[Ansteorra-rapier] Spears for heavy Rapier

[Jay Rudin]

We've tried *many* designs over the last thirty years.  This one will fail for the same reason that all previous attempts to put a six foot shaft on a fencing blade have failed.

We all know how hard a heavy rapier blade feels when you aim at a point two inches behind where the opponent actually is when the point lands.  And we all know that, with the point three feet or more from your hand, it sometimes happens that you can't predict exactly where it lands.  Even with our hand always holding the exact same spot on the sword hilt, we can't always place the point exactly where we wanted to on a moving target.  

With the point six to nine feet from your hand, the variability is two or three times greater, even if your hand never moves on the shaft.  But when fighting with a spear, your hand *does* move.  So the variability in where the point lands is much greater.

Using a spear therefore requires one of three things:
a. A point with at least three times as much give as a rapier blade, or
b. metal or heavy leather chest armor and arm armor, or
c. a willingness to accept bruises on the level common to the rattan field.

I see no likelihood that we will develop any of the three in the near future.

Robin of Gilwell / Jay Rudin
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Daniel umbehr 
  To: ansteorra-rapier at lists.ansteorra.org 
  Sent: Friday, April 17, 2009 2:08 PM
  Subject: [Ansteorra-rapier] Spears for heavy Rapier


   I'm considering buying a spear for heavy rapier. I know that they are not legal, but i have not seen any attempts to find/develop a legal version.

  Right now, i am looking at the one from alchem armory. They are advertising it as a pike, in their "bucklers & pikes" section.
  http://www.alcheminc.com/bucklers.html
  Does anyone have any hands-on experience with this weapon? Does anyone know of a different one anywhere that might be of interest? Is there anyone currently working on getting a spear approved for heavy rapier? 


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