Re: The price of playing

[Cunian@aol.com]

Poster: Cunian@aol.com

	You can spend a lot on armor, but you certainly don't need to make a big
outlay to start.  Cheapest is probably seeing what cast offs the more
experienced fighters have lying around.  Most people do not aquire the perfect
armor and then fight in it forever more.   Often you can get things that would
otherwise be gathering dust for little or nothing.  Finding a used helm is
probably most challenging and necessary.  For things other than joints and
head, you can make stuff yourself with minimal equipment or money.  There is
still carpet.  I started out with it.  You can sandwich it in canvas and it
will look better.  One step up - I think plastic gives good protective bang
for the buck.  You can buy scrap pieces and cut them and put them inside
canvas for a nice coat of plates or leg.  Buy a basket hilt.  They run $20 +,
but are much easier and cheaper than any kind of gauntlet.  
	Just be flexible, and remember no where else are you going to find all the
free practices and training you do with SCA fighting, so as sports go, the
ultimate outlay is pretty low.  I first got armored when I was unemployed and
eating 0.33/box macaroni.  I spent less than a hundred dollars total, but I
was able to make my own helm at an armourer's shop very cheaply, and I made
some really substandard scrap leather knee cops I would never recommend.
Since then in 15 years, I've bought a helm ($175), legs ($100), elbow cops
($30), several basket hilts (~$100), lots of rattan (~$150), several sets of
knee and elbow pads and street hockey gloves and such ($150), leather and
stuff for new body and limb armor ($125), and various small supplies like blue
foam, barge cement, that stuff, ($50).  So less than $1000, all told.  If you
can afford to play SCA at all, go to events, buy membership and so on,  you
can manage to fight.  And, remember, ask around.  Don't try to armor up alone,
because it does get a bit daunting.  You can get packed into loaner armor now,
and if people see you really want to fight, they will do a lot to help you get
there.  

                                                                             C
unian
=======================================================================
List Archives, FAQ, FTP:  http://merryrose.atlantia.sca.org/
            Submissions:  atlantia@atlantia.sca.org
        Admin. requests:  majordomo@atlantia.sca.org