The Armour Archive

Hi everybody... looking for a dog toy to make a mace head like the kong dog toy ones I've seen on SCA maces. cylindrical, about 6" to 8" long, evenly sided, round half circle studs in strips down the length. Can't find anything on kong's website that matches. is it a different brand name?

RSVP.

thanks

jonathan blackbow

Try this under Dogs- Rubber toys- treat dispensers.

http://www.kongcompany.com/worlds_best.html

Cheers,
Leo

<wonders to self, if wife will kill him, if he takes his two golden retrievers kong balls and makes maces out of them>

Go to a Petsmart or some place like that. They usually have them in stock.

We have been useing the 3 inch with a lot of luck
http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_ ... t=kong&N=2

nothing needed to stuff the cracks, ceddie?

I have a mace made with the Large size Kong Stuff-a-Ball. If you were to put something in the cracks you would prevent the head from giving at all and it would probably not be legal. I just painted mine black and it looks good and thumps really well.

I use the three inch one and love it. It's a good thumper.

ive been using the small beehive shape with 2 rings of padding around it for 5 years or so, works well.

blackbow wrote:nothing needed to stuff the cracks, ceddie?

No, just drill it out so it fits on the shaft and you're good to go. A lot of folks tool dip them black.

What method do you use to attach the mace head to the rattan ? Something to keep it flying off the end ?

A ring of some kind of material on the rattan above the head. Some folks put on a thrusting tip.

Probably just a duct tape rope above and below. No big trick there.

JB

Morgan wrote:A ring of some kind of material on the rattan above the head. Some folks put on a thrusting tip.

Anybody have a pic of their Kong mace to post on here please ?

Blackbow, if you fill the cracks, it seem to be too hard.
Skorri, I'll see if I can get some pics at practice Sun.

A big industrial nut works pretty well to keep the kong head on, but the marshals complain.

This what I came up with tonight. Used the extra large Kong toy. Secured it thru the top with a fender washer and a 2 1/2 inch wood screw. Applied liberal coats of the spray on Tool Dip. Put a large glob of Dip on the screw head.

Skorri wrote:This what I came up with tonight. Used the extra large Kong toy. Secured it thru the top with a fender washer and a 2 1/2 inch wood screw. Applied liberal coats of the spray on Tool Dip. Put a large glob of Dip on the screw head.

In what group do you plan to use this?

Not so sure about metal in the striking head area. Sports tape covered in a thick layer of liquid electrical tape both above & below the head to keep mine on. I then sprayed that & the head with spray on tool dip. No problems. I like these things but I'd fail it with a big washer on top of and a screw in the head if I was the MIC.

You mean you guys didnt keep Artos's (For the unaware: Artos was the KEM of Meridies) ruling that

Now, this goes into effect immediately! Kong(R) brand dog chew toys are expressly forbidden for use in the construction of mace heads in the Kingdom of Meridies. I've been meaning to get that out since Border Raids but I'm slack. I saw THL Ulrich von Brandenburg's head split open like an overripe cantaloupe from one of those things.

If So, I applaud you, as the ruling didnt make much sense (ie I've seen people hurt by greatswords...we dont ban those, only unsafe people...) But I was just wondering.

-+G

Which guys? As far as I know, Meridies still has them banned.

In the SCA, I'd bounce the example mace above for the same reason as Magnus stated above and give the same recommendation.

I was hoping to use it in Atlantia

--- Atlantia defers to Society regs on this portion..."no metal in the striking surface of the weapon" Not sure if the top of the mace is still the striking surface though. Im not looking for a loophole and I certainly want to make sure this is safe/legal. I wouldn't put anything on the field that might cause harm to anybody.

skorri: take the washer/screw out. shove the kong toy about a half inch further down the stick. Make a duct tape rope and roll it onto the rattan. repeat at the bottom of the kong toy. If you don't know how to make a duct tape rope, now's the time to chime in.

Regards,

Jonathan Blackbow

Skorri wrote:I was hoping to use it in Atlantia

--- Atlantia defers to Society regs on this portion..."no metal in the striking surface of the weapon" Not sure if the top of the mace is still the striking surface though. Im not looking for a loophole and I certainly want to make sure this is safe/legal. I wouldn't put anything on the field that might cause harm to anybody.

Ok, im chiming in Blackbow never made a duct tape rope before

Rev. George wrote:You mean you guys didnt keep Artos's (For the unaware: Artos was the KEM of Meridies) ruling that

Now, this goes into effect immediately! Kong(R) brand dog chew toys are expressly forbidden for use in the construction of mace heads in the Kingdom of Meridies. I've been meaning to get that out since Border Raids but I'm slack. I saw THL Ulrich von Brandenburg's head split open like an overripe cantaloupe from one of those things.

If So, I applaud you, as the ruling didnt make much sense (ie I've seen people hurt by greatswords...we dont ban those, only unsafe people...) But I was just wondering.

-+G

Nope but they are in sort of a limbo grey area. They aren't out right approved nor or they banned. They are instead improved on a case by case basis with the inspecting marshal haveing the final say. The reason for this was that the KEM didn't want to say brand x is ok in configuration I but not II or III or IV. And then some guy come out with Brand Y in their configuration XI that is just as safe and get bumped on a technically. I have run into very little resistance with mine since then and that was closer to our inception as a kingdom. I didn't make GW this year but the guys I knew who brought them had no problems with them.

HOW TA MAKE A DUCT TAPE ROPE

1. tear off a strip of duct tape around 3' - 4' . hold it upside down so that the sticky side is DOWN. There are ways to do this with one person but it's easier with two. each person holds one end taut, but not tightly, i.e. straight apart but not so tight that you could play a guitar with it.

2. each person folds the end of the tape essentially like you'd fold an envelope, so that one third folds over another third and they meet in the middle. the sticky side ends up showing only where you've folded it, so far.

3. each person takes their end and starts winding the thing clockwise. Make darn sure that none of the non-sticky side is showing after you start the roll or else it'll stay out and your tape will be useless in that spot. eventually you'll wind up (pun intended) with a rope of duct tape with the sticky side out. When you've wound it for a little while (about 20 turns each max), you'll have a rope type critter. Now pull on each end. stoutly, but again, not so stoutly that you break it apart.

4. take that rope and wind (coil) it, pretty tightly, around whatever you're trying to attach together (or in this case, keep from flying off). If you wind it around the rattan, wind it for about five or six turns, and then wind it back down onto itself. sticky side out means it sticks to itself pretty easily, and the rolling it on top of itself means it forms a pretty tough bond. I've never had a rope fail before the sword itself was so soft as to be useless, if that tells you anything.

If this doesn't make enough sense in words, let me know and I'll either take pix of the process, or post a video.

JB

Skorri wrote:Ok, im chiming in Blackbow never made a duct tape rope before

Just out of curiosity, how much success have you all had using a mace on the field?

I know in period a mace would be a very effective weapon, but in our game with swords that can slice through "anything" why go for a weapon that is not going to give the clang that many people expect?

Do you enjoy the handling characteristics of the mace? Do you feel that you can deliver a more stout blow with the heavier head, or is it more of a representational thing.?

-Justus

(who is all for weapons variety)

Thanks for the instructions on the tape rope Blackbow. I took pics of the finished product before I read that post so if need be I will take it apart and do what you suggested. On the top I used quite a bit of the tool dip then covered the top with several layers of cloth tape (used to wrap hockey sticks). I then applied more tool dip,as the rubber dried I shaped it to make it look more uniform on the top. It is 19 " in length and weighs 1.5 lbs.

justus wrote:Just out of curiosity, how much success have you all had using a mace on the field?

I know in period a mace would be a very effective weapon, but in our game with swords that can slice through "anything" why go for a weapon that is not going to give the clang that many people expect?

Do you enjoy the handling characteristics of the mace? Do you feel that you can deliver a more stout blow with the heavier head, or is it more of a representational thing.?

-Justus

(who is all for weapons variety)

I love my kong mace because it hits real hard. I've never had anyone blow it off because it didnt feel like a sword. I also like it because in my head I'm using real weapons against real armor. When I go up against someone real heavily armored I figure if it were for real real and not for play play my saber wouldnt leave the sheath. So why not do it that way in this game too? It's all fun right?

Justus never had anyone not call one that landed anywhere close to what I throw with my sword while using this, in or out of my kingdom. Like Animal said it hits hard (not excessivly but hard enough) and it frankly just looks bad ass.

Which guys? As far as I know, Meridies still has them banned.

Our cousins in Glenn Abhann, who were still part of us when that <i>ex cathedra</i> manuevering occoured. If they kept the same rules as they had from the split, they would be banned there. But it seems that this isnt the case.


-+G

The path to knighthood is paved with strength and nobility, not LSD and sideburns.

Hey man, you obviously never met my Knight

In his case the road to Knighthood was paved with Strength, Nobility, LSD, Pot and Sideburns!


-Justus

Skorri,

Is it just that photograph or did you find silver tool dip somwhere?

If so where did you find it?

Thanks in advance!

I used my mace at Gulf Wars this year. The only problem I had getting it passed was that the thrusting tip wasn't 2" so I cut it off and they passed it. Overall it seemed that people with single handed swords had more trouble with people not calling their shots than I did. Any clean shot I got was called and I was being careful on my power.

As for the Meridan rule and how it applies to Gleann Abhann. Shortly after we went Kingdom, Magnus the Black (I was there at the time) spoke with our new KEM and was told that he didn't have a problem with his (mine is almost identically constructed) but that maces of that type would be subject to ruling by the Marshall in charge at any event just as any weapon is.

Overall the concensus I have heard from Marshalls is that if you use the hollow Stuff-a-Ball type then you won't have a problem as they do allow for the required amount of give and aren't exceptionally heavy but if you tried to use one of the solid type dog toys then it would likely be rejected.

I loved my Kong mace. When the haft broke, I was about to transfer the head to another stick when I got the news about the ban (in Meridies). Baron Borgar, the South Downs marshal, tells me the ban's still in effect. I really don't know why; my mace hit with authority, but nobody said it hit too hard. Any weapon can be used improperly. I'll probably make a new one using foam; it's very satisfying to hit somebody on the head with a mace.