Flat Blades

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Flat Blades

Postby GarethMagis » Tue Oct 05, 2010 5:54 pm

Just curious if anyone could tell me the main advantages of a flat blade i couldn't think of anything other than maybe it's faster but some people's swords are so light it seems like such a diminishing return.
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Re: Flat Blades

Postby Hannoske » Tue Oct 05, 2010 7:12 pm

In my opinion, there are only two advantages of flat blades:
1: Appearance, lets face it, a funnoodle on a stick does not look anything like a sword.
2: A flat blade has a narrower profile, can fit in slightly smaller areas (requiring an opponent to place better blocks).

In my experience, these advantages provide such a minute difference, they do not counter the limitations inherent in a flat blade, nor the extra effort it takes to make one. But they are fun sometimes.
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Re: Flat Blades

Postby Fiks » Tue Oct 05, 2010 7:17 pm

I am only considering making a pair of flats for looks. I don't trust my aim enough to be considering the blades for precision.
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Re: Flat Blades

Postby Etah » Wed Oct 06, 2010 5:03 am

I think the Sword of Mars was a flat blade. I think it had a leather pommel and like, red terry cloth on the blade. It looked fucking amazing. I could actually tell the pommel to be Roman, like you would find on a Gladius or a Spatha. In fact, it could have been a Spatha (too long to be a gladius). Is there a picture of it anywhere?
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Re: Flat Blades

Postby Kalandra » Wed Oct 06, 2010 8:20 am

Didn't Aelelia win that flat blade? There are a couple of pics of her wielding it on the meetup site, I know Lady Tamara got a couple of pics with her and the blade. ^_^
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Re: Flat Blades

Postby Lady Tamara » Wed Oct 06, 2010 8:22 am

She just got the use of it, not to keep it.
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Re: Flat Blades

Postby Kalandra » Wed Oct 06, 2010 8:26 am

I KNOW THAT but you did get some pics of her with it, right?
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Re: Flat Blades

Postby Lady Tamara » Wed Oct 06, 2010 8:37 am

Of course! It is posted on our Meetup site! Image
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Re: Flat Blades

Postby deimos » Wed Oct 06, 2010 9:17 am

There were two different special weapons during the Feast of Mars battlegames. The Sword of Mars was one of them (a red colored Roman style flatblade), and the Scissors of Atropos was the other (wielded by Aelelialielialialiea in the photo above)

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The Sword of Mars is across Kel's back in the above photo.
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Re: Flat Blades

Postby groo » Wed Oct 06, 2010 11:22 am

In my most humble opinion…

For the last three years I only use flatblades. There is no advantage, sure they look cool and the ladies dig them….but I digress. What they do accomplish is force you to fight slightly more realistic (not taking into account of the real weight of a sword, target locations that are off limits, death doesn’t really happen, and oh yeah this is all make believe). My first year I said many times, “don’t take that….flat.” Now, I kinda do pretty well but have had to learn to adjust. The bottom line is preference. Give it a shot you might like it….I do.

It also helps to have swords made by a guy that was knighted because he makes swords (among his other knightly virtues) that can get a guy laid.
I’m sorry that in no way was meant to offend or bring disrespect to people with round swords not getting any action. I’m just saying a Sir Keluric sword opens doors, if you know what I mean.
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Re: Flat Blades

Postby Randy » Wed Oct 06, 2010 1:17 pm

groo wrote:I’m just saying a Sir Keluric sword opens doors, if you know what I mean.



Groo, I think you got a little something on your nose....

As to the question, flat blades if fought with properly tend to hit a little harder (less surface area), look better, last longer than funnoodle (built properly) and fly through the air faster. Thats not to say they dont have thier down sides: Its easier to make them wrong, its hard to make them safe (and pretty!), they tend to catch the wind (thowing off shot location), the rules regarding construction of them are VERY unclear.

I have made a few flat blades that im proud of, but the majority of the flat blades out there are not safe for use. WLS sells some that are okay, buy they tend to get complaints from non stickjocks.
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Re: Flat Blades

Postby groo » Wed Oct 06, 2010 5:22 pm

Randy wrote:
Groo, I think you got a little something on your nose....


Shhhh Randy, I'm trying to get more swords.
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Re: Flat Blades

Postby Lurker » Thu Oct 07, 2010 10:23 pm

evil Randy wrote:the rules regarding construction of them are VERY unclear.

Hey now, don't be so grumpy, we just fixed those rules this year. Now it is unconditionally legal to have thinner, prettier flat-blades, instead of the older ridiculous padding requirements. :P
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Re: Flat Blades

Postby orihara » Wed Jun 04, 2014 7:22 am

Flat blades is very convenient to use because it is flat and the speed of slashing it is much more faster.
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