The Armour Archive

Greetings all. I didn't want to totally hijack the other "rattan shaping" thread, so I thought I would create an offshoot.

I've heard several fighters declare that if you the plane the striking edge of the rattan, you shorten its life expectancy quite a bit. Of course, you end up with a pretty speedy sword.

I was just curious, how many of you fight with a sword planed only on the "flat" or a sword shaved down to 1 1/4" all around? If down to 1 1/4, how long does such a sword typically last (assuming of course that it's used in combat and not for getting those hard to reach spider webs)?

Since I shave mine, I tend to buy husk off. It tends to be straighter, and husk is hard on my electric planer. I use 1.5, and shave the sides to 1.25 for one handed stuff.

If a sword is good for 1000 telling blows, and shaving mine makes it accurate enough that I get them in 3 months instead of 1 year, I don't mind that it doesn't last as long. I think I made my last two about a year ago, but I've lined the cutting edges with nylon strapping.

Where do you get it husk-off? Someplace specific? Or is this something you can request from any rattan dealer?

Baron Eirik from Sternfeld (Indianapolis, IN) sells rattan in three varieties:

1. Raw with the husk on.
2. Shaved down to 1 1/4".
3. Shaved down to 1" (for the core of a siloflex sword).

He used to sell with By My Hand designs, since the latest Coronation, he has been selling out of his own booth. He frequents the Armour Archive, so you can probably find out what events he plans on selling at in the near future.

-Keith/Austin.

I used shaved rattan for about 6 months, and found that I would break a stick abot every practice or so. Levaing the husk on the striking surface vastly improves survivability and longevity. Also, apply the right amount of strapping tape (not too much) and that will also help.

Alaric

Frank's Cane and Rush Supply in CA
http://www.franksupply.com/index.html
The Caning Shop
http://www.caning.com/rattan.html
HHPerkins
http://www.hhperkins.com/

I plane my swords down to make rattan wasters. I leave the husk on the striking edges and heavily reinforce with good 3M strapping tape. I start with big pieces of rattan, say 2 inches, that tapper towards one end. The tappered end is the "point", the fat end I shape into the hilt. I've found that my shots have gotten more "honest" I know for sure if a shot is flat, and if I'm not dead center on the edge, the sword will turn flat.
I imagine if you planed the rattan down, then shrink tubed it, the stick would last quite a long time.
Slainte,
Fearghus

------------------
How long will we fight? We will fight until Hell freezes over; then we fight on the ice.
Fearghus' Homepage

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Fearghus:
<B>I plane my swords down to make rattan wasters. I leave the husk on the striking edges and heavily reinforce with good 3M strapping tape. I start with big pieces of rattan, say 2 inches, that tapper towards one end. The tappered end is the "point", the fat end I shape into the hilt. I've found that my shots have gotten more "honest" I know for sure if a shot is flat, and if I'm not dead center on the edge, the sword will turn flat.
I imagine if you planed the rattan down, then shrink tubed it, the stick would last quite a long time.
Slainte,
Fearghus

</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Feargus:

Could you snap a picture of your blades, so we could look at them? I have this huge 2" stave of rattan that I plan on doing something similar to (inspired by one Duke Dagan owns), and I'm wanting to try my hand at it.

Sure, I've been meaning to do a "how to" series of pics anyhow. Right now I can shoot pics of my "mongol saber" and shortsword.
Slainte,
Fearghus

------------------
How long will we fight? We will fight until Hell freezes over; then we fight on the ice.
Fearghus' Homepage

IMO, if you're going to bring it down to 1.25 all the way around, you ought to be buying unpeeld 1.25 rattan

The husk being on makes a big difference, in my experience. For one thing, it seems that unpeeled rattan is less dried out than the peeled, which makes it less brittle. Add to that the husk is harder than the inner fibers, and you get a combination that is pretty likely to give you a superior performing stick.

I've pretty much always gone with large diameter rattan and flattened the sides a bit.

Gavin