YouTube for Sword Geeks

Are you tired of all the history experts that crop up on your news feed every season of Game of Thrones? Disagree with that "Tower of Joy fight choreography sucks!!!" thread on TV Fanatics? Do you want to become an expert on medieval arms and armour and win every geek debate?

Well you'll probably have to devote a solid decade or two to the hobby, acquire and train with reproduction weaponry, study Italian fencing manuals… maybe get a degree. Eh, no. Just go to these YouTube channels instead and pretend to know what you're talking about.

1.     SCHOLA GLADIATORIA
https://www.youtube.com/user/scholagladiatoria
Matt Easton runs Schola Gladiatoria, a Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) group whose website has the charming URL www.swordfightlondon.com. He also does their YouTube channel where he regularly reviews movie fight scenes, never missing a GoT fight. Informal, informative, entertaining, cheerful and really bald – what more can you ask for from your martial arts expert? 
He's also doing research on the weapons of India and the British Raj, so there's a lot on that as well. Definitely the most qualified source on the list.

2.     LINDYBEIGE
https://www.youtube.com/user/lindybeige/
Lloyd runs an 'eclectic mix' of musings on subjects ranging from Homer to machine guns. He's particularly famous for his series on the weapons and tactics of the ancient and medieval worlds, and infamous for being puzzled by climate change. Lloyd is best described as a very serious enthusiast – he's got the most varied, entertaining content (certainly the funniest) on the list but he shouldn't be relied upon for expert analyses. Given the range of his interests he's almost certainly covered something you care about at some point.

3.     KNYGHT ERRANT
https://www.Youtube.com/user/neosonic66/
Knyght Errant is best suited for those who really want to know the difference between their bascinets and great helms. This polite fellow will take you through a wealth of well-researched information on quite specific aspects of medieval combat, and thinks nothing of devoting sixteen minutes entirely to Medieval Groin Armour. This is definitely niche YouTube but in his niche Knyght Errant is king.

Easter egg: go to the bottom of his channel and you'll find guitar videos from before he was Knyght Errant. He does a pretty good Jimmy Page impression.

4.     SKALLAGRIM
https://www.Youtube.com/user/SkallagrimNilsson/
Want your experts to be less British and more bearded? Skallagrim's your man. This Scandinavian-in-Canada is a self-described 'professional idiot', but he's been in the HEMA and collecting game for a long time and knows his way around YouTube. He doesn't spend as much time talking about the history but has some pointers on the actual fighting. Skallagrim's channel is a particular boon for anyone who wants to buy some swords of their own, since he reviews reproductions of historical weaponry, surviving crafts such as kukri-forging and even fantasy designs such as zombie-cutters. 

There's also a lot of stuff about gaming and home defence, if that's your poison. 

Zoheb Mashiur is a prematurely balding man with bad facial hair and so does his best to avoid people. Ruin his efforts by writing to zoheb.mashiur@gmail.com