Staff/sword questions, advice needed.

A central place to talk about weapons and armour, as it relates to your kit. This is where you show it of or talk about making it. Discussing the relative merits of types of weapons goes in the WMA section.

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Ranger Austin
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Staff/sword questions, advice needed.

Post by Ranger Austin »

So, I'm working on assembling my kit and I've settled, after much consideration of the learned advice offered up by many of my fellow rangers in my thread in the Pony. I'm more or less settled on a staff as my primary defensive tool, and a short-ish sword for what one might call...social work. As for the staff, I would assume something slightly taller than myself(5'10") would be necessary, but unfortunately the kind of staves that are easily available tend to be more focused on walking than on possible defensive use. Anyone have an idea where i might find one thick enough? I would worry, especially in a defensive context, at staff with a thinner shaft breaking under the stress of combat.

Secondly, as much as I am both a romantic and a historian, I realize that with the physical limitations I have to deal with that an arming sword might not be something I could reliably use if, for instance, I was taken unawares by a pack of Orcs while at camp one night. I was thinking that a shorter sword would better suit my condition, as the weight being closer to the hand might make it easier for me to handle and practice regardless of whether or not I'm having a flare-up. Any leads on where I might find something suitable? Also, as a note, I do remember reading somewhere that the Rangers did use a similar weapon, what was the appropriate name for it?
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Harper
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Re: Staff/sword questions, advice needed.

Post by Harper »

For the staff:

http://www.budk.com/6-Foot-Wax-Wood-Sel ... Staff-7745

Unfortunately, the one I got recently wasn't uniform in thickness. It was like they took a sapling and stripped the bark off it. Still, with a little work, it should be okay. Check out the video. The Chinese have been using this wood for weapons for, literally, thousands of years.


You might want to consider one of these for your sword:

https://www.knifecenter.com/item/CN1001 ... and-sheath


You can probably get some sales if you wait until the end of next month.
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Elleth
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Re: Staff/sword questions, advice needed.

Post by Elleth »

For a staff - perhaps working down a large ash shaft like this one?

Ash Spear Pole
(You can find similar ones from tool supply companies, but not really any cheaper I think)

Alternately, look around for a replica of a medieval pilgrim's staff. The things evolved for pretty much exactly the purposes you describe, so they're a close fit.
(Also, Faramir gifts Frodo and Sam iron-shod walking sticks in ROTK, so we know the general idea exists in Middle Earth as well. )

For a sword... I believe you may be thinking of the eket - a traditional Numenorean weapon that if memory serves is mentioned in the account of the Disaster of Gladden Fields. From context, it sounded like a short Spartan xiphos in form if I recall correctly.

Personally, unless other references turn up I'm now inclined to think the eket is a bit more "urban" in context, and belongs in the distant past - a weapon of a more populous and civilized age of Middle Earth. That said, our little community has adopted various forms of the long knife / seax / bauernwehr to the same end. Pretty much any human culture than lives in a forested area has some variant of the "long multipurpose slicy choppy knife", so I think it's a natural for Third Age Eriador.


Relevant threads I recall:
Greg's Seax (made by Odigan)
Ursus' Ranger Knife (made by Ursus)
Elleth's Long Knife (made by Ursus)
Ringulf also had a long thread on customizing a commercial seax, but the pictures were on photobucket and are now inaccessible. :(
oh - Udwin's persona Aistan has a Beorning long knife as well - sadly that thread also is a Photobucket casualty.





Finally, one other option if you want a shorter dedicated sword is this one:
Knight's Riding Sword
It's not that much lighter than the shorter arming swords some here use however, so I don't know how much you'd gain.
I'm curious what our resident HEMA guys have to say on the topic though. :)
Persona: Aerlinneth, Dúnedain of Amon Lendel c. TA 3010.
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Elwindil
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Re: Staff/sword questions, advice needed.

Post by Elwindil »

if you're feeling handy, you could theoretically put together your own sword as well, there are a few companies that sell blades and bits. https://www.albion-swords.com/bareblades.htm https://www.fightclub-group.com/store/w ... ossguards/ . and if you know someone or have access to an area that's wooded where you can cut down a tree or find a large enough limb that's straight you can make your own staff. oak and ash are typically best for this, though you might be able to use hickory and osage orange if you can find some long enough. if memory serves, you want a staff that's at least a half foot to a foot longer than you are tall for reach and putting iron or steel at both ends is a good call, and a leather wrap where your hands would be for walking/fighting with the staff would provide some better leverage I think. just my thoughts on the matter, since I am probably going to end up needing to go with a spear or something similar as a walking aid myself. at least until I can have some land and get horses, that is.
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