Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

Hey Ryker,

I have a question for you, but I don't have your email... could you drop me a line? You can get my email here: www.drentha.com/contact.php

Thanks!
Alric

I called my economics professor yesterday and asked if I could talk to his son, who's a member of my unit. He said sure, and then I heard him call into the other room, "Andy, Alric's on the phone!"

Even my econ prof thinks my name's Alric.

Who else is confused as to what their *real* name is?

Magnus and Ori,

You both mentioned a few months ago that you were considering throwing together some video tutorials with the basics of Dag fighting for new fighters - has that gotten anywhere? I thought it was an awesome idea when you mentioned it before, and it would totally rock to have as a resource for the many new players coming in to Dag.

So...*bump*?

Thanksgiving's a great excuse for us to all take a few minutes to stop and thank all the people that make Dagorhir work. We've got an amazing team of volunteers who spend hours of their lives helping this organization thrive and grow - to all of you, THANK YOU! You guys rock. You know who you are.

I'm reading Chretien de Troyes's Knight of the Cart (the original story of Lancelot, from the 12th century), and listen to the description of the location of the pivotal final battle:

 

quote

"In that open field was a sycamore tree of unequaled beauty. Its thick foliage covered a large space, and round about it was a border of beautiful, fresh grass that was always new. Beneath this beautiful and attractive sycamore, which had been planted in the time of Abel, was a clear spring...

That's right - King Arthur and his court watched Sir Lancelot fight under the Grandfather Tree at Spring Valley (I know it's not a sycamore, but it's close enough!). How cool is that?

After just reading Polybius' account of the Punic Wars, I have a dream for Dagorhir.

I want to build a Dagorhir war elephant.

Think of a sedan chair wearing an elephant costume - 4 people would carry the elephant on their shoulders (each person would be a "leg") while one small person rode on top to "drive". The elephant would kill anyone it ran over, and could only be stopped when the driver was killed. Then it would go crazy (since there's no one to tell it where to go) and run off the field in some random direction (maybe even into its own team) leaving death and chaos behind it.

I want to see this at Ragnarok so badly...  

I've not been in Dagorhir very long (only about a year and a half), but already I've had to deal with at least a dozen people handing me waivers that were filled out wrong. My favorite was from someone who signed his name on the blank for the notary public's signature. He even wrote the date.

It seems to me that the problem with the current waivers is that it's not clear (or rather, I should say, not clear *enough*) which sections are only meant to be filled out if the waiver is for a minor, which sections only the notary is supposed to use, etc. All the information is jumbled together, requiring first-time users to dig through it and hopefully figure out which blanks they're supposed to fill in and which they should leave blank.

I don't want to complain about the waivers, though - I want to make them better. A few weeks ago I played around with the layout to try to make everything as user friendly as possible and sent it to Graymael to see if I were crazy. He thought it was a good idea, too, and asked me to post it here for further comments.

Revised Waiver

(I also made the address blank bigger, since my address never fit on one line.)

Comments?

I'm going to be in Argos, IN, from July 30th to Aug 4, and was wondering if there were any near-by practices I could visit. I'd love to make some new friends and fight some new opponents!

I just got back from Gates, and I wanted to take a few minutes to thank everyone who helped make this weekend so absolutely amazing.

Gates of Fire was Drentha's first time fighting outside of Angaron, and I cannot describe how much I - and all of us - appreciated so many of the veterans taking the time to stop and chat with us about Dagorhir, show us their weapons, and give us advice and tricks they've picked up over the years. Getting weapon tips and materials from Guntar, chatting about Rag and reenactment with Gurrundi, talking around a campfire with Jari, and having Dominus stop and take the time to think of something nice to say about my unit made what would've been a great weekend truly memorable - thank you for taking the time to make a bunch of new kids feel welcome.

The event organizers deserve a hand, too - you went to a lot of trouble to give us all a great weekend, and that makes you absolutely awesome. Thank you so much!

I met a lot of great people over the weekend, got to know my chapter a lot better, and have even more reason to look forward to Ragnarok now. To everyone I met, fought, died with and just talked to, thank you for making Gates of Fire such a great event!

One of the goals of the website redesign is to make the website more useful for new recruits - people who just heard about Dag and want to know more, and people who have decided to try it and are just getting started. To make this happen, we need to know what sort of things new recruits need to know, and for that, we need YOUR help.

NEW MEMBERS:
- What are some questions you have about Dagorhir that you couldn't find answers to on the website?
- What was confusing?
- What surprised you when you went to your first event?
- What questions do you still have?

VETERANS:
- What questions do new members always seem to be asking?
- What misconceptions or mistakes do new members often seem to have or make?
- What do you always tell new people the first time they show up at practice?

Everyone can help answer these questions, whether you've been in Dagorhir for 20 years and have seen it all, or are just joining and still have lots of questions. So, have at it!

[and white socks]

At a lot of the battles I've been to recently, I've noticed that a large number of fighters are wearing white socks with their garb. To me, this screams 'out of place!' Here's what I'm thinking:

• If you went to work in a suit, you wouldn't wear white socks with it (or, you shouldn't!  ); you'd wear darker colored socks that wouldn't stand out.
  
• White socks are very bright, at least till they get muddy, and catch the eye easily, especially if the rest of a figher's garb is of a dark color.
  
• We already ban white SHOES, so prohibiting white socks is just in keeping with the spirit of the current rules.
  

I'd like to add a line to the garb rules banning visible white socks (if you're wearing boots, or if the socks are tucked down into the shoes, they're fine).

Here's the rule now (2008 revision):

 

quote

1.4.1 - Forbidden garments include but are not limited to: blue jeans, white shoes, camoflage patterns such as military fatigues, visible T-shirts or other obviously modern clothing, and modern hats.

And here's what I'd like to change it to:

 

quote

1.4.1 - Forbidden garments include but are not limited to: blue jeans, white shoes and white socks, camoflage patterns such as military fatigues, visible T-shirts or other obviously modern clothing, and modern hats.

Here's the reasoning:

REALISM:

• White socks look very mundane, and distract from otherwise good garb; they make bad garb look worse. I think this small change would make our game look better.
  
• Most people in the middle ages didn't even wear socks! White knitted socks are really out of place. This is not as strong an argument as the one above.

PLAYABILITY

• Black, brown, or gray socks don't really cost any more than white socks do, and they're REALLY easy to get a hold of. This rule won't inconvenience anyone, and it WILL make us look better.
  
• Dark-colored socks are easier to keep clean!  

The rules say that 'obviously modern clothing' is prohibited, but I don't think many people think about their socks when they read this rule (given the number of people I've seen with white socks over the last few events). I'd like to make this more clear, and I think it would make the game look better without causing anyone any trouble.

Any thoughts? I'd like to take this one to RWC, or get someone else to run with it if I can't make it to Rag this year.

I've noticed a tendency in a lot of threads lately for someone to ask "is this legal?" and be hit with a half dozen responses of "no, that's not legal. <end post>" or "I was told that...". I was wondering if it would be possible for more people to actually cite the pertinent rules from the MoA (which has just been newly revised for us - thank you, Zagref!) or possible safety violations instead of just giving their opinions?

Maybe I'm way off base and this is just a fixation of mine that I need to get over   . I know a lot of you do take the time to explain your safety concerns and any pertinent rules, and that's great. I just feel like we can do better. Rise to the challenge, Dagorhir!

I was reading through the armor rules and wasn't sure how to interpret this:

 

quote:5.2.2. The minimum thickness of  non-plate metal armor is 16-gauge.

5.2.2.1. The minimum thickness of plate metal armor is 18-gauge.

How is the distinction between plate and non-plate defined? Obviously, something made out of scales in non-plate while a single-piece breastplate is plate, but at what point do the pieces of metal become large enough to classify the armor as "plate"?

The specific piece I'm wondering about is something like this: Link

 

In terms on minimum metal thickness, would something like that be classed as plate or non?

Thanks!

[ April 07, 2007: Message edited by: Alric of Drentha ]

I tried my hand at making an axe yesterday, but when I sat back to admire it I had a question about the corners of the axe head.

Rule 4.1.4 says:

 

quote

4.1.4. Two and one-half inch rule—No surface on a striking edge (sword tip, arrow head, spear head, javelin head, etc.) whether designed for stabbing or not, shall pass more than 0.5 inch through a 2.5 inch hole; swords with a semicircular tip, with a minimum 1.5 inch radius are exempt from this rule.  

And here's my axe:

 

I assume the 90 degree corners on the axe head would fail under the 2.5" rule? Should I trim/add foam to the corners to make sure it's not a problem?

I've been wondering...what are the reasons you aren't allowed to anvil weapons?

 

quote

3.8.1. Anvilling, the act of laying one's weapon on a shield or body part to avoid taking damage, shall not be permitted.

It makes sense to me, but I've never been sure how to explain it to anyone who asks me about it...

Do weapons still have to balance above the handle? It's rule 4.1.9.2.3 in the handbook ("[weapons must] balance above the top of the handle (i.e., blade heavier than
handle).") but isn't in the updated MoA on the website...did they change it?

Thanks!

The Bocksten tunic
Going beyond the T-tunic
by Alric of Drentha
_________________________________


About the Bocksten-style Tunic

This tunic pattern is based on a number of medieval garments that were preserved when their owners wandered into bogs, drowned, and were mummified. These untimely deaths, while rather unfortunate for the people doing the dying, left us with valuable information about how to make simple, comfortable, stylish, historically accurate garb.

The Bocksten, Skjoldehamn, and Moselund tunics are all similar to the basic T-tunic that's so common in Dagorhir. The key difference comes from the insertion of four triangular pieces of fabric ('gores') into the bottom edge of the tunic, creating a wider, fuller skirt that both looks better and facilitates ease of motion; and the inclusion of squares ('gussets') in the underarms to increase range of motion.

Why would you want to make and wear a Bocksten-style tunic? It's historically accurate, more comfortable than a T-tunic, and (most importantly) looks pretty darn good.

* * *

Cutting the Fabric

   

Measure from the top of your shoulder to a few inches beneath your knees. This will be the length of your tunic, Measurement A.

Next, find a t-shirt that fits you comfortably - one that's a little bit baggy is good. Lay it out flat and measure its width. Add 2 inches to this measurement. This will be the width of the tunic, Measurement B.

Cut out two pieces of fabric, A inches long and B inches wide. These pieces are the front and back of the tunic.

Next, with your arm fully extended, measure the distance from your armpit to your wrist. This measurement, Measurement C, is the length of the sleeve.

Cut out two trapezoids C long, 24" wide at the top (you might have to add to this if you have REALLY beefy arms) and 12" wide at the bottom.

An easy way to do this is the fold the fabric in half, mark a point 7" down from one side of the fold and 12" from the other, draw a line between the marks, cut along it, and unfold the fabric.

Next, measure the distance from the top of your shoulder to your navel (Measurement D).

Take your front and back pieces and fold them in half (see the picture). Measure D inches from the top of each piece and make a mark.

Subtract measurement D from A. This is measurement E.

Next, cut out four triangles, E inches high, and half of Measurement B wide at the base. Two of these triangular pieces ('gussets') will fit into the slits you cut in the front and back pieces. The other two will fit on the sides. These will give the tunic a fuller, looser skirt.

Finally, cut out two 10" squares from some leftover fabric. These will be the underarm gussets.

* * *

Fabric-saving trick:

In the middle ages, the most difficult part of the clothing-making process was weaving the fabric. A medieval person would do anything possible to avoid waste. If, like me, you're on a tight budget, you would probably also like to avoid wasting fabric. Here's a way to make this tunic from as little fabric as possible; I can make it with two yards of fabric for myself. (This method assumes you're using 60" wide fabric.)

   

Note: when you use this method, the gores might be shorter than E". Don't worry, it will still work!

Also, two of the gores must be sewn together from two halves. Again, no worries! It just means you'll have to do a little more sewing.

* * *

Sewing It All Together

First, take the front and back pieces. Sew them together at the top, leaving 6" for the neck opening.

   

Turn it right side out.

Next, fold one of the sleeves in half length-wise and find the center of its wider end. Place the center of the sleeve over the seam joining the front and back pieces together and sew the sleeve piece onto the body.

   

Repeat with the other sleeve.

Next, sew one of the 10" squares onto each side of the tunic. You will sew it along two sides.

   

Fold the tunic in half, along the top seam, and sew the other two sides of the square to the other side of the tunic.

   

Finish sewing the rest of the sleeve together. Sew from the square gusset toward the end of the sleeve.

 

[ December 10, 2008: Message edited by: Alric of Drentha ]

Now that my shoes are done, I've gone back to my other big project for Spring Break: a period Anglo-Saxon tent, or 'geteld'.

It still needs some finishing work, but the basic stitching is done.

   

The fabric is a medium (advertised as 9-12 oz) canvas, from www.georgiafabric.com  . It took just over 12 yards, which at $3.40 a yard ($2.50 + s/h... disgustingly inexpensive) makes this tent cost about the same as a middle of the road mundane tent. I've been noticing lately that being period doesn't actually cost more than the mundane shortcuts (like tents, or shoes); it just takes a little bit of creativity and work.

Here's the pattern I used: http://www.ydalir.co.uk/crafts/tent/pattern.htm
With some reference to this: http://www.42nd-dimension.com/NFPS/nfps_geteld.html
And a few images I dug up on google images.

I'll post some more pictures once it stops raining outside and I can set it up properly.

EDIT:

Here's a picture of my tent at Gates of Fire, 25-7 April 2008.

 

[ April 27, 2008: Message edited by: Alric of Drentha ]

Anglo-Saxon/Viking rectangular cloak

This cloak is so easy to make it feels like you're cheating.

1) Get a square of fabric 5' x 5', or 6' x 6'. Hem the edges, and add trim if your character can afford it.

2) Get an annular, pennanular, or disc brooch.

3) Pin the cloak over your right shoulder. If it's too long, fold it before you pin it.

 
 

I've been wanting to make myself an all-metal helmet for a while, so I this week I finally got around to trying. It turned out better than I expected; it's easy to see some of the mistakes I made (bad rivets, etc), but it FITS and looks like a helmet.

What I learned was, anyone can make a helmet if they want to. It took patience, some mistakes (I got so frustrated with my first try I started over), and some creativity to work around my workshop limitations. But - I'm no great armorer (understatement!), and I don't think I'm any more crafty than the next Dagorhirim, and I was able to pull this off. So: if you want a shiny helmet, don't be afraid to sit down and make one.

My tools were a hammer, a chunk of railroad track (for an anvil), an old stump, some files, tin snips, and a drill. Don't even own a grinder... this made things harder, but proves that you don't have to have a well-stocked workshop to make armor.

PICTURES!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The period suspension inside the helmet proved amazingly comfortable. I like it much more than the foam I had in my old helmet.

I made shoes!

I've been wanting to do this for years, and this week I finally sat down and did it.

Here are some pictures:

   

   

   

   

   

* * *

I based my design on these pictures: http://www.forth-armoury.com/photo_gallery/Shoes/shoes.htm

And here are some of the other links I used:
 http://members.ozemail.com.au/~chrisandpeter/shoe/construction.html

http://www.larp.com/midgard/shoes.htm  

http://www.personal.utulsa.edu/%7Emarc-carlson/shoe/SLIST2.HTM

Materials cost me $19, but it took me *hours*  to sew the things together. All in all, it was completely worth it - they fit better than any shoes I've ever owned before.

EDIT: the links were all bunched up and hard to read - I fixed it.

[ September 04, 2008: Message edited by: Alric of Drentha ]

[Alric's Graphite Javelin Tutorial]

Alric's Graphite Javelin Tutorial

This tutorial is designed to make the lightest, fastest, smallest javelins on the field. If you don't care about these goals as much as you do making tough, indestructible javelins, you're probably better off using something like Eryndor's excellent tutorial.

Materials:

1) Graphite gold club shaft, 40"+ long. I prefer to use 45" shafts, designed for woods. If you use anything shorter, you'll have to be careful to make sure it meets the 4' minimum length for javelins. Graphite shafts advertised as flexible are probably a good idea; if they're too rigid, they'll be more likely to break when they're stepped on. You can find them at yard sales, thrift stores, flee markets, or on ebay.

2) Closed cell foam. I use blue foam and minicell. Replacing the blue foam with evalite might make a better javelin.

3) A 2" x 2" x 2" cube of polyethylene (pucn shield) foam.

4) A pool noodle.

5) Double sided, indoor/outdoor Duck carpet tape. I use this for all closed cell to closed cell bonds, because the small surface areas you'll be working with make using DAP or spray adhesive difficult.

6) 3M Super 77 spray adhesive. I use this for attaching the open cell.

7) 3M (Scotch) Strapping Tape.

8) Duct tape. Duct tape is heavy - use sparingly.

9) Cloth tape (hockey tape, athletic tape, etc).

10) Brown cloth to cover the shaft.

11) Yellow Cloth to cover the head.

12) A penny. Preferably Canadian, though British will work in a pinch.

What you do:

Wrap the wide end of the graphite shaft with a 1/2" wide strip of strapping (or duct) tape, until it's the same width as a penny.

 

Put a penny on the end,

 

and tape it down securely (kust like building an arrow).

 

Next, cut out a 2" x 2" x 2" cube of polyethylene foam (use a 2" tall piece of pool noodle if you don't have any polyethylene). Cut off the corners so it's an octagon. Punch a hole through the center of the octagon (with a scre driver, or a pencil) and slide it up the graphite shaft. It should fit very snuggly. Slide it the whole way up to the top. It should be snug enough that you don't need to glue it on; if you don't believe me, use Gorilla Glue.

 

Tape a 1" wide piece of strapping tape over the top. Then add a second piece going the other way.

 

Next, add two octagons of 1/2" minicell. You can substitute a different closed cell foam (blue foam, evalite, etc) if you prefer. I use carpet tape to attach them; you could use DAP or spray adhesive if you like.

 

Add two pieces of blue foam (or evalite, if you have it).

 

Wrap the whole thing with a 2" wide piece of strapping tape. This will add stability and help hold it all together.

 

[8.5]

The purpose of this post isn't to brag about my cool new javelin - I just wanted to share the amazing potential of graphite for javelin cores, cause I think it's pretty cool!

* * *

For the last two years, I've had a fetish with building the smallest, lightest, longest-ranged javelins possible. I tried pvc (Durable? Yes. Small and long ranged? Not so much). Fiberglass was better - I used the House Manticore/Jari design, and they were pretty shiny. Flex was an issue, though, and at 12oz+, they still seemed a little heavy.

So I tried graphite golf clubs (thanks for the encouragement, GHLA/Leonidas!), and they are absolutely amazing. Check it out:

 

It's 50" total length (2" over the minimum) and weighs 8.5oz (that's half a pound).

The crazy-light weight means three things: I can throw them really far (I averaged 57 feet [19yds] on 6 throws), I can put minimal padding on them, and I can therefore build them with really low-profile heads (making getting through gaps in shield walls a cinch!).

The head is basically an arrowhead with some extra closed cell (4 layers between the penny and the open cell, instead of 2):

 

I used a block of 3×3×1.75" unifoam I'd pre-cut for an arrow, with a ½" of couch foam on the top to keep it from hitting too hard.

Here's the new javelin in comparison to one of my old ones (built with the Manticore/Jari design):

 

I'll write up a tutorial going over exactly what I did at some point. The key is the graphite golf club. I used a 45" wood (ie, for a wood, not made of wood) shaft I got off of ebay. It has a decent amount of flex, which implies that it won't shatter if someone steps on it. Keeping tape to a minimum (I covered the shaft in really light cloth to save on weight), using lighter foams (the pommel is funnoodle, the head polyethylene and minicell), and keeping the dimensions at the bare minimum helped make this the lightest javelin I've ever seen.

Just thought I'd share, cause I wasn't really sure that a graphite javelin could actually succeed. After using one of these at Angaron's last battle, and practice yesterday, I've fallen completely in love.

Since we don't have any simple stabbing tip tutorials right now, I wrote up the easy method I teach beginners who want to make stabbing tips.

I'd love your comments on this - let me know if there's anything I left out, didn't make clear, or got DEAD WRONG   . Tutorials like this benefit from YOUR feedback.

* * *

- HOW TO BUILD A SIMPLE STABBING TIP -

(Note: this stabbing tip works better on swords made with PVC pipe than with fiberglass)

Build the first two layers of the striking surface just like you normally would. Make sure you've got at least two layers of blue foam over the tip of the sword.

 

Glue a third layer of blue foam to the tip of the sword.

 

Next, glue a rectangular block of open cell (part of a nerf foam football is good) on the tip, 1.5-2" tall, and a little (ie, 1/8"-1/4") wider than the base.

Tip: You can use DAP to glue the open cell on, but a spray adhesive like 3M Super77 would work better.

 

Wrap a piece of athetic tape from the base of one blade over the open cell (nerf foam) and onto the other blade.

Tip: The tape will stick better if you glue it on with 3M Super77. If you don't have any Super77, just stick it on. Don't tape it down too tight; you don't want to compress the open cell, because that would make the sword hit too hard.

 

Next, add the third layer of the striking surface. This should be a long strip of foam that starts at the bottom of the blade on one side, goes over the tip, and down the other side.

Tip: Again, you don't want to compress the open cell foam too much when you wrap the foam over it, because that would make the tip hit too hard.

 

Next, glue a piece of blue foam to each side of the tip, to keep the stabbing tip from bending to one side or the other. These pieces of foam should be almost as wide as your sword (2.75"), and 4-5" tall.

Tip: Make sure this piece only covers the bottom half of the open cell. If you cover more, the tip will will not be able to compress well and will hit too hard.

 

Finally, wrap a piece of athletic tape around the tip, securing the side pieces to the rest of the sword. Don't wrap too much; one layer of tape should be enough.

Tip: Make sure you use athletic tape, NOT duct tape. Duct tape will make the sword sting when you hit someone, and will quickly rip the foam, ruining the sword.

 

Once the sword dries, get someone to stab you in the back. Start light, then medium, then a full strength stab.

Make sure you can't feel the pvc pipe core. If you can, you'll need to add more foam (try 3 layers of blue and 2" of nerf; if that isn't enough, add an extra layer of blue foam under the nerf foam).

Also, make sure the tip doesn't bend to the side when you stab someone (a little bit of a bend is ok, but if it bends a lot, that's a problem). If it does bend, you probably didn't make the pieces on the side big enough. Try making them a little longer so they extend further down the sides of the blade. Also, make sure they cover half the base of the open cell.

And... you're good to go with your new stabbing tip sword!

I'd appreciate it if everyone could weigh in on this - do you sand the surface of blue foam before you DAP it, or do you just put the DAP right on the smooth surface the foam has when you buy it?

I recently placed and received an order from www.foambymail.com  . They had some 3/8" Volara on sale, so I decided to buy a piece and see what it was like. Interestingly, it seems almost identical to Walmart's blue camping foam (besides not being blue). Here's a picture for comparison:

 

The cell structure looks practically identical, and the compression is comparable. No idea yet how it will hold up in a weapon compared to blue foam, though. I'll have to build a sword out of it and see what the result is. I'm expecting something similar to blue foam, however.

Ultimately, this leads me to think that Volara (as a blue foam substitute) ends up being little more than a more expensive version of what we get at Walmart (even on sale, it cost about the same as a roll of blue foam).

Has anyone else already experimented with Volara? What were your conclusions?

I recently purchased a sheet of 1/2" minicell from www.foambymail.com,  and I turned some of it into a blue sword today. There are a lot of scattered mentions of whether or not minicell works for blue swords in some of the older archived threads on this board, but nothing terribly thorough or conclusive. Thus, I thought I'd throw in my experience, as well as open a forum for anyone else to weigh in on what results they've had with minicell.

I used a sandwich design to build the base of the blade (similar to this: Aggelgorod sword tutorial) which was 2" wide. Then I added a layer of blue foam on each side of the striking surface to bring it up to the 3" minimum. I used this mixture of foams because 1) the minicell is a little more firm than blue foam, so I wanted the layer of blue to keep it from hitting to hard, and 2) to put the majority of the wear and tear onto the blue foam, which is cheaper and can easily be cut off and replaced.

Thus far, the result appears to be wonderful. The minicell interacted beautifully with DAP and Super 77 (I found the application and adhesion to be easier than with blue foam) and has formed an incredibly solid base for the blade of the sword. The weapon is no more firm than a normal blue sword.

I also built a scramasax (minimum length blue sword) from minicell without the layer of blue foam over the blade I added to the blue sword. It too appears more stable than my previous scramasaxes made from blue foam, and does not appear to hit any harder.

Preliminary conclusions (pending using these weapons for several months to see how they hold up): minicell is an excellent blue foam substitute. I'm expecting more stability and less breakdown (the cell structure is much finer than blue foam).

At $30 for a 4'x4' sheet, it is noticably less expensive than EVAlite. Not wanting to break the bank, but wanting something nicer than blue foam, I'm thus far very satisfied.

Would anyone else who has had experience with minicell like to add their comments?

Some people in my unit have been wanting to put together a large order of unifoam, and I was wondering where the best place to get it would be.

Guntar has posted a link to this several times and said he believed it was what we'd need: http://www.canalrubber.com/high-density-gray-foam.html  . Has anyone purchased from them before?

Thanks!

Güntar,

I can't help but admire your curved kite shield, and I was wondering if you'd be able to tell me how I might be able to get in touch with the person who made you the core?

Thanks for your time!
Alric

I was looking around for some good linen or linen blends yesterday, and found this fabric: http://www.fabric.com/apparel-fashion-fabric-linen-fa bric-linen-blend-fabric-medium-weight-linen-tencel-blend-fabric.aspx

It's a linen/tencel blend and, not having worked with it before, I was wondering what someone with a little more fabric know-how would think about it.

Any opinions?

I made some arrows last week and was messing around with bits and pieces of several different designs (thanks to Eryndor, Scion/Ichiro, and everyone who explained how to make modular arrowheads). I ended up with this: _Alric's Arrow Design_ - does anyone have any thoughts?

I'm working on various projects with a sheet of a steel I just purchased, and I'm getting to the point where I'm ready to start attaching things together... what type of rivets should I use, and where should I buy them?

Thanks!

Rule 4.5.3.13.6 says:

 

quote

Only duct (cloth) or strapping tape may be used in arrow construction.

Does that apply to tape used to cover the head (ie, wrapped around the head beneath the cover)? Would I be able to wrap the base of the head in electric tape (not the nasty cheep hard kind), or do I have to stick with strapping tape?

I took a shield bash to the head this afternoon (at least, I think it was a shield...I was out of it for a while) and cracked my teeth together pretty hard. Most of the headache is gone, but I've got a (little) chip out of one of my teeth now  

I'm thinking I want to buy a mouth guard   . Do any of you have any recommendations (preferably, something that would still let me breathe and talk a little)?

i see references to arrows going "more than a hundred yards" in several of the old threads. If I'm lucky, mine go about 50. Does anyone know how I can get more distance?

(I'm using a short recurve that draws a bit above 30#).

I've been making weapons for a year now, but I've been unable to find a design for a sturdy stabbing tip for a sword. It seems as though every tip I make that's strong enough not to flop when it hits something is too hard, while the ones soft enough not to leave a bruise are so floppy they make me worry about ripping the foam or twisting it off the core.

Could anyone share a design for a reasonably sturdy yet safe stabbing tip?

Thank you so much!
~Alric

[Drentha's After-Christmas Battle]

Drentha's After-Christmas Battle

WHEN: 27 December (Saturday)
Troll will open at 10.00, and we'll be fighting till dark. Arrive earlier, fight longer!
WHERE: Memorial Park, Grove City, PA 16127 (- Google Map -)
COST: Free!

The presents are all unwrapped, the turkey's been eaten, we've visited our families and the holidays are almost over. What better time to get together and fight?

Drentha's hosting a low-key battle in Grove City, PA on the Saturday after Christmas (the 27th). We'll have hours of intense fighting, tea and hot chocolate, and an all-round good time.

What better way to recover from Christmas than to hit your friends with sticks?

Hope you can join us!

[ December 02, 2008: Message edited by: Alric of Drentha ]

[There will be a $2 late fee for anyone checking in after the res battles have started at 1.00.]

The Peasants are Revolting!

     

This Labor Day weekend (August 30), the peasants are throwing off their oppressors and revolting. Help us quash their revolution before it spreads!

When: August 30 (a Saturday)
Where (updated 7.19.08):
Memorial Park
Grove City, PA 16127
- Google Map -
Cost: $3 (includes FOOD)

THE SCHEDULE:

11.30 -- Troll and weapons check open
12.30(ish) -- Pickup battles
1 - 5.00 -- Res battles
After 5.00 -- Food!

There will be a $2 late fee for anyone checking in after the res battles have started at 1.00.

THE PLAN:

Beginning around 12.30, we'll run a few warm-up fights and then leap right into a series of resurrection battles designed to keep the action intense, non-stop, and fun. Expect some holy points, some bridges (but not like you might expect), a battle for a bottle of booze, and lots of dead peasants.

Once we get so tired that we can't move any more, we'll roast hot dogs and enjoy the fact that the peasants are once more safely oppressed.

Come join us!

[ July 10, 2008: Message edited by: Alric of Drentha ]

[ July 19, 2008: Message edited by: Alric of Drentha ]

Mark your calendars for Drentha's repetition of the Battle of Maldon.

When: July 19 (a Saturday)
Where: Grove City, PA (specific location TBA)
Cost: $3 (includes FOOD)

Maldon was Drentha's first battle last year, and it was a smashing success. This year, we hope to do even better.

Youtube says it all: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-5QUM0pq-Q  (skip the first 30 seconds for the action)

53 days to Gates of Fire!

The weather here in Pennsylvania is beautiful today, and it made me think about how lovely it was at Gates of Fire last year. Only 53 more days!

(and details available for the event, yet?)

[Drentha's Christmas Battle]

Announcing: Drentha's Christmas Battle

I don't know about the rest of you, but once Christmas is over and all the food has been eaten, we're bored and ready to fight.

To help combat this post-holidays lull, Drentha and Angaron would like to invite you to Drentha's Christmas Battle.

When: Saturday, December 29
Where: Memorial Park (on Main St.), Grove City, PA 16127
Event fee: $3

Google Map: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&om=1&msid=114366226387324885983.00000111e8079b359c0ce&msa=0&ll=41.163665,-80.101275&spn=0.01722,0.024719&z=15

Schedule: Troll opens at 10:30, fighting from 11:30-4:00, followed by food. A late fee of a dollar will be charged to anyone arriving after 12:00.

We'll have lots of rez battles, some bridges, holy points, and food.

Bring your waivers, your weapons, and a will to fight - let's work off those extra pounds from the Christmas turkey!

( Some footage from our last awesome day battle: http://youtube.com/watch?v=b-5QUM0pq-Q  )

[When:]

"Form the shield wall, and make firm the ranks
Fast against the foes!" Then was fighting nigh,
Fame in the fight - now was the hour come
When that the foemen must fall.
-The Battle of Maldon

Drentha and Angaron would like to invite you to the Battle of Maldon on July 21.

Like the Old Enlish saga, there will be epic bridge battles, chaotic melees, and a glorious last stand.

When: July 21, 11:30-7:00.
Directions: Barkeyville, PA - click here!
Cost: $3

* * *

Schedule:

Weapons check: 11:30 - 1:00. Weapon check will end promptly at 1:00; there will be a $1 fee for late arrivals.

Organized battles will begin at 1:00 and last till around 5:30.

At 6:00, we will wrap up the day with a feast (or at least, hotdogs).

* * *

Directions:

Getting to Maldon is easy.

Coming on I-79 - follow 79 till it crosses I80. Exit to 80 East (exit 116A toward Clarion). Go east on 80 to exit 29, Barkeyville. Turn onto Rt.8 South, and drive 0.7 miles. Maldon will be on the right.

Coming on I-80 - go to PA exit 29 (Barkeyville) and turn onto Rt.8 South. Go 0.7 miles, and Maldon's on the right.

Once you exit I-80 and are driving the 0.7 miles, you'll pass a cemetery and a white church on the right. After the church is a white building that also looks like a church, with "Barkeyville Borough Building" written on the front. You'll turn right immediately past this building to get into the park (the red arrow).

   

If you pass a baseball field (on the right), you've gone too far.

Here are the directions on Google Maps:  Here

* * *

See you there!

"Think ye of the times when we oft spake at mead
When we on the benches did raise up our boast,
Henchmen in the hall - about hard strife,
Now may each one make trial of how bold he be."

[ July 16, 2007: Message edited by: Alric of Drentha ]

What's the procedure for someone who wants to visit Rag for a day and just watch (not participating in any of the fighting, not staying overnight)?

Thanks!

I'm assuming there's plenty available on site - is it reasonably priced, or should we bring our own (I'll have room, and I've got some I can bring for free - is it worth it)?

I was asked a question today and, not having been to an official event yet, wasn't able to answer it...

On checking in at an event, you're supposed to bring ID. My friend doesn't have a driver's licence, govt. school ID, or anything similar (he's under 18)...can he just bring a birth certificate with his waiver, or does he need to get a passport?

On a similar note, does the ID have to be government issued, or is something like a college ID good enough?

Thanks!
Alric