Short Bladed Spear (Min Glaive)

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Short Bladed Spear (Min Glaive)

Postby Dyn » Thu Dec 08, 2011 8:54 pm

So, I have a friend in my realm that is looking to make a 4'6" glaive. He's doing it not for the red purposes, but because he wants a one handed spear (used with shield) that has a bit of a blade to it. He wanted to do it with a 6" of blade on bandshoppe, but I'm fairly certain that would hit like a **** of bricks.

After some discussion with Mint, my advice to him was that if he wanted this (and he wants to do it cheaper) what he should do is build it on a 1/2" fiberglass pole, a one-foot blade, and find some way to counterweight it.

I'm coming to you guys for two purposes - I'm not looking to talk him out of it, or to hear its a bad idea.

-Is the basis of my build idea solid? Should he use a different core?
-Could anyone suggest a good way to counterweight/add weight to get it up to red mins?

Any other advice is of course appreciated.

As always,
Thanks.
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Re: Short Bladed Spear (Min Glaive)

Postby Caleidah » Thu Dec 08, 2011 10:27 pm

Get him to go with it right at 4', if you can. Then it'd be right spot on for 1/2" round. Even then, it'll flex out sooner or later. 3/4" or 5/8" would last longer at the length he wants. The short blade makes me nervous for the obvious reason that I feel like he's gonna haft the **** out of someone. It'll also be a total * to get it up to weight, unless he uses a lot of counterweighting.
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Re: Short Bladed Spear (Min Glaive)

Postby Ironside » Fri Dec 09, 2011 5:28 am

Caleidah has it right, but I'll also express my concern for a mini-polearm with so little striking surface. It really ups the chances of nailing someone with the haft.

For your counterweight, you guys have Fleet Farm up there, right? Check out the section with electric fence supplies. That's probably where you're finding your cores, anyway. You should find steel brace pins in five and eight inch lengths. Pick up a pack of the eight inchers, tape two of them down above the pommel with a wrap of strapping tape on the top, bottom and middle then epoxy it in place with liquid nails or similar. I've never tried it on anything other than a single-core blue, though.
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Re: Short Bladed Spear (Min Glaive)

Postby Arrakis » Fri Dec 09, 2011 6:56 am

Honestly, he's not gonna get much benefit out of a little bit of blade unless he expects people to take tappy shots.

I made a nice bamboo 4' one-hand spear and it does WORK when I'm feeling that rocking that kind of style.
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Re: Short Bladed Spear (Min Glaive)

Postby konradr » Sat Dec 10, 2011 7:21 pm

I made a nice bamboo 4' one-hand spear and it does WORK when I'm feeling that rocking that kind of style.


What did you use for the core? Taco likes to fight with a javelin held point down in his off hand, but jav's flex alot. I imagine if you made a regular spear it wouldn't flex and would be easier to thrust with. Does it act in any way like an historical heavy bladed rapier?

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Re: Short Bladed Spear (Min Glaive)

Postby Caleidah » Sun Dec 11, 2011 12:45 am

konradr wrote:
I made a nice bamboo 4' one-hand spear and it does WORK when I'm feeling that rocking that kind of style.


What did you use for the core? Taco likes to fight with a javelin held point down in his off hand, but jav's flex alot. I imagine if you made a regular spear it wouldn't flex and would be easier to thrust with. Does it act in any way like an historical heavy bladed rapier?

Konradr of barad'Dun

I made a nice bamboo 4' one-hand spear and it does WORK when I'm feeling that rocking that kind of style.

bamboo 4' one-hand spear
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Re: Short Bladed Spear (Min Glaive)

Postby Arrakis » Sun Dec 11, 2011 7:30 am

Caleidah wrote:
konradr wrote:
I made a nice bamboo 4' one-hand spear and it does WORK when I'm feeling that rocking that kind of style.


What did you use for the core? Taco likes to fight with a javelin held point down in his off hand, but jav's flex alot. I imagine if you made a regular spear it wouldn't flex and would be easier to thrust with. Does it act in any way like an historical heavy bladed rapier?

Konradr of barad'Dun

I made a nice bamboo 4' one-hand spear and it does WORK when I'm feeling that rocking that kind of style.

bamboo 4' one-hand spear


++.

Tonken. Ask your local Amtgard park where to get heavy duty speedpole or lighter-end warpole bamboo. 1" diameter is plenty for a 4 or 5 foot spear.
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