If you have kids of ANY age, but especially teen agers, buy some PVC conduit, Pipe insulation and duct tape and make some boffers with them. Once they learn how if you supply the stuff to make 'em they'll make 'em themselves. I have two teen age boys. Everytime they have friends over the boffers come out and they're kept occupied for HOURS. Even kids who have no clue or inkling about reenactment can be kept amused. Heck......we threw a birthday party for our oldest boy Saturday night. Had a houseful of kids. After a bit the boffers came out and the house emptied. Their youth group leader from church was even out there chasing them around with a boffer. For what it costs in supplies this has to be the cheapest entertainment you can give your kids!!!!
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Quid Corone
Boffers
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Ned Chaney
- Archive Member
- Posts: 10667
- Joined: Mon Sep 18, 2000 1:01 am
- Location: Dayton NV IN The Big Empty
Our boffers are made with 1/2" PVC with the pool noodle over. I shave the sides of the noodle flat so that it looks more like a sword, attach a crossguard and a wheel pommel made from a cross-section cut from the noodle, and aleather wrap if I'm feeling ambitous. I had a 15 year old kid refuse to fight me last year because he actually thought it was a real sword, just because it was flat. Silly lil' bastard 
Anyway, these things are light and don't hit very hard, I have fought toddlers with them AND WON. And in my experience, the foam breaks down before the PVC does.
Brother Fjordhr, if you are having difficulties, try making them out of golf tube stuffed with an old t-shirt, with a couple layers of blue camp mat over, and duct tape to hold it together. We experimented with these, and they were really light & fun, you could really give it your all and not worry about hurting anyone.
Neither of these are recommended for researching Western Martial Arts, they are just fun toys we use to wail on kids.
~Wil
Anyway, these things are light and don't hit very hard, I have fought toddlers with them AND WON. And in my experience, the foam breaks down before the PVC does.
Brother Fjordhr, if you are having difficulties, try making them out of golf tube stuffed with an old t-shirt, with a couple layers of blue camp mat over, and duct tape to hold it together. We experimented with these, and they were really light & fun, you could really give it your all and not worry about hurting anyone.
Neither of these are recommended for researching Western Martial Arts, they are just fun toys we use to wail on kids.
~Wil
I really dont like PVC boffers...
A friend came up with something that works better (in my opinion):
Go to K-Mart, buy a bicycle flag pole. Cut it in half. Tape the two pieces together with strapping tape. Using a hot glue gun put a solid glue ball on one end of this. (This is pretty close to being a fiberglass rapier) Cut out two sword blade shaped pieces of closed cell foam, and some other thin strips of closed cell (thin = ~1/2"). Sandwich the fiberglass core between the closed cell, put the thin strips between the sword blanks along the striking edges (this keeps the core in the middle of the sword). Tape it all together, making sure not to tape it too tightly (dont want to lose the sword shape).
Make a crossgaurd (we have used hose, and wood.. im sure something else could be used as well). Make a comfy handle (we used light leather and hot glued it onto the core).
You now have a boffer sword that flexes a bit when you hit someone with it (unlike pvc boffers). You can thrust safely with it (remember the core is basically the same as a fiberglass rapier). Basically when you stab someone it flexes instead of remaining straight..
Much safer, looks more like a sword, and hurts a lot less then standard boffers.
A friend came up with something that works better (in my opinion):
Go to K-Mart, buy a bicycle flag pole. Cut it in half. Tape the two pieces together with strapping tape. Using a hot glue gun put a solid glue ball on one end of this. (This is pretty close to being a fiberglass rapier) Cut out two sword blade shaped pieces of closed cell foam, and some other thin strips of closed cell (thin = ~1/2"). Sandwich the fiberglass core between the closed cell, put the thin strips between the sword blanks along the striking edges (this keeps the core in the middle of the sword). Tape it all together, making sure not to tape it too tightly (dont want to lose the sword shape).
Make a crossgaurd (we have used hose, and wood.. im sure something else could be used as well). Make a comfy handle (we used light leather and hot glued it onto the core).
You now have a boffer sword that flexes a bit when you hit someone with it (unlike pvc boffers). You can thrust safely with it (remember the core is basically the same as a fiberglass rapier). Basically when you stab someone it flexes instead of remaining straight..
Much safer, looks more like a sword, and hurts a lot less then standard boffers.
I just put up a quick site on how I make boffers. http://www.angelfire.com/va3/flonzy/
Flonzy
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Cheap garb is as bad as plastic armor.
Flonzy
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Cheap garb is as bad as plastic armor.
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Prince Of Darkmoor
- Archive Member
- Posts: 4793
- Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2000 1:01 am
- Location: Salinas, CA
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Aidan Cambel
- Archive Member
- Posts: 3572
- Joined: Thu Jan 04, 2001 2:01 am
- Location: Birmingham, AL , USA
If using PVC, go for the higher PSI rating. Just getting any old sch.40 won't be too good. Get the highest PSI rating you can find ( this will mean a thicker wall)
Also, pool noodle foam is more dense and carries more of the impact through, causing the vibration/impact to be recieved my the inner core- the pvc. Try going with the pipe insulating foam. Its more "squishy" - absorbs the shock of a blow more, and helps to keep the pvc from breaking so quickly. My kids have had theirs for almost a year now with now cracks to the pvc.
Also, pool noodle foam is more dense and carries more of the impact through, causing the vibration/impact to be recieved my the inner core- the pvc. Try going with the pipe insulating foam. Its more "squishy" - absorbs the shock of a blow more, and helps to keep the pvc from breaking so quickly. My kids have had theirs for almost a year now with now cracks to the pvc.