The Armour Archive

I am exploring the posibility of using a mace for SCA combat. I am looking for any pictures, suggestions or comments on the use and construction of the mace for SCA use.


Are there any mace wielders out there? Or comments from anyone who has been hit with one?

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Pheylin Quinn
Hammered Steel by Pheylin
Shire of Ravenslake, Midrealm

OW!!! That was my thought at getting hit by a mace, so I am also looking for construction ideas...

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Salamon de la Mawe
company of st joe

The mace I used to use had bicycle tire inner tube wrapped around the head for weight,with some closed-cell foam over that. Gave quite a thump.

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Dalewyn
Dalewyn@dbis.ns.ca
www.AlchemyArmory.com

OK, here is what I am working on:

2' 1.5" rattan. W

Wrap the top 14" with 1/2" closed cell foam and duct tape.

Then wrap the foam/duct tape with 8/9 gauge strapping leather/duct tape for a "clicker".

If this does not function for a clicker, I will put some 1.25" strips of shaved rattan around the leather.

I am hoping the leather gives me the weight that I am looking for. (Can I attach a trailer hitch ball to the top )

Put an 8" leather wrapped handle on it, voila. Oh, and a thrusting tip, can;t forget that.

What do you think?



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Pheylin Quinn
Hammered Steel by Pheylin
Shire of Ravenslake, Midrealm

Pheylin,


Once upon a time someone did use a trailer ball , but it was in a warhammer. He did get off site alive, though only through Royal intervention.


Alail

Um, OW!

Here is what I do: Take your rattan, I use a piece about 22 inches long, shorter than that I find too short, longer I find messes up My wrist do to the wheight of the head. shave your grip into the shape you like. Go to the local hardware store and in the plumbing section you will fing these lenghts of heavy duty black hose with grooves cut into either end in which hoseclamps sit. Pick one of the proper size and get it. Remove the hoseclamps. Contact cement the rubber to the end of the rattann, then tape it on really well for good measure. cut out discs of foam at the diameter the thrusty end of your soon to be mace is and strapping tape them on going all the way down the head, making sure there is enough give on the thrusty. then take foam strips of an appropriate width to fit about six of them around your rubber head(going lengthwise) and contact cement them in place. You can add rattaan clickers at this point if you wish, but I`ve never needed them. I don`t think leather would work well for the clickers as you want the noise and I think leather wouldn`t make the proper sound. Clickers are just for the benifit of brain dead fighters not recognizing a shot that doesn`t have that rattann sound when it hits....we`ve all done it at one point or another I`m sure!
Weather you add clickers or choose not too, go ahead and tape it all up now. Start with strapping tape then duct tape, then strips of electrical tape on the foam strips to mark striking surface and thrusting tip( I sometimes make a smiley face on the tip).
Following this plan you will now have a mace that hits with REAL authority when you want to with little extra effort, but moves well and quick. It will be safe enough that you shouldn`t have any problems getting it passed anywhere. It also ain`t too pretty, but I have yet to come up with a mace design that looks right that also fights well and safely.
Now a few things about mace fighting: A MACE IS NOT A SWORD!!! Don`t try to use it like one!! YOU WILL GET HURT IF YOU DO!! Although the way I make them doesn`t feel too heavy holding it, the weight is all at the end, and that makes for a lot of centrifigul force when it is in motion. Used properly that is your friend, but used inproperly, that is your wrist, elbow, and shoulders enemy! The cons of mace fighting are that you have a short weapon with a shorter striking surface (about six inches of head give or take is all you need or want) Another con is you need good hand protection, and that doesn`t mean a basket! A basket on a mace really screws up the balance, and looks stupid. .You want the weight up at the end.You also can`t choke up or down on the haft with a basket The pros of mace fighting are that you don`t have an edge to worry about. As long as you hit with the head, it won`t be called flat. The shoulder inside the point, and the hip above the socket are kills with a mace. Also, you have shots with a mace that just won`t work with a sword do to that heavy head. The head does a lot of your work for you generating killing power. However, you need to get in close to use it, and you best do it fast. When I say close, I mean CLOSE! Chest to chest is not bad. Get in close, climb right into there jockstrap with them, and KEEP THAT MACE MOVING! thow lots of shots, and use the inherint bouncyness of the mace to get speed from one shot to the next. The way I make them there not as bouncy as some I`ve seen, but they have some; use it! Basicly, without you here to show you some mace specific shots, the best I can say is be aggresive, get close, keep it moving and hit a lot. Wraps are good. Feints and fakes that don`t contact anything are not a good idea, but ones that rebound off something (like your or your opponants shield) are! Also make sure you have a good lanyard on a mace. Without one, these things go spinning off like WW2 potato masher grenades and land hard if your grip slips! I wish I knew of something written by someone who fights a better mace than I do, and writes better than I do to point you toward, but as far as I know there is nothing in print about fighting with a mace. Too bad, because it can be a fun tho oft neglected weapon form.
Hope this helps! Have fun with it, and remember, get right in his face, and keep swinging!
Good luck
John

In Markland we found that a half pound (or three) of kitty litter sewed up in a sock at the center of the ball gave it some good authority. No clickers needed, you know you've been hit! Heavy monkey-chained rope provides enough bulk and strength so that the ball doesn't go flying off, and you don't "clothesline" or rope-burn any exposed area on any under-armored opponent.

After a bout with Thorhall Halftroll, my mail left a really neat set of "fishscale" bruises on my body. Current Markland mace rules are at: http://www.markland.org/rulesfrat.html#impact weapons

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[This message has been edited by Cap'n Atli (edited 10-02-2001).]

John, (Muttman), said it all. I, too, like a bit of heavy rubber inside the mace. I use leftover or old bits of shield edging. There is a temptation to make maces too large/heavy to handle easily. You want it to have a macely balance but be light enough to be eager in your hand, like it will just leap out there and smash all by itself. Mess with your lanyard. I was taught a neat trick where you put your thumb in the lanyard, wrap the lanyard across the back of your gauntlet and then hold the mace in your hand. If you do it right you can use a very loose grip far down on the end of the handle to get a bit of extra on the blow. Also, don't try to overcontrol a mace against it's momentum - You have to work with where it's already going.

I was taught a neat trick where you put your thumb in the lanyard, wrap the lanyard across the back of your gauntlet and then hold the mace in your hand. If you do it right you can use a very loose grip far down on the end of the handle to get a bit of extra on the blow.

LOL, I do something very similar to that! I just couldn`t figure out a way to put it into type without it sounding like using the lanyard to make it a flail.
Very well put about the balance BTW, Cunian
John

[This message has been edited by muttman (edited 10-02-2001).]

Here's an idea for a mace that I have seen tried and I actually used for one myself. This style looks like the four flanged mace. Go to lowes or walmart and buy four rubber door stops. Attach to the rattan however you choose and tape. The rubber adds weight but gives a bit when waylaying your opponent.

I don't know if this is legal for SCA, but this is how I made my mace:

I took a handle from an engine stand, duct taped a shop rag on the end. Duct taped 5 more rags onto the end. Taped up the tip of it. Taped it more. Taped it more. You get the idea. I'm sure if you make it out of rattan instead of metal it would be legal.

Also, if you're worried about it being too soft because of the rags, don't. It's nice and hard becaause the rags are taped down hard and squished. They're only there so you don't have to use tons of tape. Good luck.


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-Jimmith

OOPS! The above post should have gone to the "Morningstar" thread!

Will re-post there.

(It gets hectic here at times...)

As for kitty litter, you could put it in a soccer ball, leaving a little room inside, that hasn't been tested, but it might work a little better than a sock in terms of durability. If you're hitting someone armoured, I'm pretty sure they'd feel it.
You can also combine this with the rubber doorstop idea, and make a flanged/ball mace.... but you'd better have some damn strong wrists


P.S. I am talking about a CHILD's soccer ball, not an adult sized one

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-Gid
I.R.G.Y.F.

[This message has been edited by marcidius (edited 10-09-2001).]

Here's what I did for my mace.
TAke one softball, and drill out a hole big enough for the shaft. Tape the hell out of it so that it doesn't move. Then take a 1/2" of closed cell foam and wrap it around it for padding. Then take it out and whack some one with it. Enjoy.

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Constancius of Lincolnshire

animis corporibusque