6"5") secutor, but I prefer to fight as a thraex/hoplomachus (I'll try to attach some pictures). The trident I use is a modified deepeeka, with the barbs grounded off and specially designed plugs on the tines so nobody gets hurt. Really looking forward to meeting other gladiators. Our little ludus here has not had anybody else to duel with since we last took on the Long Island Ludus Magnus at Nashville and Roman Days a couple of years ago. I'm getting kind of tired of always having to fight the same opponents.

[M. Demetrius]

I think the three retarii vs the three secutoris will be a great show. No quarter, nothing to prevent an occasional backstab...I like it!

[john m roberts]

I made a trident some years ago from a garden fork. I had a friend flatten the tines, then cut out the two center tines and weld one of them back into the middle. It's very strong but probably much larger than the originals.

[Aurelianus]

To make a Trident is not such heavy! If you can weld and perhaps turn metall too (what is not absolute necessary) you can make the trident by your self.

On one of the pictures of this post you can see our trident.

http://www.romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=13187

The dimensions are taken from several reliefs. At the end I came quite to the same result like Junkelmann.

If you are interested I can send you some details of my trident.

Salve

[Martin Kealey]

I would be very interested in the dimensions. Unfortunately I have no metal working skills or equipment, my skills run toward the 2-d graphics, concentrating on shield designs, paintings of gladiators for display tables, etc. I was figuring on the width of the trident at about 16cm, with tines of about the same length (15-16cm) and a socket of 20cm to secure it to the shaft. Is that about right?

[richard robinson]

i thought i got these images from RAT
but oh well................

regards

richard r

[Medusa Gladiatrix]

The retiarius in my group found an old three-pronged pitchfork in his parents' tool shed so he banged the prongs straight. At least for a first trident it is definitely workable since we already used it at training.

[richard robinson]

i have searched my town for such garden varieties to no avail.
our young will be retiarius is busily converting a hammock into a net and i hopefully will bend him up a trident at school tomorrow( i am a teacher).
I am happily constructing my manica that is fully hooped and overlaps downwards. I finally understand why the one i used 20 years ago was so huge!!

I do not expect to win at the ludii on Saturday week but i expect to have a lot of fun.

i hope to post photos in the next 2 weeks

i am sure i got this trident photo off RAT somewhere also :?:

it has a lovely shape

regardz

milesminimus

aka
richard r

[Robert]

Hi all those into tridents!

The source of the last picture would be much help. Having been asked to build a trident by Cordus some time ago, and now I am finaly getting set up as a metalbeater. Only did my first poker ever today, so no wonders as yet, but I would really like some data or pics of finds of tridents, where possible with some measurements. He has a picture of a cast one, but want to try a simpler shape first. Want to first specialise in arrow- and spearheads, will be making some dolabra, too. Perhaps tridents offer good practice, too. Hope someone will help!