SOME ARMS MUSEUMS HAVE A MOCK UP OF A OLD FORGE AS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN DURING THE PERIOD. TOOLS AND MATERIALS WERE THERE WITH DESCRIPTIONS AS WELL AS WEAPONS IN VARIOUS STAGES ALL DESCRIBED AS TO USE AND TECKNIQUES USED DURING MANUFACTURE. I HAVE ALSO SEEN A SHORT FILM WITH SOUND SHOWING AND DESCRIBING THE ACTUAL WORKINGS OF A OLD STYLE FORGE AND ALSO SHOWING SOME MODERN FACTORY TECKNIQUES.
SOME PATRONS WILL WATCH A SHORT FILM AND OTHERS NEVER DO, SO I WOULD PROBABLY KEEP THEM TO A MINIMUM. STRANGELY ENOUGH I THINK MOST MUSEUM VISITORS ARE MORE LIKELY TO READ THE INFORMATION THAN SIT AND WATCH ALL THE WAY THRU A FILM.
COLLECTORS AND SCHOLARS OF EDGED WEAPONS WOULD PROBABLY HANDLE A SWORD PROPERLY AND SAFELY BUT I SHUDDER TO THINK OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC WAVING THEM AROUND . I WOULDN'T WANT THE JOB OF BEING CLOSE TO SUPERVISE A BUNCH OF WANT TO BE CONANS HANDELING SWORDS
I AM SURE EVERYONE WOULD ENJOY HANDELING THE WEAPONS BUT UNTIL WE CAN COME UP WITH THE TECKNOLOGY TO DO IT SAFELY FOR THE PEOPLE AND THE WEAPONS WE WILL HAVE TO LEAVE THAT TO THOSE WITH THE KNOW HOW. THE ONLY PLACE I KNOW OF WHO WAS GOING TO DO IT WAS THE EWART OLKSHOT MUSEUM YOU MIGHT CONTACT THEM AND SEE HOW THEY DO IT. I HAVEN'T GOT A CHANCE TO VISIT THE OLKSHOT MUSEUM HAS ANYONE VISITED AND WHAT DID YOU THINK?
PERHAPS VIDEO GAME TECKNOLOGY ALREADY EXHISTS THAT COULD BE ADAPTED FOR USE IN MUSEUMS TO INSTRUCT HOW THESE WEAPONS WERE USED AND BATTLEFIELD TACTICS (EXCLUDING THE GORE FOUND IN MOST OF THE GAMES) THAT WOULD PROBABLY APPEAL TO THE YOUNGER GROUPS WHICH OFTEN MAKE UP A SIGNIFICENT PART OF THE VISITORS PER YEAR.