Belegarth

Alric wrote:foamforyou.com sells a 4lb microcell, and I like it much more than the 4lb eva that's used for floor mats by Big Lots, Harbor Freight, etc.

It's more tear resistant, which is a really good thing - EVA foam tears terribly, and even the firmer 4lb mats have a tendency to rip when they're put under stress. I've seen a number of 4lb boxes that were shredded because the EVA, despite being very firm, couldn't survive the core. The microcell is noticeably better.

Also, it's firmer face-to-face than edge-to-edge. That means that the flats feel softer (which you noticed on Casimir and Silly's fries), but the foam is still very firm in the direction in which you're swinging. So you get the advantages of the 4lb without freaking out weapon checkers as much as EVA does.

It also routes really well, and of course comes in conveniently longer strips. The only downsize is that foamforyou doesn't actually stock it, so you have to wait a few weeks for them to request it from their supplier before they can ship to you.

I use 4lb eva for haft padding, because it doesn't get much serious stress there, so I opt for the cost savings. But I use 4lb microcell for everything else, now. It's twice as much as floor mat, but you're still talking about less than $1 extra per blade. It's worth that much more, definitely.