Padded Swords

[Ernest Brant]

Everyone has a first post, and this is mine. I am relatively new to WMA and am in the process of pulling together the equipment I will need to train and practice. While researching where to obtain equipment, I found that PurpleHeart Armoury sells padded swords. Given the depth and breadth of experience represented in ARMA, I would imagine someone has had experience with the Purpleheart padded swords and would be very grateful for an evaluation of them. If they are not up to standard, who else makes padded swords and other equipment.

I appreciate your help. Jay (the name I go by).

[Axel Pettersson]

I have no experience with the Purple Heart padded weapons, but I am going to try out Lance's Realistic Sparring Weapons as soon as the next paycheck comes in (which unfortunately will be in awhile), check it out at www.rsw.com.hk.

many ARMA members make their own sparring weapons, I am sure you can find instructions on this site or otherwhere.

When it comes to learning a wooden waster is perhaps the first item to aquire, for technique(sp?) as well as semi-sparring, + its cheap <img src="/forum/images/icons/grin.gif" alt="" /> . I can't recommend you on a special manufacturer for wasters (but others can), mine is oak and easily splinters along the fibers though, I bought it from another ARMA member and cant remember where it was made.

www.varmouries.com as well as others sell aluminium swords for sparring, more realistic than wasters and cheaper than blunts, but you still need protective gear, at least for the parts of yourself that you want to keep from achieving veteran sparring status too fast <img src="/forum/images/icons/smirk.gif" alt="" /> .


Cheers.

[Brian Hunt]

The purpleheart paddeds are a little too lite, and are a little whippy. I wouldn't invest in them. For a wooden waster, get one from New Sterling Arms. See the links page from the main ARMA web page for their address. Build your own padded weapon may be the best way to go. The biggest secret to a padded weapon is a good core. I have used flattened 3/4 PVC pipe (this works pretty well), I have also used the plastic top rail from a plastic lattice work fence (found in most hardware stores), I have seen fiber glass cores, wood cores, and Roger Saucey found a really springy strip of aluminum at a hope depot that has potential. For a inexpensive blunt, I reccomend the Paul Chen Hand and a Half.

Good luck

Brian Hunt
GFS

P.S. also do a search of the forums for padded weapons how to's.

[Mike Chidester]

In the ARMA, at least, we discourage the use of aluminum wasters. (We also strongly discourage the purchase of anything connected withg Purple Heart.)

I'd second what Brian said. There are a lot of innovative ideas for building sparring weapons on the forum. I'd start by looking here.

[JeanryChandler]

If you are using pvc, use Schedule 80 PVC, its much much much much better.

I also reccomend using orthopedic foam for the flats. This makes your weapon simultaneously much thinner in the flat (and more realistically shaped) while also much firmer and vastly extends the lifespan of the weapon. Correctly made paddeds should usually last about 3 years.

Counterweigh with 3/4" (internal) diameter washers, and you can use 1/6" aluminum supports (which come in various sizes suitible for different types of swords) for your crossguards. I reccomend padding both with the orthopedic foam.

Use foam to shape your crossguard with an oval rather than round cross section, this allows you to feel the edges better.

JR

If you make your padded weapon well, it can serve equally as a waster AND as a padded sparring weapon.

[Mike Chidester]

Correctly made paddeds should usually last about 3 years.

Unless you're at ARMA Provo, where even the highest-quality padded weapons fail to survive their first practice on occasion. <img src="/forum/images/icons/grin.gif" alt="" />

[Brian Hunt]

Hey MIke,

that's because you let Stew play with them. <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

Brian Hunt
GFS

[JeanryChandler]

Nope, its because you haven't been using my designs <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

We hit as hard as anybody down here, and ours don't break.


JR

[Mike Chidester]

With due respect, I can only assume that you haven't sparred with Stew. <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

[Jaron Bernstein]

Jeanry Chandler makes the best paddeds I have handled to date, but he is a bit occupied right now with water (lots of water). I hear good things about Lance Chen's padded's. Or there is always the home brewed version.

[Brian Hunt]

If you do a search on the forum, Jeanry has done a how to on his method for making a padded weapon. Good research material if you are wanting to go your own path, or a good design too follow if you like a step by step.

Brian Hunt
GFS

[Gene Tausk]

I will second (or third) that Jeanry's padded weapons are the best I have ever used. You can't go wrong with his stuff.

Sorry to hear that you are having problems with water, Jaron. I didn't read about any hurricanes in Buckeye country.


---------------&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;gene

[Ernest Brant]

I thank you all very much for the very helpful input on padded swords. It gives me the information I needed to go forward with obtaining/making a padded sword. I have also ordered a waster from New Sterling Arms.

I do not mean for this post to end the thread. Other comments are most welcome.

Thanks again. Jay.

[Jaron Bernstein]

Er? I was referring to Jeanry getting flooded out. <img src="/forum/images/icons/tongue.gif" alt="" />

[JeanryChandler]

Thanks for all the kudos, y'all.

I'm going to try to post a more user-friendly how-to on how I make those padded wasters in a couple of weeks, as an HTML instead of a word doc so it will be easier to deal with.

As I say, they function pretty well as both full contact sparring weapons and as wasters if you make them right, and they really don't break, regardless of who uses them, unless you are swinging them steel I-beams or something.

They aren't too hard to make if you can get all the right materials together, the hardest being the foam which you have to order.

I also agree that Lance's RSW are realistically weighed and balanced, and generally quite good from everything I have seen and read, though I have not yet had the opportunity to handle one personally. And his don't have any duct tape! That is a big advantage, it means they will look a lot nicer and are probably much less damaged by heat and sunlight than mine.


These days, incidentally, there is no water in my house any more, just a lot of moldy mush which used to be my library and furniture, and nameless stains which I can no longer identify. I call it the 'porta potty' house and / or Jeanry's house of fungus.

Jeanry