Yet another newbie q: Resilience of Latex/Foam weaponry

Me again :stuck_out_tongue:

I know the idea of live-combat LARPs is not to beat the living daylights out of your opponent, but surely during combat weapons clash on shields, other weapons and armour, not to mention skulls, arms, and torsos :slight_smile: Donā€™t the weapons chip? Are they repairable?

I ask because Iā€™ve been to the Paddywhack website, and the swords there look FANTASTIC. But I donā€™t want to shell out $100 for a sword that Iā€™ll be too scared to use properly :slight_smile:

Cheers all,

Viperion

Paddywhack stuff is fine, I bought mercenary sword from there 5 years ago and used it in many larps, the only damage done is that latex cover is a little rubbing off, so might need a bit of re-painting to increase shininess.

You donā€™t really whack people hard in larp, and the weapons are strong enough to survive proper whacking. If you stab someone the blade may break, but stabbing is prohibited, as far as I am aware, for safety reasons. Leaning on your sword or bending it over the knee would break it too, so donā€™t do it.

Weapons do wear but they wonā€™t suffer a lot of damage except under extreme conditions or by accident. With a little care, they will last 5 or so years.
My squire sword has seen A LOT of fighting in the last 3 plus years and while it is worn, this could be fixed by recolouring and relatexing it.

Yes, weapons hit up against all kinds of stuff during fights. Due to their construction, they absorb the impact and then bounce back. They canā€™t chip, because theyā€™re not brittle.

In the centre of the weapons is a narrow fibreglass rod called the ā€œcoreā€. This keeps them straight, and gives them some weight. The tip of the core has a flexible kevlar protector on it, to allow the point of the sword to be flexible. Surrounding the rod and the tip protector is a thick layer of closed-cell foam. Closed-cell foam is similar to the stuff that a foam roll-up mat for sleeping on when camping is made from, only a bit denser. This is foam that keeps its shape well, so it always springs back into shape after you compress it. The foam gives the weapons their shape, and it absorbs the impact of blows so that the person being hit doesnā€™t feel the fibreglass rod in the centre. The foam is covered in a layer of flexible latex rubber. This is coloured to gives the weapons their metallic look. The latex is coated in a transparent flexible sealant, to protect it (unsealed latex gets sticky when damp).

The surface can wear down over the years, become a little discoloured, and the sealant can wear off exposing the latex which can become a little sticky. Apparently, a little bit of silicone spray is supposed to help maintain the surface. If you hit something sharp with a weapon I suppose the surface could tear, although I donā€™t remember seeing this happen. The weapons I stock now have a more durable surface than the ones I had five years ago.

Theyā€™re pretty idiot-proof. Tips for maintanance: store them somewhere dry and cool, donā€™t leave them touching each other (make sure theyā€™re not sticking to whatever theyā€™re resting on or inside), donā€™t leave stuff lying on top of them, and donā€™t put too much strain on the tip (e.g. donā€™t lean on the sword with the tip on the ground).

So long as you donā€™t hit too hard, they donā€™t hurt. Thatā€™s kind of the main point, of course. :slight_smile: Theyā€™re a lot of fun.

Sounds AWESOME :slight_smile:

The swords Ryan is bringing are very well constructed. They last a lot better than the home made weapons I make and I think theyā€™re very reasonably priced. Iā€™ve had people building swords at my place and if youā€™re purchasing the materials to make a one off weapon youā€™d probably spend $50 and have a lot of left overs. The cost comes down as you produce a lot of weapons because you get to spread the cost of glue and latex across many weapons.

But if youā€™re just after a weapon at a good price that will last, these swords really canā€™t be beat.

Iā€™m contemplating getting a new one myself even though I make a lot of weapons just because the build quality is better than I do and the price is right.

The ā€œdonā€™t leave them touchingā€ is REALLY important by the way. Iā€™ve had my two swords slide over in storage and end up stuck together, so now the latex has ripped right off part of my squire sword. Itā€™s three or four years old and the latex has got sticky. Might try the silicon spray idea.

If you want to re-coat a sword, do you need to sand/remove/roughen the surface in any way first? The sword is perfectly functional still, just the coating is a bit rubbish.

So if you are going to relatex a weapon, and not just patch a tiny tear, ideally you need to remove all the latex, sometimes this is easy, sometimes not so much.

Once all the latex is off you want as smooth a surface as possible for latexing. I have started ironing the foam! Using a clothes iron on the setting for silk, with a bit of baking paper between the foam and the iron. Be really quick and gentle until you get the hang of it.

Ideally Iā€™d practice on an off cut, but if youā€™re relatexing a weapon rather than making a new one you might not have any off cuts.

My first larp sword is an Ex-Calibur one I got for my 18th birthday right when I first started larping. Six years on, after a lot of use, using it myself, lending it out, itā€™s absolutely fine. Some of the latex is peeling a bit but thatā€™s about the worst of it. Even Iā€™m impressed at its resilience.