Our facsimiles
A facsimile is a careful reproduction of a book or manuscript, as close to the original in ever detail as possible. Facsimiles usually cost many hundreds or thousands of dollars, but in 2018, we started investigating how to produce much less expensive facsimiles without compromising any significant details.
Each facsimile begins with a set of extremely high-resolution scans, which are carefully processed and reshaped for ideal printing. These are printed onto paper selected to capture the feel of the original, which has then been cut to the exact size of the book or manuscript itself. These pages are sewn into quires that replicate the structure of the manuscript’s binding, and then hand-bound in heavy boards and leather of the same type that the manuscript’s original cover might have used, with tooling based on the original cover. The result is a book you can pick up and touch without endangering something priceless, but which will at least half-convince you that you're holding the original.
The Goliath Fight Book
Now accepting preorders
This manuscript was created in Augsburg in the late 1530s and lavishly illustrated by Landshut painter Georg Lemberger. It is currently owned by the Biblioteka Jagiellońska in Kraków, Poland and catalogued as manuscript germ. quart. 2020.
The 1606 Fabris
In preproduction, still accepting preorders
Written by Salvator Fabris, fencing master to Christian Ⅳ of Denmark, De lo Schermo, overo Scienza d’Arme was printed in Copenhagen in 1606. The first book published in Denmark to use copperplates, its detailed figures were designed by Christian’s court artist Jan van Halbeeck and others. The copy in the New York Public Library was then painted by an unknown artist.
The Bauman Fight Book
This manuscript was compiled by Paul Hektor Mayr in 1556 from two separate 15th century works, one from the 1420s and one from the 1470s. It is currently owned by the Augsburg University Library in Augsburg, Germany and cataloged as manuscript Cod. Ⅰ.6.4º 2.
The 1570 Meyer
Written by Freifechter and fencing master Joachim Meyer and illustrated by Tobias Stimmer, Gründtliche Beschreibung der… Kunst des Fechtens was printed in Strasbourg in 1570. The copy owned by the University of Leipzig was then lavishly painted by an unknown artist before 1574.
The Munich Lecküchner
This manuscript was created in 1482 by priest and fencing master Rev. Johannes Lecküchner and dedicated to Philip “the Upright” of Wittelsbach. It is currently owned by the Bavarian State Library in Munich, Germany and cataloged as manuscript Cgm 582.
The Getty Fiore
Sold out!
This manuscript was created in the first decade of the 15th century by Friulian fencing master Fiore de’i Liberi and dedicated to Niccolò Ⅲ d’Este. It is currently owned by the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California and cataloged as manuscript Ludwig ⅩⅤ 13.
The Copenhagen Talhoffer
Our first facsimile project, this lavish manuscript was produced by Hans Talhoffer and Michael Rotwyler in 1459. It is currently owned by the Royal Danish Library and catalogued as manuscript Thott 0290 fol.
Praise for the Talhoffer facsimile
“The Talhoffer reconstruction that Michael Chidester has spearheaded and produced is nothing short of magnificent. Its quality is quite high and exactly what you would expect for the price, and the experience of paging through a manuscript is invaluable for researchers of fight books. I plan to purchase each edition as they come out, even if the book is outside my typical study, and recommend you do the same.”
— Jess Finley, author of Medieval Wrestling
“As the author and publisher of several translation/editions, there is something uniquely magical about holding an exact facsimile of a 600 year old book, no additions or alterations. Michael has worked hard to bring just that in an affordable edition with his recent Talhoffer, and it is a delight to behold. I am excited to build a collection of all the volumes that follow.”
— Greg Mele, co-author and editor of the Flowers of Battle series
“Producing a top-quality hand-bound facsimile is a challenging project, but Mike Chidester’s Talhoffer reproduction exceeded my expectations in quality and in the speed of execution, producing extraordinary book for a very low price. I’ll treasure it forever. He was also unusually efficient at keeping his backers informed of the inevitable Corona-related hitches along the way. I am 100% confident in backing his Getty Manuscript facsimile campaign, because I know he can and will deliver.”
— Guy Windsor, consulting swordsman
“It's frickin' amazing. I just spent half an hour drooling over every page... and wishing I had the armor... and the carts!”
— Jake Norwood, the guy who named Wiktenauer