Synthetic Broadswords

[Chris Thompson]

Synthetic Broadswords:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNaClH6ef-4

A lot of folks have asked me about the new Rawlings synthetic broadswords. As you can see, they allow for a style of fast, energetic broadsword fencing without much gear. With wooden wasters, we would have needed to go about half as fast as this, or wear a lot more equipment. They are flexible to the point of being a little bit “droopy,” but that’s exactly what a lot of old Highland broadswords were like, so it’s a plus as far as we’re concerned. These are available in the US from woodenswords.com.

[Ben Kerr]

Although in the Academy we like the synthetics as a rule, we do find that the basket is slightly lacking for Scottish broadsword also the balance wasn't quite right (we found using a wheel pommel corrected this quite a bit). They are great fun for sparring and even hold up well against targe work. I wish they were closer to the Scottish basket hilt and the pommel was a wee bit heavier to balance out the blade more but other than that they are perfectly acceptable training weapons.

~B

[Heiko G.]

I never used Synthetics before, but also the Broadswords look good, in the bout I find them a bit too weak looking. Just my impression of that.

[Chris Thompson]

My advice to anyone doing broadsword would be to use a variety of simulators, because they each have their advantages and disadvantages. The advantage of these is that you can go all out with little worry, and you don't need to armor up to do it. The blades actually stop the attack completely, it never gets through if the parry is correctly done, so they're not "weak" in that sense. They do have a very strong tendency to take a bend, and you basically can't get them to ever straighten out completely once they've done so. The length and balance of these are rather close to a ribbon-hilted broadsword in Phread Cichowski's collection, but that particular broadsword is much longer than the norm.

[Heiko G.]

Okay, that sounds not bad.

You´re absolutly right, using different simulators for different sparring-methods/-levels is the best way.

[Scott Nimmo]

We have been using these now for almost a year (baskets are new though), the newer blades are alot stiffer but I have found chips taken off, when the others get shaved by the grill on a mask.
They should be dissembled after use and kept flat, kept out of the sun (UV damage) and heat will increase warping (so not in the back of a car, especially in the Australian summer).
If you take care of them, I think you will get a good 2 years out of them, but that depends on how heavy the use.

Ours are used typically used for about three hours a week, and then in monthly tournaments.
When we compete in Highland Games they get a far harder workout as people fight hard when surrounded by hundreds of people and they recover well from those bends. (every has 3-6 bouts in the day, ignoring demonstration matches).

I have seen one of the longswords bend 180 degrees like a paperclip with a thrust (as the person charged in) and both people and blade were fine.

Best protection we have found are the padded forearm protectors for escrima, fencing mask and Coaches Leather Gilet (Leon Paul).
If the competitors are using the longswords, they add the lacrosse gloves in.

So Ben, where are you getting your targes from?
We are having to make our own, but I would like something commercial for our tournaments.

[Ben Kerr]

Hey Scott,
We make ours in-house however we are in the process of developing a synthetic option that will be made available commercially. I can't say anymore about the project but I will be posting more in the coming months. Our newest in-house design (non-synthetic) is working really well although we don't make use of the spike due to negatory extant evidence for its use so this will be something that you would have to get advice from others on the best method for attachment but I am happy to provide further information on our current method of targe production and as I said we hope to soon be providing a synthetic targe option soon.
Good to hear more people taking up sword and targe

~Ben

[Ian Macintyre]

Had my first use of these this weekend and was rather impressed. I've been generaly wary of the plastic swords but these are OK. I await the sabre with more enthusiasm.

[JMGordon]

I got a chance to handle one briefly at WMAW and was not overly impressed, especially by the 'whippy-ness', but would still use them for bouting, if necessary. I do understand that some bend in the blade is correct but because they do not feel solid in your hand they seemed to turn a bout into more of a game of tag then a fencing match. On a related note, Paul Wagner brought a steel trainer basket hilt prototype to WMAW for the different vendors, including Arms and Armor and Darkwood, to take a look at. Craig from Arms and Armor seemed interested in producing a working model so there might be another option soon.

[Scott Nimmo]

Hey Scott,
We make ours in-house however we are in the process of developing a synthetic option that will be made available commercially.
...
Good to hear more people taking up sword and targe

~Ben

To be honest, I wanted to take it up many years ago, but getting a targe in quantities was difficult.
I love the idea of a commercially available one, I find my strategic plan on growing HEMA in Australia is limited by supply.

I just cannot outfit a new class of 20 with standard gear, I can with synthetics (but shipping and stock delays still impact), targes would be added if I could actually get them as easy as synthetic.

Otherwise I will have to rely on Hanwei's or Cold Steel and to be honest I would rather not deal with the administration I need in my hometown.

[Scott Nimmo]

On a related note, Paul Wagner brought a steel trainer basket hilt prototype to WMAW for the different vendors, including Arms and Armor and Darkwood, to take a look at. Craig from Arms and Armor seemed interested in producing a working model so there might be another option soon.

Personally I prefer to keep the synthetics for competition, and for beginning students.
I have less issues in Victoria, if I keep new students away from steel.

The synthetics are very fast due to how light they are, and some techniques that practice with steel go out the window.

Paul is constantly tinkering and seems to have a good success rate.
I believe he is coming to Melbourne in November so I might give him a call so we can catch up.

[Ian Macintyre]

As I follow up I have bought a pair of these. I had an assualt with them and got just about the worst bruising injury I've had in years. I really thought I'd broken the wristbone at first. It was partly my own fault but these are no "safer" than steel, just cheaper in my view. They should be used on that basis.

[Davyd A]

We've been using these (as well as the simple cross-hilted version) in Edmonton for some time now, and quite like them. They fall in between the rubber-covered swords made by Purple Heart and a full rebated steel in terms of both handling and safety, we find. However, the fact that they are lighter and safer than steel does not mean that safety kit can be ignored! Hands and head especially need protection, of course, but coverng forearms and shins and for many people the torso is still very important.

But they are lighter than steel, and so we've found that lacrosse gloves and a gambeson (or even a reasonably heavy leather jacket) are enough protection - which would not be nearly sufficient against steel. And we did have one incident where a student was struck across the back of the neck, under his mask, and was fine. With a steel sword, even a blunt, that strike would probably have been crippling if not fatal.

They do need to be treated with respect, and control must be used when striking, but they do seem in our experience to be measurably safer than steel.


(As an aside, we've also encountered the chipping issue when the blade strikes metal protective gear. I find that a layer of hockey tape along the cutting edge goes a long way towards reducing that - the tape needs to be replaced every bout or two, but the blade beneath is fine.)

[JMGordon]

I know this thread is a bit old, but I felt compelled to retract my earlier statement about these trainers being too whippy. We used these trainers for almost 3 hours last night at VAF and had an absolute blast with them. We used gambesons, lacrosse arm pads, standard medium leather fencing gloves and standard fencing masks with no issues and no problem with the whippiness I mentioned previously. Also, multiple styles were used while fencing including Angelo, Meyer's Dussack, some Messer and even a bit of rapier and no one had any complaints. All in all, an excellent product and I am eating my previous disparaging statements!