The Armour Archive

Was wondering what people thought of them and if anyone had any ideas on thier construction.

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If you risk nothing, you risk everything.

I usually use three or four layers of blue foam mat, connected with strapping tape. I will secure one piece of mat with two crossed pieces of strapping tape, running at least 6" down rattan. Next add another piece of padding, with crossed strapping tape kind of offset from first peice. Alternate as adding padds.

Like this : +x+x

Then wrap sword and whole tip with strapping tape. Cover with your choice of duct tape with contrasting marks for tip. (I usually use cloth sport / hockey tape instead of duct tape to cover sword.)

Duct tape seems to shear off to easily after a very short time. This is pretty tough and lasts quite long.

That's how I do it anyway.

Jager

I have sceen several different designs used
you can use four layers of blue foam each layer taped on looser then the one before and then ducktape to cover it make shure that the pieces of foam are just a bit bigger then the end of your sword. you can also take a piece of foam and roll it like a roll of toylet paper and tape that on the end you can reinforce the thrusting tip with a piece of soft leather glued to the thrusting tip and the swoard wraping around it.
there are about as many ways to make then as there are fighters that use them ask the locals for the preferance.

Ufar, need to check what your kingdom requires. Here in Ansteorra we only need two layers of blue foam

I try to use them but i always tear them off while fighting

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Ulfar:
<B>Was wondering what people thought of them and if anyone had any ideas on thier construction.
</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

For single handed weapon thrusties I like to put swede leather on the tip to help keep it from skipping.

Juliana

i always put 2 strips of thin leather down over the top and down the rattan then tape it up, it makes the end a little larger but it keeps the end from getting choped off
-T

I feel that thrusting tips are a very valuable addition to my swords, and technique to my skill set.

I've had very bad luck using strapping tape to make thrusting tips on my swords. It seems that no matter what I do, they last only a short time. What I've done is upgrade to nylon webbing belt material.

I pick up the nylon webbing (two inch width) at any fabric store, usually costs me less than $3 a yard. Two 6 inch lengths attached to the end of my sword (running linearly, with a 2 inch overhang at the tip of the sword) create a reinforced pocket that the foam can go into, and duct tape wrapped around the outside will keep it there. It adds very little weight and will last the entire lifetime of the sword.

Since low profile thrusting tips are allowed down here in Trimaris, I've found this works especially well.


Frederich

Hailsa,

I like to use two layers of a higher quality 1/2 inch closed cell foam. The blue mattress foam breaks down quickly and soon could be bounced by a marshal if it falls below the Society requirement of 1 inch of foam offering 1/2 inch compresion across the face of the tip. The Society book goes as far to recomend 1 1/2 inchs, but only requires the 1 inch. This leads me as a senior, and branch marshal to be strict on the minimum on 1 inch.

My tips are made by fibre taping two 1 1/4 circles of 1/2 inch thick foam together to make a 1 inch tall, 1 1/4 inch round foam tube. Then, I use 8 peices of tape a little more than a foot long each and loop each one over the thusting tip, and attaching it to my rattan. I then wrap this layer in fibre tape starting about 6 inchs from the sword tip, to the top of the thrusting tip. I am careful not to compress the foam to much to allow it give. Then I take a peice of 3/4 inch nylon strapping about 3 feet long and run it down the front of my sword, about two feet, over the top and down the back a foot or so. I also fibre tape this in place, and it serves two important functions. It takes alot of abuse saving the "sweet spot" of my rattan, and extending its life, and it holds the thrusting tip in place when I hit with a tip. This method works great. It is a lot of fibre tape, but well worth it with the extended life of the sword, and extended life of the thrusting tip.

I have done some research of late on sword preparation, and it seems there are many ways to go about it. We will all find what works for us, and that is what is important. I have read or spoken with many knights, including a number of Dukes and rarely have I recieved the same answer on how to prepare a sword.

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Heera Orin Rasmussen inn óði af Halogaland.

I always had a problem with tips tearing off, so I now use a soft Leather tube around 6 inches long and 1 1/4 inch diameter.

Round the edges at the top of your rattan so that it will not cut through the leather.
Slip the tube snugly over your rattan and fill the last 1 1/2 to 2 inches of the tube with foam disks.

Tape over the whle thing and you are good to go.