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Doug B.
Location: Washington DC Joined: 25 Feb 2012
Posts: 6
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 Posted: Sat 09 Jun, 2012 4:00 pm Post subject: Polypropylene Longsword Trainer |
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Hey everyone,
I used the search function, but couldn't find a topic on this--sorry if I missed it.
I sparred with a polypropylene practice longsword today and it was incredible. I have only been using a shinai up until this point, but these plastic/nylon/polypropylene sword felt much better. I do not know the brand that we used so I was looking for some help.
I looked through (almost) all the dealer links from this site and it seems that there are only a few distributors of these types of trainers. CAS Hanwei, Cold Steel, and Museum Replicas were the only ones I could find.
Does anyone have any recommendations for where to look? Or what you like to use?
Also, for reference, here is the weapon I used today. http://i.imgur.com/qRKRT.jpg
Thanks
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Nathaniel Gage
Location: United States Joined: 30 May 2012
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Sat 09 Jun, 2012 4:26 pm Post subject: |
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A term you might want to include in your search is 'waster,' which to my understanding is simply another term for such a practice sword. The one you used was nylon, and though I'm nearly certain I've seen that exact model elsewhere I'm unable to find it at present.
CAS Iberia has something similar to what you used for $75: the Rawlings Synthetic Sparring Swords. On this site there are several options for customization, although the line is only two years old as far as I can find. It looks well put together, tightly-fitted with blades that are solid and yet bendable enough to be durable. There are several reviews floating around out there. I'll include the one I found useful below.
Sword - http://www.casiberia.com/syntheticTrainers.aspx
Review - http://www.swordforum.com/forums/showthread.p...nge-Review
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Jean Thibodeau
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| Posted: Sat 09 Jun, 2012 4:36 pm Post subject: |
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Well I have two of these by Cold Steel: http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=...ning+Sword
I personally like them but others might have criticisms and other preferences.
A) They are mostly wood waster substitutes and not safe if one hits full force with them on unprotected body parts: DON'T CONFUSE THEM WITH SOFT FOAM SWORDS !
( NOTE: This wasn't a problem for me as our group trained using a non-touch system with very little body protection except for fencing mask and light weight leather gloves. We did put high emphasis on control and although light hits where expected to happen at times we where also expected to stop our blows just short of contact or pull back at contact ).
B) When used in pairs I found that they slid on the bind more like steel than wooden wasters. They flex a bit more on the flats than on the edges like steel than the totally rigid in all directions wooden wasters: Worked well in the bind for me at least
C) Compatible if used against a wooden waster but not as slippery if not used in pair. ( Not compatible against steel )
D) Practically indestructible.
E) Blades a little short compared to my steel Albion blunt and the handles are also maybe an inch or two too short, but I still found them usable as one can adapt to shorter or longer swords to a degree.
So as wasters, good, but nothing is closer to a real sword than a steel blunt.   
You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
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Tom King
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Doug B.
Location: Washington DC Joined: 25 Feb 2012
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Sat 09 Jun, 2012 5:36 pm Post subject: |
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| Tom King wrote: | | http://www.woodenswords.com/WMA/index.htm |
Excellent! Great find!
And thanks for the feedback from everyone. I have homework to do!
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Jean Thibodeau
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| Posted: Sat 09 Jun, 2012 5:40 pm Post subject: |
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| Doug B. wrote: | | Tom King wrote: | | http://www.woodenswords.com/WMA/index.htm |
Excellent! Great find!
And thanks for the feedback from everyone. I have homework to do! |
Yes I have also wood wasters from this company and they are very good quality: After a lot of use they hardly show any signs of impacts.
You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
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Bill Grandy
myArmoury Team
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| Posted: Sat 09 Jun, 2012 9:21 pm Post subject: |
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Hey, I recognize that floor.
Doug, that's the Pentii synthetic waster by Purpleheart Armory. If you were bouting with Jonathan Gordon, today, then you were using mine.  They have their flaws, but all in all, they're probably the best mass-produced synthetic wasters out there at the moment.
HistoricalHandcrafts.com
-Inspired by History, Crafted by Hand
"For practice is better than artfulness. Your exercise can do well without artfulness, but artfulness is not much good without the exercise.” -anonymous 15th century fencing master, MS 3227a
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Doug B.
Location: Washington DC Joined: 25 Feb 2012
Posts: 6
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| Posted: Sat 09 Jun, 2012 9:50 pm Post subject: |
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| Bill Grandy wrote: | Hey, I recognize that floor.
Doug, that's the Pentii synthetic waster by Purpleheart Armory. If you were bouting with Jonathan Gordon, today, then you were using mine. They have their flaws, but all in all, they're probably the best mass-produced synthetic wasters out there at the moment. |
Haha, Bill!! In that case, thank you for letting me borrow it. I learned a lot from Jonathan today. Hopefully I gave him a run for his money as he prepares for Longpoint.
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Randall Moffett
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| Posted: Sun 10 Jun, 2012 6:06 am Post subject: |
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Do these hold up to use in armour? What about bucklers? Is it softer or more likely to chip than wood?
These seem to be simply used in place of wooden practice swords. Are they harder than wood? If some one uses wood for their current practice needs does this work in their place?
RPM
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Philip Melhop
Location: Wokingham, Berkshire, UK Joined: 24 May 2008
Posts: 132
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| Posted: Sun 10 Jun, 2012 8:09 am Post subject: |
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| Randall Moffett wrote: | Do these hold up to use in armour? What about bucklers? Is it softer or more likely to chip than wood?
These seem to be simply used in place of wooden practice swords. Are they harder than wood? If some one uses wood for their current practice needs does this work in their place?
RPM |
Can't comment about armour, but the Rawlings blades do take a little damage from steel bucklers especially if they don't have rolled edges. Usually the damaged area can be smoothed out.
We are currently trialing a couple of Cold Steel polypropyline bucklers, these need a small amount of smoothing before use but otherwise seem to work well.
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Bill Grandy
myArmoury Team
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| Posted: Sun 10 Jun, 2012 3:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Randall Moffett wrote: | | Do these hold up to use in armour? What about bucklers? Is it softer or more likely to chip than wood? |
I would not recommend regular use against steel armor. They'll last longer than wood will, but they dent and you'll eventually have the the plastic "shave" off.
| Quote: | | These seem to be simply used in place of wooden practice swords. Are they harder than wood? If some one uses wood for their current practice needs does this work in their place? |
Plastic is more flexible than wood, so these will bend rather than snap in the long run. They can be used against wooden wasters (the wood, being harder, will slightly dent the plastic over a long period of time, but not very badly)
Synthetics are kind of the big craze right now in the HEMA scene for free play because they aren't too expensive and they allow a person to do heavy free play with moderate safety gear. They have a lot of flaws, including how they feel with they bind (these Purpleheart's are the best I've seen for that, but they still aren't steel), so they aren't perfect. But they're a nice tool to keep in the arsenal to round out a person's training, provided you also ultimately are training with proper and accurate steel weapons.
HistoricalHandcrafts.com
-Inspired by History, Crafted by Hand
"For practice is better than artfulness. Your exercise can do well without artfulness, but artfulness is not much good without the exercise.” -anonymous 15th century fencing master, MS 3227a
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This is a standard topic