Whats a boffer?

[Grailii]

I am as the profile says a british wench..... um larper. I was mildy horrified to hear that that american larp weapons have gaffa tape on them.

this is the closest i can find to one of my swords : http://www.adventurersmart.co.uk/optimised/celtic.jpg

so is it true that your weapons have gaffa tape on em?

[Talen]

Many American LARPing weapons are more for "padding" than "precisely realistic", in part because of the fact that the older style (boffers) don't swing comfortable at the same power levels as latex ones. That is, many of them- some systems do use latex/hybrid/ultralight construction instead, same as most European LARPs.

(Some systems do use both, but the PVC core/pipefoam/opencell thrusting tip style of LARPing weapons is a very common choice.)

Cheaper, too- which means you can get a lot more of them out (especially to your NPC's) than the same in latex, and are easily constructable with minimal instruction.

Definitely uglier, often- but definitely effective and safe for a lower price. So yes, gaffer tape and duct tape (some with fabric covers)...on the other hand, they'll take a beating and are easy to repair for next to nothing.

Basically, they'll look like this as a "basic" weapon:

http://www.laire.com/photoalbum/details.php?image_id=742

And that only takes a few dollars worth of PVC, foam, and tape to make a basic LARP-safe weapon.

Bit fancier:

http://www.laire.com/photoalbum/details.php?image_id=747

[freiman]

I just had this conversation on another forum.

http://forums.armourarchive.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=77168&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

f

[Silverharp]

I am as the profile says a british wench..... um larper. I was mildy horrified to hear that that american larp weapons have gaffa tape on them.

this is the closest i can find to one of my swords : http://www.adventurersmart.co.uk/optimised/celtic.jpg

so is it true that your weapons have gaffa tape on em?

Welcome to the insanity, you should be getting pounces as soon as Kia spots you.
You have to remember as well that boffer LARPing, while a good sized hobby, is still pretty fragmented here in the States, and there's not a lot of cohesion between the games, so you don't have the big unified push that is seen on your side of the Altantic as far as rules, realism in costuming and weaponry and such.
Makes me sad, really....NERO had a chance, but too many people had too many ideas on how things "should" be, from what I see.

[KiaKat]

Peeks nose out of room. ZOMG! It's A NEWBIE!!!!!

Thumpa Thumpa Thumpa Thumpa

*runs past newbie*

cRaSh

grrr

*Pushes off wall*

*Aiming at noobie...*

You see a small creature smiling maniacally, and feel fear. This is something you've never encountered before, and it looks as though the creature is probably crazier than the Cheshire Cat.

Mwuahahahaha

And here we go...

Aiming...

Wiggle-butt...

Tail-twitch...

Runs at newbie...

Bypasses newbie, speed at Mach 2, flies around corner...

Runs back around corner, putting the fear of Kitten into all watching...

POuNce dA nOobIE!!!!!

Hi! You might want to grab one of the sparkly vibrating mongooses running around...they're good protection against this crew.

[Mike Taylor]

Umm, you're about three months too late Kiakat. I think Grailii has moved on to greener pastures.

[KiaKat]

Odd...I think I was pouncing someone else...

Bah. That's what people get for necro-ing threads.

[Evandril]

See, and the people who really did just get here go unpounced, since you used up your energy already :p