Armored Combat:Equipment standards - Handheld weapons - Definitions
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Definitions
- Handheld weapons
- Handheld weapons are those that are used for striking your opponent while you are holding the weapon. They are used in tournament and melee combat.
- Handheld weapons fall into four categories:
- Single-handed swords
- Single-handed weapons with a head (mass weapons)
- Two-handed weapons (mass weapons)
- Spears
- Mass weapon
- A weapon with a head for striking, or a two-handed weapon (except spears).
- Head
- The portion of the weapon used for striking that is substantially larger than the haft or shaft.
- Handle
- The handle is defined as the gripping area of a single-handed weapon, two-handed sword, great sword, or bastard sword that is covered by a gauntleted hand(s) or basket hilt during normal combat.
- Haft
- The haft is defined as the section of a weapon not used for striking and not covered as a handle defined above.
- Pick head
- A pick head is defined as a narrow protrusion perpendicular to the haft.
- Cutting edge
- As our weapons are made very blunt for safety, we mark a "cutting edge" to indicate proper orientation.
- Thrusting tip
- A padded tip on the end of a weapon intended for thrusting to reduce the impact of strikes in line with the haft.
- Striking surface
- Because of the nature of our activities and the ability of our weapons to break during use, the "striking surface" of a weapon is the entire striking portion, blade, or head, of the weapon, not just the outside "skin" or layer. This includes all interior construction materials and parts.
- Progressively resistant give
- As pressure is applied directly to the surface, it will compress gradually, without bottoming out or bending to the side enough to expose the end of the blade, haft or blunt/core of the weapon it is attached to.