Cut & Thrust in the East, just starting

[Sean Powell]

(From another thread)

We just have straight up tournaments. It's fun. Our auth process is *fairly* rigid, so the participants are focussed on having fun and performing at a high level, not winning. The winners are just the ones that get to play the longest, really. Very motivating.

I REALLY like the pas d'arme concept, though. A number of people are interested in C&T simply because they want an excuse to wear really good, historically accurate armour and fight in it.

I can see that format taking off hugely.

I'm interested in C&T because A) I can wear more historicly accurate equipment. B) I can fight in a more historicly accurate style C) Lets face it, playing with metal weapons is inherently cooler to the crowd then fighting with rattan sticks... even if it can't be full calibration.

I live at the southern end of the Eastern Kingdom (west of Bhakail in Hartshorne-Dale). I can make it into northern Atlantia occasionally as well. Other then talking to my local fencing marshal (did that this weekend, she isn't a C&T marshal yet). How do I START?

Do I need to authorize in the full selection of Rapier forms first? Other then the head protection with rigid back of head protection, is there anything different then other fencing armor? What are the prefered brands of weapons for beginers? What else do I need to know that I don't know that I need to know?

Oh yeah, would it be possible to comision a clap-visor bascinet with interchangeable visors, one of which was perf-plate for C&T, one of which was a bar-grill of rattan, and one of which was a 14ga houndskull with breathing holes small enough to prevent a steel blade from entering and eyes with either perf-plate or thin enough to pass for C&T... or is there a weight/gage restriction where a SCA heavy helm is not appropriate for C&T?

Thanks,
Sean

[Saritor]

Regardless of the East's requirements, Society minimums are elbow pads for C&T.

I heartily recommend elbow and knee pads, preferably hardened leather or metal knee cops, at least until you learn your range for C&T and how to cover the knee shots. To that, I'd add a pair of demis, since a cut to the wrist can seriously ruin your day if you're in the wrong position. That's sort of a "perfect storm" scenario, but it's happened to me twice. (Amusingly, never in C&T. Just cuts from people who weren't involved in the C&T program fighting rapier. The risk still exists, though.)

The heavy helm is going to be a thicker gauge requirement than the C&T helm itself is. Society standard for perf is 1/8" diameter holes with a 3/16" offset. Usually, you'll want to go slightly lower on the diameter, since dishing perf will stretch the holes out somewhat and there exists the possibility of them being taken out of spec. So a heavy helm+gorget with a perf plate mask should pass, but be aware that you have to cover your head as completely as possible, and that no skin or gaps are allowed to show -- a standard heavy helm wherein the armorer is laboring under the assumption that it's going to be a heavy helm with a different faceplate may produce armor with gaps that would allow a rapier tip (or edge, in this case) to pass through. This results in all sorts of weirdnesses for you to have to cover up, so make sure they know up front what the requirements will be like, and what the alternate uses of the helm will be.

[Tibbie Croser]

Check the Society rules. The rapier rules include the C&T rules. The list of blades legal for SCA rapier also indicates what blades are legal for C&T. Also check your Kingdom rules.

Regarding diameter and offset distance for perf plate, in commercial sheet metal, the smaller diameters often come with a smaller offset distance. When I asked my Kingdom Rapier Marshal (Atlantia) about the legality of the less-than-minimum offset distance, he referred the question to the Society Rapier Marshal. I don't know when there will be an official ruling. It might be safest to stick with the 1/8" diameter and corresponding 3/16" offset.