Wasters

[Brent Lambell]

Thank you for the advice and feedback. I spoke with other study group members and it sounds like we are going with Brian Hunt's nylons. Keeping it in ARMA sounds like a fine idea to me, but I was tempted by the Like Steel Wasters, the steel cross guards looked tempting except for the safety issues. Perhaps those will be a second round of nylon purchasing. Does anyone know of any pics for Hunt's nylon wasters? I would assume they look similar to most of the rest....

[Brian Hunt]

I assume you mean the ones I make.

If all is well with my ISP, they keep losing my webpage, though I can currently access it. There are pictures here.

http://www.emerytelcom.net/users/blhunt/sales.htm

hope this helps.

Brian Hunt

ARMA Senior Researcher

[Brent Lambell]

Thank you Brian. I that is exactly what I was looking for. I'm looking forward to seeing them in person as well.

[Lee Craven]

Now that they have been around for a while any reports on degradation, breakage ect?

I notice that at first there was much discussion about using them with a partner who has a wooden waster. It seems that is not reccomended anymore is that correct?

Regards,

Lee

[Jeremiah Backhaus]

I've used my With Intent (WI) waster for over a year now. I have one of the 1.0 models with the wooden cross, with no problem. I love it. I actually have more than that one, I have enough to be a traveling ARMA study group. Though some are 1.5, 2.0,2.1 models (numbering my own scheme not endorsed by WI) and all hold up exceptionally well. I LOVE THE DUSSACK!!!!

Against wood they just don't stick right. I wouldn't use them together for another reason though: with the plastics one seems to move faster (this has been discussed at some length by the SFSs und Freifechter) which would make fight tempo and fight safety (is that an oxymoron?) a bit harder to find. Anyway, I love mine, and in honor of the late president:

"From my cold dead hands!"

-Jeremiah (GFS)

[Scott Sperling]

I really love the nylon wasters for free-spar and would love to purchase some for that purpose. However, I have had some difficulty contacting WI Wasters through their E-mail. I E-mailed the posted address with the requested ordering information over a week ago.

I understand WI Wasters is private business - so perhaps I should wait longer for a reply. I don't want to sound rude - I just want to make sure that their E-mail/website is working correctly and that they received my E-mail order request. Does anybody have any insight as to follow this up?

I'd really love me some plastic waster! : )

[Lee Craven]

Great!

OK, so how about how they react to temprature?
Any issues? Bending, warping ect?

[John Farthing]

Although my personal preferences are wood and steel, given that the majority of my training is relegated to the outdoors, I find the Nylon Simulators well suited to training in the rain. Steel swords and thunder storms simply do not mix! Wood if not properly cared for right away after having been wet, has a tendency to warp. On those occasions where I have no choice but to train in the rain, I find the Nylon Trainers best suited to that enviroment. They do not warp when exposed to wetness or moisture and they do not act as a lightning rod!

[Cooper Braun]

So a similar question to add to the thread.

I a looking at getting a second waster. I am a huge fan of New Stirling Arms and have one of their hand and a half short models. Does anybody have both the short and the long model? Which do you prefer? I am 5' 9.5" and feel pretty comfortable with the shorter model (overall 45", blade length 36") but was not sure if I should go for the longer blade (overall 50", blade length 41").

Thanks

[Curt Dunham]

I have the longer Davenriche, and I'm 6' tall, and lately I've been hitting the ground during exercises and drills. Early on I didn't have this trouble during exercises, drills, or sparring.

I'm trying to see if I am doing something wrong or whether I need to cut an inch or two off the tip. Otherwise I love it. I did modify the pommel--flattened the main knob a bit and sanded off the "ridge" between the main knob and the grip, and I like the curved cross.

I also bought a pair of WI wasters, and I really like them. They're a little light (which I like for warm-ups as I have a rotator cuff problem), and they do have too much flex in the plane of the blade, but they do take a beating without visible damage. They're nice and slippery for winding. In fact, I recommend eye protection for any paired work. In my limited experience with steel, the plastic wasters are a little more slippery than steel while wood are less slippery. I like using all the tools available to us, included paddeds.

[ChristineChurches]

I have both lengths of New Stirling Arms' hand and a half wasters. At 5'6", I though I would have a problem with the longer one, but I was wrong. The only thing I can tell you is that if you already like the short model, and you are purchasing it to have an extra/backup, then stick with it.

As for the nylon wasters....love them almost as much as my steel.

[Shane Smith]

The plastic longsword wasters have a role in freeplay but I think they are not sufficient for drills and excercises. They are too whippy in my experience thus far.

[John Farthing]

I have found this 'whippiness' to be problematic in free-play. During many strikes which would have been blocked with a wooden or steel weapon, I have found the nylon blade continuing to move after the parry, resulting in my getting cracked in the hand! This in turn causes one to overcompensate ones parry which, ultimately leads to flawed technique. Form and technique should always represent what would be appropriate and necessary with a real weapon.

This is not intended to suggest that these nylon simulators are completely without merit, only that we must be ever vigilant in adhering to methods and practices which build attributes for, and most closely replicate the conditions of real and actual combat with real weapons.

[Shane Smith]

I have found this 'whippiness' to be problematic in free-play.

My position is that while these plastic wasters suck for about everything, they don't suck quite as bad as padded weapons for freeplay and while they may bruise you more, they seem to break fingers less. I see them as supplements to padded weapons only.

[Sal Bertucci]

Do you have any basis for that, or are you just venting?