Re: plastic

[nudity!vnend@uunet.uu.net (David W. James)]

Poster: nudity!vnend@uunet.uu.net (David W. James)

Again, I'm well behind in my reading...

> Poster: Betty & David Eyer <Betty_and_David@compuserve.com>

> I have to agree with Logan; once you have introduced rattan, strapping
> tape, duct tape, fiber glass, etc. into the list of acceptable construction
> materials, there is no room left for being critical of plastic.  One reason
> that I can see for a Duke to go to the "Dark Side" in this issue is that,
> generally speaking, Dukes do a lot of fighting for a number of years and
> can rack up a pretty impressive list of orthopedic problems, as Logan has
> noted.    I know a Duke who fights in running shoes for just that reason,
> although he does use a bit of leather camoflauge. 


	Two comments.  First, this is the falicy of making the Best the enemy
of the Good.  Even if you are correct that using rattan is 'wrong', that
is not a reason to compound it by doing other things 'wrong' that you
could do right.

	Second, unlike plastic, at least rattan (with the husk on, as most
people I know used it) weighs in the same range as sword steel.

	Personally, someone using shaved rattan with an aluminum basket hilt 
and plastic armor because it is felt that that is what it takes to be
'competative' these days makes me glad I don't fight any longer...

Kwellend-Njal
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