En Garde, Tiny Pirate!!
So, I work in a pretty cool small company.
That said, the majority of my coworkers, while creative and interesting sorts, don't really get the whole gaming thing.
The intersection of our interests is limited generally to more mainstream things, like movies or music.
In the past, I have been involved with several "Boff LARPs", essentially Fantasy-themed LARPs that use pellet or flour filled cloth packets for spells, and foam covered PVC piping for weapons.
I may be tough, but I'm not interested in going rattan.
Anyway, I don't really play in any of the systems anymore, since they tend to get bogged down in player (not character) drama, and system designer megalomania.
But I do like sparring. And back in the day, I introduced my coworkers to the concept at company retreats, and they enjoyed it.
Enter the Company Summer Party. I am specifically asked if I could bring my weapons.
And here's where the alarms go off...
Because several people think their children would love them.
Children between the ages of 2.5 & 4.
(You can't see it, but I'm making a face rather like what happens when guys see another guy get hit in the crotch with a shovel, gaff hook, or pneumatic nail gun.)
To which I responded, no. And reminded them what was in these weapons.
The general response was "Oh".
As I thought about it though, a design began to take shape in my head for how to make a weapon that a spastic 3 yr old could swing with wild abandon, and not take out himself or someone 3 feet and 150 lbs their superior.
After two days I collected the materials, and began assembling the L'Enfant Cutlass.
Supplies:
Head/Neck Contour Pillow (Not true memory foam)
Rubberized foam flooring mat
Duck tape
Electrical tape
Joint Compound Mesh Tape
Cut-off denim jean legs (or other semi-soft but durable fabric)
I cut the foam pillow along the short axis, then cut a rectangle out of the larger contour.
Mesh taped an inch wide strip of mat foam along the flat side of the pillow foam from the base of the larger contour to a point 2" short of the other end. A half inch wide piece of mat foam was attached to the pillow from the "inner" edge of the round side of the large contour, to a point 2" short of the end of the pillow slice.
Electrical tape was used to tighten the foam around the wider mat foam piece where it was adjacent to the foam cut out area - making a serviceable hilt/handle for a small hand, with a pillow foam basket hilt.
Mesh tape and a little electrical tape pinned the mat foam pieces in place higher up the "sword" closer to the small contour "tip".
The denim jean leg cutoff was slid over the "blade" area, until it abutted the basket hilt. Some angled dart cuts later, and some folding over of the former pant leg, provided a soft but durable blade.
A minimal amount of electrical tape is applied to cover the denim egdes.
Duct tape is then gently applied in overlapping layers on the Basket hilt (inside and out, all around), so as to cover the base of the denim blade cover and the top and bottom of the "hilt" in a even and clean fashion.
End Product: A semi-floppy, highly squishy, 20" cutlass, with a pillow foam basket hilt, and a grip good enough for small hands and big.
Some quick "slap" tests later, I was fairly certain that even at their worst (best?), there was no way to permanently injure a human who was already capable of limb control with these.
I chatted with and intro'd the weapons to the parental units first to make sure they would be alright with it, and set down the only ground rules under which I would teach the kids and allow the weapons' use.
All agreed.
At the party, my bag of adult weapons intrigues the children...and when told they can't use them, bottom lips begin to protrude, until I present the smaller bag of small swords, one for each child there.
In short order they have agreed to the five rules: No hitting a person in the head; No hard hitting; No swords around food; No swords indoors; No playing swords with someone who isn't already playing swords with you.
The end result was much frivolity, very tired kids, and parents who ended up feeling better about their kids' safety when they were pretending to be pirates and knights with foam swords than when they were playing at most of the other kid-approved activities at the party.
Pictures:
That said, the majority of my coworkers, while creative and interesting sorts, don't really get the whole gaming thing.
The intersection of our interests is limited generally to more mainstream things, like movies or music.
In the past, I have been involved with several "Boff LARPs", essentially Fantasy-themed LARPs that use pellet or flour filled cloth packets for spells, and foam covered PVC piping for weapons.
I may be tough, but I'm not interested in going rattan.
Anyway, I don't really play in any of the systems anymore, since they tend to get bogged down in player (not character) drama, and system designer megalomania.
But I do like sparring. And back in the day, I introduced my coworkers to the concept at company retreats, and they enjoyed it.
Enter the Company Summer Party. I am specifically asked if I could bring my weapons.
And here's where the alarms go off...
Because several people think their children would love them.
Children between the ages of 2.5 & 4.
(You can't see it, but I'm making a face rather like what happens when guys see another guy get hit in the crotch with a shovel, gaff hook, or pneumatic nail gun.)
To which I responded, no. And reminded them what was in these weapons.
The general response was "Oh".
As I thought about it though, a design began to take shape in my head for how to make a weapon that a spastic 3 yr old could swing with wild abandon, and not take out himself or someone 3 feet and 150 lbs their superior.
After two days I collected the materials, and began assembling the L'Enfant Cutlass.
Supplies:
Head/Neck Contour Pillow (Not true memory foam)
Rubberized foam flooring mat
Duck tape
Electrical tape
Joint Compound Mesh Tape
Cut-off denim jean legs (or other semi-soft but durable fabric)
I cut the foam pillow along the short axis, then cut a rectangle out of the larger contour.
Mesh taped an inch wide strip of mat foam along the flat side of the pillow foam from the base of the larger contour to a point 2" short of the other end. A half inch wide piece of mat foam was attached to the pillow from the "inner" edge of the round side of the large contour, to a point 2" short of the end of the pillow slice.
Electrical tape was used to tighten the foam around the wider mat foam piece where it was adjacent to the foam cut out area - making a serviceable hilt/handle for a small hand, with a pillow foam basket hilt.
Mesh tape and a little electrical tape pinned the mat foam pieces in place higher up the "sword" closer to the small contour "tip".
The denim jean leg cutoff was slid over the "blade" area, until it abutted the basket hilt. Some angled dart cuts later, and some folding over of the former pant leg, provided a soft but durable blade.
A minimal amount of electrical tape is applied to cover the denim egdes.
Duct tape is then gently applied in overlapping layers on the Basket hilt (inside and out, all around), so as to cover the base of the denim blade cover and the top and bottom of the "hilt" in a even and clean fashion.
End Product: A semi-floppy, highly squishy, 20" cutlass, with a pillow foam basket hilt, and a grip good enough for small hands and big.
Some quick "slap" tests later, I was fairly certain that even at their worst (best?), there was no way to permanently injure a human who was already capable of limb control with these.
I chatted with and intro'd the weapons to the parental units first to make sure they would be alright with it, and set down the only ground rules under which I would teach the kids and allow the weapons' use.
All agreed.
At the party, my bag of adult weapons intrigues the children...and when told they can't use them, bottom lips begin to protrude, until I present the smaller bag of small swords, one for each child there.
In short order they have agreed to the five rules: No hitting a person in the head; No hard hitting; No swords around food; No swords indoors; No playing swords with someone who isn't already playing swords with you.
The end result was much frivolity, very tired kids, and parents who ended up feeling better about their kids' safety when they were pretending to be pirates and knights with foam swords than when they were playing at most of the other kid-approved activities at the party.
Pictures:
Total Comments 3
Comments
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That... is awesome.Posted 1st July 2008 at 05:42 PM by arscott
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It was also hysterically amusing.
Not to mention, 3 kids around or under half my 6' in height were willing to go toe to toe with me, while most of the adults had a "No way am I fighting you, you're scary!" attitude.Posted 1st July 2008 at 07:09 PM by The_Warlock -
Aww, you gave the hobbitses swords... Damn, it's been way too long since I've boffed...Posted 21st July 2008 at 09:54 AM by Blackrat
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