Weapons Safety Check Happens Every Event

[Traceroo]

WEAPONS SAFETY CHECK 7:00-9:00 FRIDAY

Every weapon needs to be checked for safety every event. Even if I've passed your weapon before, yes, it needs to be done again every single event.

As Weapons Marshal, I will be in the new Merchants Guild building near the tavern from 7-9 Friday night to check your weapons for safety. I'll be in the Rivervale cabin prior to that, and in-game thereafter and available for spot checks at convenience.

From 7-9, I will have my case of weapons making materials with me including measuring tape, spare tips, tape of various colors, and cutting implements if we need to make quick fixes. Outside those hours, I suggest bribes.

Trace Moriarty
Weapons Marshal
Alliance Denver

 

[Traceroo]

Hi All,

GREAT job getting your weapons to Zach Brooks and me before the event for weapon inspection. We saw some repeated difficulties, and offered to help players with some on-the-spot repairs in several instances. I want to call out a few commonalities so you know what we're looking for:

Thrusting Tips
The thrusting tip is the part at the "pointy end" of your sword, the tip that faces the other player when you strike with it. For melee weapons, this has to be made of 2" of open cell foam. Open cell foam is squishy -- it's what throw pillows are made out of. When you squeeze the thrusting tip, it should be really soft, like a throw pillow.

Take a look at the thrusting tip of your weapon. If the seams of tape are splitting open, and foam is bulging out between the tape seams, the thrusting tip needs reinforcement/replacement.

There should be a zillion holes poked for air in the thusting tip if your weapon. There should be a lot of "give" when you squeeze it in your palm.


Wobbly Pommels
The pommel of your weapon is the foam around its base at the back end of where you grip it. This is not the part which normally faces your opponent when you fight.

Take the pommel in your hand and wiggle it back and forth. If it moves at all, it's getting weak -- probably if you slide the base of your palm down over the pommel when you grip it when you fight. You need to secure the pommel onto the core a little more strongly.


Shields
Run around the outside perimeter of the foam of your shield with your thumb, pressing down. Shield foam breaks down over time, and it can even split across edges. Shields are especially vulnerable to this at corners. You may need to replace sections - or the whole of - the foam of your shield if you can feel the "core" through the foam at all.

Many people run an edge of electrical tape around the edge of the core material of their shield before applying the foam. Others tell me this helps prevent that split from happening so quickly. I've never utilized that construction method personally, however.


If you've got any questions about boffer weapon construction or proper maintenance, please don't hesitate to get in touch with me at one of our Sunday fighter practices in Arvada, here, on Facebook, or at trace.moriarty@gmail.com.

Thanks,
Trace Moriarty
Weapons Marshal
Alliance Denver