| EQUIPMENT STANDARDS FOR ARMORED COMBAT: ARMOR, WEAPONS, SHIELDS |
| I. ARMOR STANDARDS. The following will establish the minimum armor, and the minimum acceptable standards for such armor. Additional or stronger armor may be worn by any Combatant if desired. Regardless of the amount or type of armor actually worn, each Combatant is expected to acknowledge blows as though he or she were fully armored within the context of presumed protection. All required armor will be constructed so as to stay in place at all times and provide coverage to the area which it is required to protect. (See the accompanying drawings in the glossary of Section 8 of this Handbook to note the areas of required coverage/protection.) No armor used on the Field will be constructed in such a way as to present a hazard to the wearer or to any other participant. A. Head Protection: the head must be covered by a helm. 1. Helms must be constructed of a minimum of 16 gauge steels, or an equivalent material in consultation with the Earl Marshal. All joints or seams must be constructed using one or more of the following methods. a. Seams: must be welded on the inside and outside or with a single bead that extends through both surfaces. All welds must be sound. b. Overlapped joints: must be welded or brazed at the edges of both pieces or riveted with solid iron or steel rivets no less than 1/8 inch in thickness spaced no greater than 2 inches apart. Rivets that are 3/16 inch or greater in thickness may be placed up to 2 & 1/2 inches apart. All welds and brazes must be sound and all rivets must be secure. (Note) - Rivets used to secure overlapped joints will not be placed closer than 1/8 inch from the outer edge of the overlapped piece. 2. The helm must extend a minimum of 1 inch below the jawline when the head is held erect. 3. Other than the head hole, the helm will have no openings that will allow the entry of a measured 1 inch diameter dowel. 4. Faceplates and/or visors on helms: a. Constructed with metal bars: 1. Shall have such bars secured to the exterior of the helm. 2. Shall have such bars secured at all points of intersection. 3. Shall have enough intersecting/supporting bars to prevent the openings between spans from being enlarged or dangerously distorted during normal combat conditions. 4. Bars must be a minimum of 1/8 inch in diameter b. Faceplates and/or visors that open, or are removable, must utilize a suitable and safe method of secure fastening to prevent their doing so during combat. c. Faceplates constructed with perforated steel will be constructed with such materials having a suitable thickness so as to provide an equivalent level of protection as those faceplates that have been properly constructed with bars. 5. The helm will have no major internal projections. Minor internal projections of any necessary structural components will be dulled and padded. All other metal will likewise be free of any sharp edges, burrs, slag, etc. 6. All parts of the helm that come in contact with the wearers head when worn will have a minimum of 1/2 inch closed-cell foam padding or the equivalent. Any part of the helm that is likely to come into contact with the wearers unprotected neck or body will also be suitably padded. 7. All helms will be equipped with a sturdy chin and/or jaw strap or an equivalent means of preventing the helm from being dislodged during combat. If the helm is designed so as to stand away from the face, this chin and/or jaw strap should also protect the wearer against the helm being knocked back into the wearer's face by any legal blow or thrust. B. Neck Protection: The neck, including the larynx and cervical vertebrae must be covered by one or a combination of the following: 1. The helm. 2. A gorget constructed of a minimum of heavy leather and padding. 3. By a mail or heavy leather Aventaill/camail, securely attached to the outside, or bottom edge, of the helm. This Aventaill/camail must be designed to hang away from the neck and must have enough mass, or rigidity, to absorb the impact of blows without allowing the blow to strike the neck with potentially injurious force. (Note) - A mail coif, worn on the head under the helm, will not be considered adequate protection alone and must be accompanied by a gorget constructed of a minimum of light leather and padding. C. Torso Protection: The kidneys and short ribs must be covered by a kidney belt. The kidney belt will be constructed of a minimum of heavy leather or the equivalent. 1. The kidney belt will be wide enough to cover the kidneys and the short ribs of the wearer. 2. The kidney belt will be designed to wrap far enough around the combatant to allow a closing gap of no more than 2 inches when such closing gap is located in the front. 3. If the kidney belt is not designed to have its closing gap in the front, there will be no gap at all where the edges meet. 4. Women are required to have a minimum of light leather, or the equivalent, covering the chest area. D. Groin Protection: The groin area is required to be protected by both male and female combatants. 1. Female combatants will be required to wear groin protection constructed of a minimum of 1/2 inch closed-cell foam or the equivalent. (A male style athletic cup may not be worn by female combatants). 2. Male combatants will be required to wear a minimum of a rigid athletic cup or the equivalent. 3. Male or female combatants may opt instead to wear a heavily padded skirt or mail that extends to at least mid-thigh, having no split in the front, and enough mass or rigidity to absorb the impact of blows without allowing the blow to strike the groin with potentially injurious force. E. Arm Protection: Armor is required for both arms (forearms and elbows) regardless of whether or not a shield is being used. 1. The point and the bones on each side of the elbow joint must be covered by rigid material. The rigid material shall be backed by a minimum of 3/8 inch resilient padding or the equivalent. 2. The forearm must be covered by a vambrace from the elbow armor to the wrist leaving no gaps in between. a. Vambraces will be constructed of a minimum of heavy leather. Light leather may be used in combination with padding so long as the protection provided could be considered equivalent. b. The vambrace will be designed so that the closing gap is located on the inside of the arm. Such gap will be no wider than 1 inch. F. Hand and Wrist Protection: The hand and wrist of both arms will be covered by one or a combination of the following: 1. A basket hilt constructed with rigid materials or bars (no greater than 1 inch apart) that will prevent a blow from striking the fingers or the back of the hand. A standard work duty glove or the equivalent is required for the hand inside of a basket hilt. 2. A gauntlet constructed in one of the following ways: (Note) - Any gauntlet must be worn over, or have as its base foundation, a standard work duty glove or the equivalent. a. A gauntlet constructed of rigid materials that is designed to transfer the force of the impact to the surface being grasped. b. A gauntlet constructed of rigid materials, not designed to transfer the force of the impact to the surface being grasped must have a minimum of 1/4 inch of closed-cell padding (or its equivalent). c. A gauntlet constructed of heavy leather and a minimum of 1/2 inch of closed-cell foam (or its equivalent). (Note) - Hockey and Lacrosse gloves will not be considered adequate protection unless augmented with heavy leather (or its equivalent). G. Knee Protection: The kneecaps (including 1 inch above and 1 inch below) on both knees, as well as both sides of the knee joint, are required to be covered as follows: 1. Knee armor will be constructed of rigid materials and will be backed by a minimum of 3/8 inch of closed-cell foam (or the equivalent). H. Foot Protection: All combatants will wear a minimum of a heavy cloth or canvas shoe on each foot. II. WEAPONS STANDARDS The following will establish the minimum and maximum acceptable standards for all weapons that may be used within the Kingdom. A. Any and all weapons: 1. Shall be constructed solely with approved materials and must be acceptable to the Marshallate. a. The approved base material for the construction of all weapons will be rattan with the exception of pultruded fiberglass for thrust-only spears. b. The following approved materials may be used to build upon the base material in order to construct heads, striking surfaces, and thrusting tips. 1. Tape - All tape must be plastic, rubber, or cloth. Such tape may contain nonmetallic reinforcing fibers. 2. Any resilient padding material. This includes all kinds of resilient foam, rubber, et cetera. 3. Other non-brittle, non-splintering natural or manmade materials such as leather, woven fibers, plastics and other such materials approved. (Note) - Metal may never be used in the construction of any head, sinking surface, or thrusting tip, but may be used in the construction of quillions, basket hilts, pommel weights, et cetera, so long as the construction conforms to the required standards for such, as outlined below. 2. All weapons must adhere to the maximum overall weight limits. a. Weapons 5 feet or less in length will weigh no more than 5 lbs. b. Weapons over 5 feet in length will be allowed additional weight at the rate of 1/2 lbs for each foot in excess of 5 feet. (for example: a 6 foot great-sword can weigh no more than 5 & 1/2 lbs.) 3. All weapons designed to be used with one hand must have a lanyard in use during combat. At the discretion of the Sovereign or the Earl Marshal, this rule will not apply to secondary weapons not intended to be in-hand during the entire Combat Activity. This rule also does not apply to one-handed weapons that are designed and used solely for thrusting. 4. No weapon designed to be used with two hands will have any type of butt-spike or head on both ends. B. Hafts: 1. Must have a minimum cross section of 1 & 1/4 inches. 2. Must be rounded and have no sharp edges. 3. Hafts made of rattan need not be taped. C. Striking surfaces/edges, flats, and non-thrusting tips: 1. Must have a minimum cross section, after taping, of 1 1/4 inches. 2. Must be rounded and have no sharp edges. 3. Shall not be constructed so as to allow a forced entry of more than 1/2 inch into any legal faceplate. 4. Shall be completely covered with a minimum of reinforced strapping tape. D. Thrusting tips: 1. Must be securely attached to the weapons. 2. Shall be constructed not to permit exposure to or contact with the haft, flat or striking surface of a weapon by folding over when used. 3. Shall not be constructed so as to allow a forced entry of more than 1/2 inch into any legal faceplate. 4. Thrusting tips on one-handed and hand-and-a-half weapons: a. shall be a minimum of 2 inches in diameter. b. shall provide a minimum of 1 & 1/4 inches of progressive resistance. 5. Thrusting Tips on two-handed weapons: a. shall be a minimum of 3 inches in diameter. (Note) - Two-handed swords may decrease the diameter of the tip to 2 & 1/2 inches. b. shall provide a minimum of 2 inches of progressive resistance. E. Heads: 1. Must be securely attached to the weapons by fiber tape or the equivalent. 2. Must not be so large as to be unrealistic. 3. May use splints of rattan in their construction. Splints on top of the material providing the required progressive resistance must conform to the standards for striking surfaces/edges, as described above, and must be securely attached, to the head that utilizes such. 4. Heads on one-handed and hand-and-a-half weapons shall provide progressive resistance based upon the weapons overall weight. No less than 1/4 inch of progressive resistance per pound shall be considered acceptable. 5. Heads on two-handed weapons: a. 5 feet or less in total length shall provide progressive resistance based upon the weapons head weight. No less than 1/2 inch of progressive resistance per pound of head weight shall be considered acceptable. b. Heads on two-handed weapons over 5 feet in length shall provide progressive resistance based upon the weapons head weight. No less than 1/4 inch of progressive resistance per pound of head weight shall be considered acceptable. (Note) - Mass pole weapons may be required to have greater progressive resistance if the weapons haft does not provide satisfactory flex F. Basket Hilts, Quillions, Pommel Weights, et cetera: 1. must be securely attached to the weapon. 2. shall have no sharp edges. 3. shall have no protruding ends with a cross section of less than 1 & 1/4 inches in diameter. 4. Shall be constructed not to allow a forced entry of more than 1/2 inch into any legal faceplate. G. In addition to the general criteria applying to any and all weapons, the following shall also apply to the listed weapons. 1. Swords: a. shall not exceed 6 feet in total overall length, including any thrusting tip and/or pommel weight. b. shall have a maximum grip area of 18 inches. c. shall utilize some type of hand guard like a basket hilt, quillions, or tsuba. Such cross guards or quillions shall not exceed 18 inches in total length. 2. Spears: (thrust-only) a. shall not exceed a maximum overall length of 9 feet. b. may utilize a shield hook that is not used against an opponent's person in an offensive manner. 3. Fiberglass Spears: (thrust-only) a. Only pultruded fiberglass shafts will be allowed. b. Both ends must be covered with a PVC pipe cap. c. The fiberglass walls may not exceed 1/8 inch maximum thickness. d. The entire length of the spear must be covered with fiber tape. e. The combatant requires yearly special authorization to use these weapons. f. The weapon must be inspected yearly and documented by an authorized marshal. 4. Mass Pole Weapons: a. shall not exceed a maximum overall length of 6 feet. H. Non-Standard Weapons: 1. Are those weapons that include the following: a. any weapon that does not necessarily rely upon the users gripping power to wield effectively. (For example: A weapon that straps to, or is otherwise attached to, the arm). b. any weapon constructed with materials other than those previously listed as approved materials. c. any weapon may be deemed non-standard, by the Marshallate, by nature of its construction or method of intended use. 2. All non-standard weapons must meet the general standards pertaining to any and all weapons as listed previously. 3. All non-standard weapons must be approved on an individual basis by the Earl Marshal or sovereign on a reign-by-reign basis. III. SHIELD STANDARDS. A. Shields and Bucklers: 1. shall have a comparable weight to those constructed with period materials. A minimum of one pound (1 #) per square foot should be used as base guidelines. 2. All shields and bucklers shall be rimmed over the entire outer edge to provide some protection to the weapons striking the outer edge. Rimming material may include any non-brittle, non-splintering, natural or man-made material of a suitable thickness such as leather, rope, plastics, rubber, et cetera. 3. All protrusions exceeding 3/8 inch shall be removed or padded. 4. Shields and bucklers shall utilize a hand guard constructed of rigid materials and/or bars that will protect the portions of the hand, fingers, thumb, and wrist that are not protected by other armor. Such a hand guard may not be required if the shield of buckler is used in conjunction with an approved gauntlet and such gauntlet proves to be adequate protection. |