Sherman's Lagoon by Jim Toomey for March 23, 2025

Besides, I have to take epee.

They make a comeback every time someone makes another Three Musketeers movie.

Swords were replaced by dueling pistols so that less athletic people could sometimes win.

They came back in 1977 – only they were called lightsabers, though mainly for kids (some not quite so young) to play with

I’m a fan of the Indiana Jones school of sword fighting.

Try traveling north Sam and challenge a narwhal.

“Out of the night, when the full moon is bright, comes a horseman known as Zorro!”

Since the invention of the mleepenhammer.

“This bold renegade carves a Z with his blade….” I have the entire Disney series. Good fun.

Bring back “pistols at dawn.” Start the count!

Unless you find another swordfish to duel with.

Sword fights aren’t completely out, Fillmore, there might be more swordfish in the area for Sam to challenge.

We need to bring back dueling. It would end a lot of fights (and possibly cut down on overpopulation). Maybe even before some START.

Awwww…poor ole Sam!

Sword fights may be out, but carrying as sword was part of military uniforms as late as the early 20th century.

here in France, last known sword fight was in the early 60’s . Ended after first blood.

Cue Bobby Darrin and “Mack the Knife.”

“My name is Sam Montoya. You killed my father, prepare to die.” Mandatory Princess Bride quote

Robin Hood with Basil Rathbone as Sir Guy! He could fence!

Actually, they are used as clubs to stun their prey, not for sticking.

Dueling clubs persisted in Germany well into the 19th Century, if not beyond. They were a big problem at the universities, and there were intramural rivalries between the different clubs (imagine college frat houses having switchblade rumbles instead of pranking each other).

Typically, the two participants would stand within blade-length of each other and just hack away with schlägers (a type of rapier), feet firmly planted (a defensive retreat wasn’t allowed, and even flinching or ducking was discouraged as unmanly). Dueling scars were considered marks of honour, leading to the stereotype of German officers in war movies having long scars on their faces.

Yeah, swordfights are out. We’ve evolved. Now we just blow each other up when we can’t agree on something. Maybe we need to go back to swords…

Sam can join a fencing club but it won’t be as much fun.

Fillmore isn’t as well informed as he claims to be.

Have any of you ever lifted an actual sword (not a fencing sword)? They are seriously heavy!!! Men who wielded those had to have been ultra strong!

BS, there can be only 1 ! ;-)

Surely there must be some other clueless swordfish that he can spar with.