Re: Fuss and Bother about Certain Combat Arrows

[Shawn Riggin <sriggi1@gl.umbc.edu>]

Poster: Shawn Riggin <sriggi1@gl.umbc.edu>

On Wed, 11 Nov 1998, David KUIJT wrote:

> At Kingdom Crusades a Baldar Blunt bounceback came within an inch or two
> of putting out Sir Iain Monlach's eye.  It gave him a gash or cut on his
> face near his eye (is that correct, Iain?).

Ok, I know it doesn't matter what the injury is, but please, pray tell,
what exactly _was_ the injury?  I've heard several different things
here-from busted lip to dental rearrangement to cheek gash to
near-death-almost-putting-an-eye-out.  Next thing you know, its gone from
small cut to plastic surgery.  I know this isn't the point of the thread,
I was just curious what the *actual* injury was.
 
> It is ENTIRELY REASONABLE for the Kingdom Archer Marshall to pull the
> particular arrow type while he investigates the incident and tries to
> assess whether or not it is likely to happen again. 

Agreed, but can you simulate battlefield situations and occurances without
battlefield testing?

> This was a very scary injury.  We're not talking about a broken arm, here. 
> A broken arm (like Sir Havork's, also at Crusade) will heal in 4-6 weeks. 
> If you get a sharp stick in the eye, you are blinded in that eye or
> possibly even dead.  The KAM clearly has to investigate an incident of
> this nature, and he would be acting irresponsibly if he DID NOT disallow
> the use of the arrow type while he is trying to assess its safety. 

Ok, valid point, but at 10' (minimum range) I've seen coneheads bounce
back too, especially when hitting a shield or solid breastplate (shield is
usually the worst-even flat surface... no place to glance)  But if you're
going to ban baldars because of an injury where the *shaft* of the arrow
was the problem (fitting through the grill), maybe we ought to look at
ways to improve the *shaft* of the arrow, or perhaps the nock.

The problem is physics.  That's something we can't fix, at least, I sure
as heck can't fix it.  :)  No matter what you use as a blunt, its going to
bounce off.  Period.

> I would like to ask people who are getting all hot under the collar about
> this restraint of archery to chill out.  If you have useful input, send it
> to the KAM.  Franting about the impact on archery in this public forum is
> entirely premature.  Please save your frants until the KAM comes up with a
> result (whether a solution or "do nothing") and then you can have a cow if
> you don't like the result he comes up with.
> 
> Dafydd ap Gwystl, Knight and sometime archer.

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____________________________________________________________________________
Mundanely:   Shawn M. Riggin                 
In The SCA:  Morgan Wainwright                         "Quarterly argent
             Man-at-Arms to Lord Kaloc von Zwechel      and sable, a wheel
             Canton of Spiaggia Levantina               counterchanged."
             Kingdom of Atlantia                   


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