Posts: 429 Location: florida
Tue 15 Oct, 2013 1:25 am
armstreet offers all their gear in 18ga stainless as well for an upcharge, which is stronger than mild steel and much lighter.
http://www.zenwarriorarmory.com/catalog.php?category=41
for both padded leather gloves that would work for combat and purpose built ahistorical fencing gauntlets with ABS or closed cell foam in key areas. I have their "padded glove" which is ok-good, but I'm not sure how long they'll last.
As for the hornets nest, we are talking about rawling synthetics correct? the 1lb 10oz sparring sword with the nylon blade you can compress with thumb and forefinger right? My experience using them just doesn't live up to the danger level being suggested. Anything that can generate a few lb of force can blind a person, but in what manual do you see frequent thrusts, not cuts, to the head in blossfechten? In my experience you can take a full powered blow with a rawling just about anywhere with at worst suffering a light bruise; the instant bruising and broken fingers being asserted are in line with feders, even through padding but especially though substandard protection, which is literally the whole reason "safe" nylon practice swords are used. For safety we use fencing masks and padded jacks, to avoid the 1 in a million freak accident where a guy with a calcium deficiency gets hit in the hand or someone decides to thrust at the face, but at the end of the day a set of safety goggles and pain resistance are minimum necessary protection.
I'm wondering what kind of heated exchange people get into with these things. I mean two fighters start, end up in the bind, one guy gets in a counter cut or two, one guy is "dead", then you start again. Or you lock up in the bind, don't go into ground fighting.grappling, then break apart and reset. 5-10 or so moves/exchanges either way. Obviously an active exchange, but I've fought shinai and t shirts like this (with 3 weapons mask and gloves). I don't see the need, or effectiveness, of trying to break a sub 2lb nylon waster over your opponents head.