The Armour Archive

I swear my sheer off almost as fast as I can get killed.

Normally I tape them over two or three times and then around them a few times with duct tape and then put on the electrical tape to make it stand out. What does everyone else do?

I tape mine down with strapping tape, once over the top both front and back, then I tape around it with strapping tape. Then I tape over the whole thing with duct tape.

First, I pre-make a bunch of foam tips. These are three layers of foam, taped together with three strips of 3/4" strapping tape, about 6" long. Put the stack of disks in the center of one of the strips of tape. Bring the tape up the sides and over the top. The tape should overlap a little. The disks should be *lightly* compressed. Put the second strip of tape like the first but rotated 90 degrees. Take the third strip of tape and wrap it around the circumference of the taped up stack-up. I make up a bunch of these tips and keep them in a box for when I make new swords.

Second, I take a rattan sword that has been spiral wrapped with strapping tape, but has not had the color layer applied yet. I use gaffer tape for the color layer, most people use duct tape. I tape the tip on, lightly compressed a little more, with two strips of strapping tape, followed by a little spiral that covers the strips & tip.

Third, I tape two strips of 1" nylon webbing, about 10" long. I also have a bunch of these pieces of webbing, with the ends melted, pre-cut and living in the same box as the pre-made tips, along with 3/4" & 2" strapping tape. Strapping tape the first piece of webbing on across the flats of the blade. I tape one end of the webbing down for a couple of wraps, then the other leg. I spiral wrap the entire thing. Then repeat with the second piece of webbing, this time in-line with the blade.

I then put a piece of 2" white gaffer tape up one side and down the other of the entire sword & tip. This covers the flats and most of the blade. I then take a 1" strip of black gaffer tape (I tear the 2" wide tape in half) and run it up and down the edge of the sword.

I then take a 3" piece of red 2" gaffer tape and put it over the tip with the excess folded down the stick, followed by a wrap of a 6" piece of red gaffer tape around the end.

I have been making tips like this for years, and they never rip off. At one point, I went to only having a single strip of webbing, in-line with the blade, but I found that sometimes the foam would come out. With the two strips of webbing, the sword will wear out before the foam wears out (providing that it is decent foam) or gets lost.

The webbing at the tip also helps to keep the tip from brooming. You could even extend the webbing down the leading edge of your sword if you like, which will help make the sword last longer (at the price of a small amount of additional weight).

- Scott

^this^
I use duct tape, but aside from that, same.

I use a lightweight (the lightest I can find) piece of leather as a band (about 1¼" wide) to help keep the thrustie on. Under the tape, of course

Stefan, I had the same problem as you and then the knights at my local practice showed me the method Scott is using. According to all of them, the webbing is the really important part as it protects the tape holding the tip on the stick, both from the shearing of a tip shot and the chewing up that results from hitting armour.

Awesome, thanks guys!

I don't. I let my squire make them for me. For years I tore the tips off swords like nobodies business. So much so that I didn't bother with them and my two sword style really had no thrusting in it. Never really missed them, honestly.

And then one of my squires started making tips pretty much as Scott describes, and I have not torn one of these off yet. Funny thing, with working thrusting tips, my two sword style incorporated thrusting with almost no conscious effort.

I cross two pieces of nylon web and sew them in an X. The longer side runs down the striking edges, the shorter sides only about 6" past the tip of the rattan. This not only keeps the tips nicely securd but also reduces wear on the rattan (the edge doesn't get torn up nearly as much as it used to before I started doing this.

I use double-sided (DS) tape and a rectangle of pigskin lining leather. It's thin and very tough. I make the tip, put a square of DS tape on the bottom and attach to tip of sword. I then run DS tape around the base of the tip and the end of the sword. I wrap the rectangle of pigskin lining leather around, trim the ends flush and finish the sword. I do this with the thrusting tips on all my weapons.

Lag bolts.

I cut the foam tip to fit the rattan.

2 (layered) strips of 1" wide strapping tape from 12" down the blade over the tip to 12" down the back.
1 strip of 1" wide strapping tape same length from the blade sides.
2" wide strapping tape to wrap twice around the tip.

Spiral wrap rattan with 2" wide strapping tape from handle up.
Another strip of 1" strapping tape from 6" down the blade over the tip and back down.

Colorized duct tape to personal taste.

Right - I think the running theme here is I use way too little tape on my swords!

How often are you replacing your swords? That tape deteriorates pretty quick in some cases. I replace my swords every few months (sometimes more). How long are you expecting them to last?

My swords are generally dead after a season or so but the tape gets chewed up within the first fight or two. The thrusting tips came off at a tournament (first time it was used) and the replacement came off the next time it was used.

yeah then not enough tape, and put the tape on tighter

I almost never have thrusties ripped off.

My method...
I tear off long, narrow strips of strapping tape (about 8 inches long, less than 1/4 inch wide.) Each disk of foam gets 3 or 4 strips crisscrossed holding them snugly on. The last layer gets a whole lot more than 4; basically until the tip is fully covered. After that a spiral wrap on the tip to at least 4 inches down the stick, then I test how hard it is. Add tape if too soft, though sometimes I have to poke a few holes in the side to loosen things up. After that, duct tape up the sides of the blade, hockey or friction tape on tip and striking edge. I then carefully compress the tip on the floor to make sure it is legal, and to "break it in" so it compresses correctly.

Edit: Also, the foam disks are wider than the stick by about 1/4" all around

Cheers,

I will make the tip as others have outlined above. I will then take a bicycle tire inner-tube, cut a piece long enough that it would go over the tip and give me about 2"-3" down the sword and split it so I have two strips. I'll then make an X over the tip with the strips and tape it all down using strapping tape.

buy em from windrose

i have NEVER had one shear off, come apart after months of use, had the tape wear out, but the stick usually breaks before i need to re tape the tips from him.

Isabella E wrote:I tape mine down with strapping tape, once over the top both front and back, then I tape around it with strapping tape. Then I tape over the whole thing with duct tape.

This, but I do two over-the-tops. One front over to the back, and one left over to the side. Then wrap with strapping tape and cover with duct tape.