Suitability of Wand

Kit and Making Things Costume and Crafting
1

Hi,

I’m looking to order a fairly low cost wand for my first LRP event next week and was looking at this wand online, I was unable to find out what core material it has so was wondering if anyone knows if it’s acceptable at Empire?

Also if anyone has experience using larpwarriors I’d be grateful to hear about your experience.

Many thanks,
Sam Sully

2

My first instinct is to be concerned about the flexible core:

All weapons

Weapons designed for live roleplaying are commonly constructed from a solid core that is surrounded in high-density foam and then covered with latex. Weapons must meet the following guidelines:

  • The rigidity of the foam must protect the core and must not have degraded and become too soft
  • The layers of foam must be securely bonded to each other and not be delaminating
  • The right kind of foam must be used. High-density foam is the basic material and low-density foam must be used appropriately in collapsible tip weapons or in large hammerheads. This stops weapons being too heavy and having too much momentum
  • The whole length of the core must be held securely in place and must not be moving freely inside the weapon
  • The tip reinforcement must not be protruding through the surface of the foam
  • The core of the weapon must be made of an appropriate material such as fibreglass or carbon fibre - not of aluminium, wood or bamboo
  • There must not be any protruding hard or sharp objects such as gems or studs
  • There must be sufficient padding on the tip, guard, pommel and haft
  • The handle must be securely attached to the rest of the weapon and must not be loose
  • The choice of former must be appropriate to the length of the weapon and must not be too heavy and rigid (especially for thrown weapons) or too light making the weapon ‘whippy’ (long weapons)

https://www.profounddecisions.co.uk/empire-wiki/Weapon_checking

The usual advice is to wait until the event and buy from the traders, that way you have a much better chance of finding something that you know will pass weapons check.

(But also: hi! -waves- welcome to the forum, and to Empire! Good to have you here. :slight_smile: )

3

Thank you for the help and indeed for the welcome!

Would you happen to have an idea of the typical cost of a simple wand from one of the traders?

4

Probably in the region of £30-£40. You may find something a little cheaper if you are lucky as it is a wand rather than a rod or a sword.

Looking around, they are rarer than other weapon types. http://www.larpgems.com/wands-rods-batons/ is one of Empire’s regular traders and you can order to collect at Empire if that floats your boat, then you know if there are any issues you can go to them there and then to ask for advice.

5

Mandala used to do ‘random wand in a box’ for about a tenner, IIRC.

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6

That sounds magnificent! I hope they still do!

Thanks!

7

Yeah, the ‘wand picks you’ is great - and as I recall if you don’t fancy the one you get you can upgrade to one you choose for another £10, so still bargain overall.

8

I think this is the same wand with the original manufacturers details. So “polyurethane foam around a bendable steel core”. I personally wouldn’t expect that to pass weapons check for combat but am not a weapons check ref, email in to them if you want them to try to give a call but they may not be able to do so without physically seeing the weapon.

https://www.epicarmoury.com/weaponry/wands/druid-wand-black/c-385/p-26729/

9

A steel core is an instant fail I believe

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10

If your not using it as a weapon, anything is fine, if it is a weapon it has to be safe and tested. Best bet buy in field.

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11

Not ‘anything’ (i.e. knives will fail) but the rules are looser for designated non-combat props. Remember that Wands are used to deliver spells; I wouldn’t want someone using a potentially-dangerous prop on me.

Rules for non-combat props. Note that you are not allowed to take them onto a battlefield, even if you don’t intend to use it.

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