padded vs. unpadded polearms

[dhritter@duke-energy.com (David H Ritterskamp)]

Poster: dhritter@duke-energy.com (David H Ritterskamp)

     
     
     On Thu, 31 Jul 1997, Neil Maclay <nmaclay@psi.prc.com> wrote:
     >
     >Poster: Neil Maclay <nmaclay@psi.prc.com>
     >
     >>
     >>I would think that for higher levels of blow force, at least,
     >>having no padding in the head of the polearm tends to make the
     >>victim _less_ conscious.
     >>
     >>-- Alfredo el Bufon
     >>
     >I know that Lord Alfredo is being humorous but he is also being 
     wrong.
     >I am more likely to knock someone unconcious or give them a 
     concussion
     >if I hit them on the head with a padded polearm than if I hit them
     >with a bare one. What does the brain damage is the brain bouncing off
     >the sides of the skull when the head is accelerated. Bare rattan 
     tends
     >to bounce away from a hard surface such as a helmet while padded
     >rattan tends to stick and stay with the helmet. Therefor the head is
     >more likely to be accelerated with the padded polearm.
     >
     >Broken bones and deep bruises are a different story. Here the padding
     >helps protect the victim. So take your choices, do you prefer brain
     >damage or bone damage?
     >
     >          Malcolm MacMalcolm
     
     
     Remember, E=Mc(squared).  The potential energy of a padded polearm 
     head is much higher, due to the weight of the object.  
     
     Watch this, and insert your own numbers...I'm picking these out of the 
     air.  Somebody go weigh a padded polearm and an unpadded polearm!
     
     E=(Mass of polearm) times  c(squared).  Since c(squared) is the same 
     for both polearms, let's call that X.  Leave mass as "M". So we have
     
     E=MX.
     
     It's easy enough to see that E gets geometrically higher as M 
     increases.  Thus, the heavier the polearm head, the more E.  
     
     Stay tuned, there'll be a short quiz in tomorrow's class.
     
     Having been hit on the head with a polearm vs. a greatsword, I much 
     prefer the latter.
     
     Anybody else been hit on the head with that mallet that the (can't 
     remember if it's an Anglesidhe (sp?) or Tuchuk) carries?  Concentrated 
     mass at the end of a seven foot stick.
     
     Why do you think the rule used to be (still is) that padded polearms 
     had to be padded for at least 1/4 of their total length?  To avoid 
     that very situation.
     
     gee, let me think about this, you can either hit me on the head with a 
     hammer or the stick that holds it.  
     
     No-brainer, people...
     
     Regards,
     
     Ld. Jonathan Blackbow
     Clan O'Shannon
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