Post your desktop.

[vometia]

Oh yeah, found it. The scabbard has subsequently been customised by Tod of Tod's Stuff who lives nearby, adding a few leaves and extra straps.



They all need some serious TLC now though, after several years of me being at a low ebb they've been neglected and I'm probably lucky that they don't seem to have picked up any noticeable rust...

[mr_a500]

This is usually how I get my swords:

Yeah, it's a hassle galloping across the countryside and opening crypts, but it's the bone crunching that makes it all worthwhile.

[depletedvespene]

But in the latter regard I really need a major clear-out to get rid of some of the last 25 years' worth of crap. I mean why do I even need a VGA cable any more?

I have two FULL bags of power cables, going as far back as 1993. All black, all of them with either the normal 3-prong plug or the "security" 3-prong plug. And yet I keep using the same few three or four.

If I ever get a time machine, one of the items in my TO FIX list will be "add a note with the date and procedence of each power cable" (this will be a lower priority item, though).

[Findecanor]

Mine mainly consists of LOTR merchandise swords + one made by Weta themselves in 2002 like the actual movie props.

In 2002? I remember the sword-maker for the movies made a small number of very expensive swords for sale, but that was definitely a few years later. Before that there I think two officially licensed companies, and a "Museum Collection" edition made to a higher standard. And then loads of cheap knock-offs, and of course expensive one-offs made by swordsmiths on demand. (There was probably The Hobbit merch, but I haven't cared.)

I have only a bog-standard United Cutlery Glamdring. My pride is otherwise the white wizard's staff I made.
They are packed away in the basement next to my Star Wars stuff.

[andrewjoy]

I'm also aware that the ears on the UPS don't line up: mainly as its support thingies are too long to fit between the mounting rails, so I've had to sit it on a shelf instead. I hadn't noticed until I took the picture and now it's irritating me.

I wish i had space for a rack. I just have a cheap like 8u Audio rack i use for my router, switch and PoE injector.

The rails on the side of the UPS should be adjustable for shorter length racks, if you remove them there may be a way to adjust them. Most UPSes come with crappy rails tho as they assume your just going to install it once at the bottom and leave it.

[AJM]

@vometia
Thank you! Yes, I immediately noticed Glamdring in the back - lovely! But the others look great as well. All very tasteful.
The umbrella stand works great. Maybe you could just wrap a long strip of soft black leather around the rough metal rings. Makes a lot less mess than filing metal and it's reversible.

I had the "advantage", that I didn't know anything about LOTR before I saw the first movie. And even after seeing that, I only thought "Ok!? Strange ending."
But the scene of Arwen at the ford of Bruinen kept sticking in my head - with the sword Hadhafang, which for me is the most beautiful movie prop ever made. I have at least 3 of the replicas (because the quality varied quite a bit) and I modified and repolished the best of them.
Sadly, the scabbard for it was never offered as a replica or a higher quality "museum collection" version of the sword.
Hadhafang and my original Weta prop are the only swords still on display - albeit by now shifted to the top of the bedroom cupboard:

Hadhafang-HEWS.jpg (538.32 KiB) Viewed 2564 times

After the films came out on DVD as extended editions and I switched from watching the German dubbed version to the original audio track, I started to absolutely love them. When I read the books then, I had no problem to apply the already existing visuals to it. And the parts missing in the films simply became a welcome "extended extended edition". But I fully understand, that it's difficult the other way round (book -> film).
Unfortunately Sir Peter drifted from the epic-ness of the characters and landscape in the first film more and more to "CGI epic-ness" as the possibilities of the hard- and software increased.

[Findecanor]

Hadhafang and my original Weta prop are the only swords still on display - albeit by now shifted to the top of the bedroom cupboard:

So it is an original Weta prop, from the production? I'd think those could be very valuable.
Do carefully store every piece of paper you have that could show its provenance!

[AJM]

Mine mainly consists of LOTR merchandise swords + one made by Weta themselves in 2002 like the actual movie props.

In 2002? I remember the sword-maker for the movies made a small number of very expensive swords for sale, but that was definitely a few years later. Before that there I think two officially licensed companies, and a "Museum Collection" edition made to a higher standard. ...

My (usually called) "High Elven Warrior Sword" was made by Weta exactly like the movie props: Aluminium blade and urethane handle - not like the merchandise versions with stainless steel blade and zinc (or something like that) handle.
It was made (or taken from their stock) for United Cutlery as a template from which the merchandise swords were productionised. This was done for UC by Kit Rea, from whom I later had the luck to acquire the piece.

Edit: (You were again faster than me)
Yes, I still have the letter from Kit and everything that came with it. I don't think there are many of them in "private" hands - outside of Peter Jackson's warehouse. Maybe one or two as presents to crew or actors.

[vometia]

I'm often too much slow or too after the fact to get the nice collectible stuff! Plus I tend to break things, so my Hngmphblarg (I can never remember its actual name) is a custom job. It loses some of the detail of the prop but on the other hand it's a real sword made of sword steel with a full tang, so I won't break it, but it will hurt if I drop it on my foot (and yes, I have tripped over them periodically and it hurts: they're not ultra-sharp as nothing is tough enough to keep that sort of an edge, but they are still quite sharp...) and it will rust if I don't give it that TLC.

I like what he's done with the grip, which is... erm, the wood has an odd name I had to look up, "fiddleback maple" which is I think the same stuff luthiers call flame maple. Anyway, that with vine-leaves inlaid with silver wire and the same design etched into the blade. "Why can't it be engraved?" I asked. Well the thing is, hammer forged sword steel is... y'know, hard. Which is the point. And as such it's a bugger to engrave.

Anyway, it may not be the legit collectible but I'm happy that it's a proper, functional sword that still pretty much looks the part!

With scabbards, I don't understand why they're so frequently not included, not even by the big makers like Albion, but I guess maybe the point is that the scabbard often makes more of a personal statement than the sword, in some ways at least. And I'm lucky to have Tod nearby who's made most of mine for me. I remember reading some historical anecdote that the scabbard being as expensive as the sword actually should be more highly prized as it protects it and so on, but was written rather more wisely and eloquently than my rambling.

And for swords themselves, they're often expensive for a "real" version, often costing around a grand. When I started collecting (inspiration from an early video game character who decorated her house with interesting swords she found!) I thought it was pants that the really expensive proper replicas of historic swords (which I suppose should really be termed "re-creations") looked a bit mundane in comparison to the cheapies but I soon came to realise it gave me a proper appreciation of their design and clean lines. And realised the scabbard is where the fancy stuff can go.

And talking of the cheapies (I mean the £100 jobs) they really are for display only: apparently they are really dangerous to swing about as the tang is flimsy and usually only spot-welded on, and the blade is typically stainless steel which is good for kitchen knives but too brittle for something the size of a sword.

I also realised after the event that's not Arn's Sword I'm posing with, it's my Chevalier. I dunno why I keep getting the names muddled up as they're not that alike. This is my Arn.



The Latin inscription says "this sword belongs to Vince", whoever he is.

Apologies for completely derailing the discussion...

[AJM]

All very true. I was often torn between real swords and the display swords. I would have given an arm and a leg for a real, but exact replica of Hadhafang. Unfortunately not possible for a sword maker, because he has no license.
But still - I did take a good look at the tang construction on every sword(-like object) where it was possible. Also with a Hadhafang, where it was not "possible" and meant breaking the handle. Surprisingly Hadhafang (you notice, I mention it often to help you remember the name ) has quite a sturdy construction. In contrast to the "official" Glamdring, which is constructed alarmingly flimsy.
Again - thank you for all the pictures of your collection - aaaaaand back to desktops......

[depletedvespene]

aaaaaand back to desktops......

Desktop.

mighty-desktop.jpg (201.92 KiB) Viewed 2420 times

My office setup (previously featured on other threads). Shitty laptop, its disgraceful keyboard under a very deserved niqab, its duties taken by a keyboard that is actually good. Note the mouse to the right and something that is mightier than a sword to the left.


FTR: I did enjoy the sword talk and pictures.

Yes, that is a green pen — deep down, I'm a hardcore monarchist. Or not.

[AJM]

Well said!

[Findecanor]

I'm too lazy to unclutter my desk for a fancy picture.
Either way, hanging on the wall above it, is a large ugly shadow box that I started work on, which was supposed to display my lightsaber hilt collection. But with Star Wars the way it is, I don't see the point in finishing work on it.

This is my Arn.

I thought you meant something else in your first post...
Are you actually not from England but of Swedish origin or something?

[vometia]

I'm too lazy to unclutter my desk for a fancy picture.
Either way, hanging on the wall above it, is a large ugly shadow box that I started work on, which was supposed to display my lightsaber hilt collection. But with Star Wars the way it is, I don't see the point in finishing work on it.

I thought the Star Wars stuff had seen a bit of a resurgence in popularity? I mean among actual fans rather than just box office numbers. But I'm not a great film watcher so I don't really keep up with this stuff.

And yeah, desk tidying. D: I thought mine was going to be like that forever, "that" being something not committed to photograph, I'm pleased to say!

This is my Arn.

I thought you meant something else in your first post...
Are you actually not from England but of Swedish origin or something?

I still dunno why I get the two mixed up. I suppose other than the pommel and grip they're similar, perhaps the same Oakshott typology or something, and they have similar scabbards. Or maybe it's just my ADHD. Anyway, the Arn sword is from the Swedish film, which I haven't seen due to not being Swedish (except possibly for some distant ancestry) and the aforementioned lack of films.

[Findecanor]

Anyway, the Arn sword is from the Swedish film, which I haven't seen due to not being Swedish (except possibly for some distant ancestry) and the aforementioned lack of films.

It's not very good anyway, IMHO. It made me cringe too many times. The protagonist is a bit of a Mary Sue ("Gary Stu"...), which is a bit characteristic of this author.

[phinix]

Cool swords.
I want to order a custom made Witcher swords, but I guess this is going to cost as well..
I saw someone made them (some ironmongers), looked amazing.
I would love to hang them on my wall...

[Scarpia]

The office I share with my fiancée (her desk is on the other side of the monitors, facing mine) - not quite r/battletops ready but at least it’s got it where it counts, namely the keyboards

[vometia]

Cool swords.
I want to order a custom made Witcher swords, but I guess this is going to cost as well..
I saw someone made them (some ironmongers), looked amazing.
I would love to hang them on my wall...

I spoke to my handy weaponsmith about that and he was slightly disparaging about the backscabbard thing: basically that it would be practically unusable and that it would generally be the regular belt-slung scabbard, which Gertrude's swords could live in quite happily as they're at most the size of my Albion Gallowglass, and even a "noticeably shorter than Geralt" i.e. 5'7" type like me can manage that; or if it's a really huge sword, it'd be chucked on the back of a cart or something until needed.

But that all sounds a bit sour. They do look awesome and I'd love a pair of swords like that. Though the idea of how much the silver one might cost makes me wince.

[vometia]

The office I share with my fiancée (her desk is on the other side of the monitors, facing mine) - not quite r/battletops ready but at least it’s got it where it counts, namely the keyboards

Cheeseplant! ahem. Apart from the "nobody has as many friends" etc, our house is littered with them as they seem quite prolific and cope well with dubiously effective attention.

Disturbingly tidy desks, though. They need toppling piles of random paperwork with bits of computer randomly strewn amongst them. And more cheeseplants: there's room!

[Scarpia]

Cheeseplant! ahem. Apart from the "nobody has as many friends" etc, our house is littered with them as they seem quite prolific and cope well with dubiously effective attention.

Disturbingly tidy desks, though. They need toppling piles of random paperwork with bits of computer randomly strewn amongst them. And more cheeseplants: there's room!

Oh the paperwork was moved for the photo op, onto a stack of still-not-unpacked moving boxes just outside the frame. Also I just put up the desk so at the time of the photo, no work had been done there yet.

As for the monsteras, they are hardy and prolific as you say, and we have more around the house, but we like variety so we’ve kept it to maybe five or six.

[samuelcable]

Im getting a new desk soon, but this setup will be the same pretty much

setup2019.jpg (196.31 KiB) Viewed 1287 times

[Scarpia]

Update: Added a monitor arm and a few other bits and bobs. Not shown: piles of papers and assorted mess just out of frame.

[Darkshado]

I don't think I ever posted my setup:

desk.jpg (1.96 MiB) Viewed 1162 times

The desk is a custom, solid oak butcher block style counter; reused and refinished by my father and I. It sits on a grey Ergocentric upCentric adjustable height base.

Monitors are a trio of Dell U2415. Speakers are circa-1999 Altec Lansing.

The headset and cables on the left are to connect a work laptop.

StarTech USB 3.0 A-B switch: used with the monitor's built-in hub to move from the tower to the laptop. I switch inputs on two of the three monitors. (I looked into dual display capable KVMs and they were an order of magnitude more expensive.)

Primary keyboard: on rotation, IBM Model M, customized.
Secondary keyboard: Thinkpad Compact USB, stays connected to the tower.

Mouse: Logitech G502
Trackball: CST L-Trac Glow, with additional switch.
Wrist rest: TKL, leather, from Mechanicalkeyboards dot com.

The computer has a bit of a history as well, if you're interested: https://imgur.com/a/UWSavnC

[CountNoctua]

Love the desk! Also clean setup overall, I like it a lot.

Looking at the tower, I was like, "but oh, this poor guy has a piece of crap comp-." *clicks on link, scrolls*
Guess that's the point of a "sleeper", though.

[Darkshado]

Kudos from the Count himself, thanks!

I plan on doing a few small changes to the build still: 3¼" diskette support (parts incoming), 5½" floppy support (TBD - there's a few options out there but they're not cheap and it's not as though I have an urgent need for that capability) and eventually a graphics card upgrade (TBD); other than that it should serve me well into the next decade.

[vometia]

Wow, that's a lot of computing power from something so beige. I think I had a similar case from the '90s, the feet look familiar, though I forget if it was something I bought myself or a thing at work where I had a budget and got someone else to make it (its innards eventually ended up in something similar to The Monolith, only more... well, beige).

I love the butcher's block desk, too. Which is visually so similar to Scarpia's immediately preceding post that I'd assumed it was the same thing. Obviously it needs a cheese plant.