[Ansteorra-marshals] Rawhide Poll

[Dave Wise]

Since Ulsted has already tossed out the lawyer card, I'll take the older
school approach.  If anyone has already made a sword (and if I've followed
things, both Sven and Creppin fall in that category at least), why don't
they just bring them out to a few events so folks can try them out.  If
anyone else wants to give it a try, make one up and let your opponents know.
Of course, the old school approach means you had better be willing to be hit
with anything you bring out :).  It seems like a much simpler approach to
gather data than going online with things.  We've used this approach for a
decade plus every time we want to try something new on the equestrian side
of things and it has worked out extremely well.  As others have noted, it is
easy to make swords that comply with the current rule set that have no flex
at all.  A recent round of blood of heroes and a choppa to the back was
plenty of evidence of that ;).
Regards, 
Alexis

p.s. to echo Ulsted again, I've also used them in the past and they were not
noticeably different.  Just didn't bother continuing making more after one
got rained on at an event and I didn't like using a squishy sword.....


Yeah - I could offer a couple of enhancements to the poll:1) I believe
(having done similar before) that darn near any material on earth could be
made "rigid" by the intended definition in the marshals handbooks.  (Layers
aren't just for warmth!)  So the "is it rigid" is a bit vague.2) How are you
ever going to reasonably enforce any rule - "No, it can only be .016" thick
rawhide, not .017" "!3) Have you ever used or fought against rawhide covered
weapons (and to what extent)? So - if you apply Alexis' (the lawyer I'm most
familiar with) "reasonable man" - does this treatment make a sword (or other
weapon type: maybe significant, maybe not) much different, or even more to
the point, significantly less safe - than a sword using only siloflex,
strapping tape, and duct tape (the last 2 materials *also* not on any list
of "approved materials", btw) under normal construction methods for any of
them?  Lots of undefined terms there, just as in our current rules.  What
does significa
 ntly less flexibile mean?  What does rigid mean (yes, we have some form of
guidance from the armor materials, but any engineer would be happy to tell
you there's a difference in applying force versus absorbing/dispersing it).
And any attempt to make those absolutes means we have to have a way to
verify it - which is why we ended with the "don't be a jerk" or "I know it
when I see it" kind of applications.    Now, if we want to go ahead and
increase all memberships to $20,000 a year, I'm certain we can hire the
requisite testers to ensure complete adherence to a very specific set of
armor and weapons requirements.  (This last bit was all about Hosey, btw -
love 'ya dude.) :D  Ulsted

Robin,

Refer back to Ulsted's email in the last thread. He states specifically
that rawhide was an approved material for sword making.

Liam