re: Plastic, and other

["David Ritterskamp" <jonnyb70@hotmail.com>]

Poster: "David Ritterskamp" <jonnyb70@hotmail.com>



>Subject: Re: plastic, and other 
>MIME-Version: 1.0
>Content-Type: text/plain
>Date: Mon, 09 Nov 1998 11:03:07 PST
>
>
>
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>>	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
>
>[This discussion, from what I have seen of it, centers around the use 
of modern materials when recreating a medieval combat situation.  Why'd 
you leave so much stuff out?
>
>You left off the magical SCAdian shield (material academic), the use of 
which causes all but a small segment of the fighters to fight sword and 
board because you can't break a shield which is of course TERRIBLY 
realistic, hightop basketball shoes or lightweight boots, poly sweat 
pants, field hockey elbows, field hockey gloves, poly strapping, Chicago 
screws (or [gasp!] MACHINE screws) in place of "honest" copper rivets, 
Tandy-purchased stainless-steel buckles, oil hose clamps to hold those 
aluminum basket hilts on with, the padding used inside SCA helmets (lord 
knows THAT's period), soccer shinguards used as forearm guards, and on, 
and on, and ON!!!]
>
>So What?
>
>So the Art of SCA Combat is evolving.  What's so surprising about that?  
I've been saying it for a long time:  this game isn't perfect.  But 
unless enough people start something else that has all of its 
advantages, it's the best game in town.  I personally would DEARLY love 
to see a subculture develop in the SCA centered around combat as 
authentically done as possible, with shields that break when you hit 
them with a heavy object, maces that swing like they have a significant 
weight on the end of them, weapons with a heavy object attached to one 
end of a chain and a handle on the other, rules that allow bigger people 
to utilize their weight, and just TONS of other stuff.  

>The problem lies in the fact that this "sport" would be ridiculously 
>dangerous.  And it certainly wouldn't be SCA combat.  And it would 
>likely have a fairly small number of dedicated adherents, thus 
>relegating it to the status of "another one of those small, exclusive 
medieval reenactment organizations that has difficult membership 
standards and ultimately dies out because of its inherent exclusivity."
>
>But if you good gentles feel that strongly about it, by all means 
>recreate whatever you wish.  You have my support.  I'd even like to try 
it once or twice.  Just don't be surprised when the vast majority of 
people aren't interested enough in it to give up something much more 
inclusive, and safer.
>
>Regards,
>
>Ld. Jonathan Blackbow
>Clan O'Shannon
>"Good...bad...I'm the guy with the gun."
>-Bruce Campbell, "Evil Dead III: Army of Darkness"
>


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