Equipment Construction

Weapon Construction Notes
What is a safe weapon? A safe weapon is one that will not leave marks, bruises, or broken bones or teeth when it strikes a person. If your weapon hurts you when you are struck, it is not safe. The entire surface of a weapon must be padded as per the weapon descriptions in Weapon Types above. Cross-guards must be padded. For a base the best things to use are carbon/graphite rods (such as from non-metallic golf clubs), kite spar, bamboo, PVC tubing or fiberglass. Other materials will be checked for safety on a case-by-case basis. Metal and wooden cores are not acceptable and will never be considered legal.

Use good, stiff foam to pad your weapon. Ensolite, a type of closed cell foam, is good to pad the base. Funnoodle, a preformed pool flotation device, is a quick and easy alternative to Ensolite, however it wears out much faster. Foam is best cut with a razor or sharp scissors. Stick the foam to the shaft with adhesive glue or tape. Weapons must be covered in a durable, opaque cloth.

Weapon tips (points, guards, pommels, etc.) And striking surfaces must be at least 2.5 inches in diameter (flat blade weapons must not be able to pass their tip through a 2.25 inch diameter ring) in diameter. The ends of all weapon cores must be blunted by capping them with a layer of foam and tape. Stabbing weapons should include extra padding on the tip to ensure safety. Magic components used in combat (magical balls, etc) must also be padded and be at least 2.5 inches in diameter.

Sword construction tutorial
(with Funnoodle or Camp-pad foam):
1) Use a length of Fiberglass, Kite spar, PVC, or a golf shaft for the core. Remove all sharp edges and points from both ends of the core.
2) Cap both ends of the core with alternating layers of tape and foam until the cap is secure and decidedly dull. Cover the pommel with enough closed cell foam to ensure that it is at least 2.5 inches in diameter. Note that all pommels must meet this minimum size requirement regardless of your specific fighting style.
3) a. To make a flat blade, sandwich the core between several layers of camp-pad foam.
b. To make a round blade, you can use a piece of Funnoodle that has a factory hole in the center, and cut it to be the length of the blade. If your core moves back and forth within the hole, you can tape a long strip of camp pad foam to the shaft to reduce the noise and prolong the life of the blade. Tape the base of the Funnoodle to the shaft very well. Fiberglass strapping tape is recommended for strength and weight.
4) Tape several pieces of closed cell foam over the top of the sword with fiberglass strapping tape. You should have at least 3 layers of closed cell foam (1.5 inches) on your stabbing tip (and even more for a two handed stabbing weapon, such as a spear).
5) For the cover, choose a light, durable fabric. Cut it to length plus three inches, and outside diameter plus one inch.
6) Fold the fabric across and sew the side and top.
7) Roll the cover like a stocking, and then roll it down the sword.
8) Secure the cover to the hilt with tape.

Shield Construction

Shields should be made from light, firm materials, should be well padded, and require a cloth cover. Hard edges may not be exposed. Good materials to use include substances with some give, such as plywood and high impact plastics. An interesting alternative is to use a plastic snow toboggan, which will produce a light shield that requires less padding. Another popular shield design uses only a thick foam disc, thus negating the need for additional padding (just a cloth cover). Be careful with these however, as not all foam materials are the same. Plank foam is a particularly durable and safe variety that makes for an excellent shield; while foam such as what 'boogie boards' are made of is effectively a rigid material and requires padding. Thick strips of leather make good arm straps. When using a non-foam shield, bolts should be attached with the head affixed to the exterior of the shield with washers, and then heavily padded with foam. All rigid-core shields must either have foam folded over the edges or have the shield edges recessed into the foam. All rigid-core shields must be covered with a layer of foam that is at least 1 inch thick on the face, and 1.5 inches on the edge. Shields must be at least as safe as the weapons we use.

Arrow Construction

Arrows are generally fragile and are often broken under the constant rigors of fighting. Arrow shafts made from graphite offer a flexibility and resilience not found in their aluminum or wooden counterparts. Wooden arrows must be taped along their entire length. All arrowheads must be removed from the arrow, and the base of the arrow at the tip must be built up with a sufficiently strong material to at least the diameter of a penny, which is used to cap the arrow. Arrows may not be drawn beyond 28 inches, and must have a stopper in place if they are longer. Arrows must have a minimum of 2 inches of closed cell foam on the tip, and it must be at least 2.5 inches in diameter. It is suggested that you also incorporate a layer of open cell foam to reduce the recoil of the arrow when it strikes a solid surface. Arrow fletching and nocks must be in good repair, and arrowheads should be checked regularly for degrading foam. All arrows must be clearly labeled with their owner's name on the shaft. Properly colored head covers may be used in lieu of ribbons.

Projectiles

A blow by any part of a throwing weapon, boulder or rock counts as a hit; so all parts of these weapons need to be strike-legal. Javelins must strike point first to count as a hit, but must have courtesy padding along their entire length. All projectiles must be at least 2.5" in diameter. Projectiles, with the exception of javelins, may not have solid cores. Materials you may use for projectile cores include foam, sweatshirt material, and other soft, non-granular materials. Pennies, batteries, sand, and the like may never be used as cores.