Weird and Exotic weapon questions (Macahuitl and Scythe)

[DarkApprentice]

Nkante, I have no problem with someone trying to portray a relatively exotic, or at least little known people from the periphery of the Knowne World. What I fear is the "Scottish Ninja" crowd picking a new tool to rules-lawyer a(temporary) advantage in sport fighting thru an Abyssinian chapter in their improbable personas.

That said, You may find it difficult to place the Shotel in a period timeframe. Due as much as anything, from a lack of readily available records.

Scottish Ninjas? Don't you mean Highland Ninjas? I was one at Pennsic a few years ago. It was totally badass. We raided Vlad's camp, and he gave us booty... lots of it... and then he taught us some sweet sword moves.

I don't need to rules lawyer anything, I just know I am better than you!



DA

[Donald St. Colin]

What type of material is lignum vitaea? Animal, Vegtable or mineral?

Lignum vitae
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A sapwood, Lignum vitae is a trade wood, from trees of the genus Guaiacum, also called guayacan. This wood was once very important for uses requiring strength, weight, and hardness. All species of the genus are now listed in Appendix II of CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) as potentially endangered species. The wood is obtained chiefly from Guaiacum officinale and Guaiacum sanctum, both small, slow growing trees.

The name is Latin for "wood of life", and derives from its medicinal uses: the resin has been used to treat a variety of medical conditions from coughs to arthritis; wood chips can also be used to brew a tea. Other names are palo santo (Spanish for holy wood), greenheart, and ironwood (one of many).

It is a hard, dense and durable wood, the most dense wood traded; it will easily sink in water. On the Janka Scale of Hardness, which measures hardness of woods, lignum vitae ranks highest of the trade woods, with a Janka hardness of 4500 (compared with Hickory at 1820, red oak at 1290, and Yellow Pine at 690). The heartwood is green in color leading to the common name Greenheart. In the shipbuilding, cabinetry, and woodturning crafts the term greenheart refers to the green heartwood of Chlorocardium rodiei.

[Saritor]

As a digression, although the flint edged weapons may have been ineffective there are extent samples of Samoan war clubs that would have been effective against our presumed armour standard. The attached picture is a approxamately 10 pound club fabricated fron lignum vitaea.

You could give a Samoan a 10-pound funoodle, and I still wouldn't want him to hit me with it, whether I'm in armor or not.

[Graedwyn]

I like samoans.
Thinmints are better though.
Sorry.

-Graedwyn

[Donald St. Colin]

I like samoans.
Thinmints are better though.
Sorry.
-Graedwyn

[Leopold der Wolf]

Life wood

[Rexor]

here is a historical example with combat with a syth, and the guys seem to be nobles, or at least not peasants. theres also fighting with sickles, flails, big clubs, and some bad ass looking shield.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97neHuFf ... re=related

and a guy getting spanked with a flail

[freiman the minstrel]

here is a historical example with combat with a syth, and the guys seem to be nobles, or at least not peasants. theres also fighting with sickles, flails, big clubs, and some bad ass looking shield.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97neHuFf ... re=related

and a guy getting spanked with a flail

Great, Now I have to hunt down another manual.

(seriously, thanks for that. I had no idea that that manual existed.)

f

[Maeryk]

Have two friends interested in starting the sca. The problem is their personas require bizarre weapons.

One gal wants to do an New World styled native (aztec/Mayan etc) she wants to make Macahuitl..the wide wooden club with obsidian blades set around the edges. Thought about just putting foam on the sides of a sword but she says it should be wider. Any ideas?

The other guy wants to play as a medieval peasant who uses a scythe. I cant see anyway for him to make a curved scythe. Trying to get him to use a billhook or other more practical weapon but he really wants to use a scythe.

Any of you made these before? Pics would be great too.

Late to the discussion.. but there is nothing "European" about aztecs. If this person wants to fight with a sickle, (a scythe would be useful only for cutting off people's feet) then look into any peasant anywhere in Europe pressed into service.. it's the third most common farm tool, behind a shovel and a rake.

[audax]

here is a historical example with combat with a syth, and the guys seem to be nobles, or at least not peasants. theres also fighting with sickles, flails, big clubs, and some bad ass looking shield.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97neHuFf ... re=related

and a guy getting spanked with a flail

"Paulus Hector Mair (1517--1579) was an Augsburg civil servant, and active in the martial arts of his time. He collected Fechtbücher and undertook to compile all knowledge of the art of fencing in a compendium surpassing all earlier books. For this, he engaged the painter Jörg Breu the Younger, as well as two experienced fencers, whom he charged with perfecting the techniques before they were painted. The project was very costly, taking full four years, and according to Mair, consumed most of his family's income and property. Three versions of his compilation, and one later, less extensive manuscript, have been preserved.

Not only did Mair spend huge sums on his collections and on his projects, he also had a very expensive lifestyle, frequently hosting receptions for the more important burghers of Augsburg. His own income was not sufficient for this, and during many years, he misappropriated funds from the city treasury, with the supervision of which he had been entrusted since 1541. His embezzlements were discovered in 1579, and Mair was hanged as a thief at the age of 62."

So burgher class, not nobility and not peasant. Not to mention the social changes that had occurred by the 16th century.