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Post by vraptor on Oct 31, 2006 13:48:09 GMT -6
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Post by schlager7 on Oct 31, 2006 14:03:13 GMT -6
Oh my stars & garters... I just blew coffee through my nose!
In case the link dies...
Police Blotter
Brother injured in sword-plunger horseplay
07:12 AM CST on Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Staff report
Police attributed a sword injury to an accident Sunday afternoon.
According to a police report, two brothers who share an apartment in the 1600 block of East McKinney Street were “play fighting” about 3 p.m. One brother had a sword and the other brother had a bathroom plunger.
One brother said he lunged with the plunger and it suctioned to the stomach of his brother, who was swinging the sword. In his efforts to remove his plunger from his brother’s stomach, he said he accidentally impaled himself on his brother’s sword.
He was treated for a cut that was not life-threatening at a hospital emergency room.
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kb
Squire
Posts: 261
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Post by kb on Oct 31, 2006 20:59:27 GMT -6
This is why parents should take their kids to get fencing lessons...please don't tell me they are actual USFA fencers that were goofing off....
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Post by Parry Nine on Nov 1, 2006 9:20:11 GMT -6
If they're not, it'd make some sense. After all, some of our youth fencers (at Nationals) felt it necessary to throw flaming bagels.
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Post by vraptor on Nov 1, 2006 13:47:58 GMT -6
Let me add a little more wood to the fire, just to give you the full flavor of life in Denton.
There's this store on the main square called the "Mini-Mall" It's really a rather interesting place. They sell, well, the polite word is "antiques" and if you look, you can sometimes find some rather interesting pieces. If you collect kitsch, you'll think you've died and gone to heaven.
But they also have an entire storefront window dedicated to swords and other medieval weapons. They've got swords, maces, axes, polearms and all kinds of medieval implements of mayhem. It's mostly Pakistani wall hanger stuff, but occasionally you'll find the rare Windlass replica rapier. I've occasionaly bought display items or stuff to add to my renfest collection. They also have a whole boatload of fake katanas and almost all of the edged weapons are sharps
The thing is that they've been selling that stuff like hotcakes.
Also, Denton is a two-college town. You've got Texas Woman's University on one side of town and the University of North Texas (formerly NTSU) on the other. There are also (as you'd expect) lots of places to buy beer. Now, the ladies on the one side of town generally have more sense. But the UNT kids are another matter. And there's the native population, generally jocks and cowboys. They're not the brightest bulbs in the fixture.
One of these days, I'm going to go by the local ER and ask the Attendings if they've noticed any increase in blade-inflicted trauma.
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Post by LongBlade on Nov 1, 2006 22:21:47 GMT -6
But they also have an entire storefront window dedicated to swords and other medieval weapons. They've got swords, maces, axes, polearms and all kinds of medieval implements of mayhem. It's mostly Pakistani wall hanger stuff, but occasionally you'll find the rare Windlass replica rapier. I've occasionaly bought display items or stuff to add to my renfest collection. They also have a whole boatload of fake katanas and almost all of the edged weapons are sharps The thing is that they've been selling that stuff like hotcakes. Wanna make a bet on how legal that stuff is in Texas? Bet some attorney's fees with me?
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Post by LongBlade on Nov 1, 2006 22:27:01 GMT -6
Also, Denton is a two-college town. You've got Texas Woman's University on one side of town and the University of North Texas (formerly NTSU) on the other. There are also (as you'd expect) lots of places to buy beer. Now, the ladies on the one side of town generally have more sense. But the UNT kids are another matter. WOW! COOL! And to think Im stuck in JUST a one-college town! Gonna have to buy some beer and check out TWU! ;D
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Post by LongBlade on Nov 2, 2006 16:56:07 GMT -6
Even the British media have picked up on it! ;D www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?in_article_id=23638&in_page_id=2Plunger v sword fight ends badlyMRTRO.co.uk November 2, 2006 A man was treated in hospital after he was impaled on a sword, after a 'play fight' with his brother went a bit wrong. That the fight wouldn't end well might have been guessed by the fact that one brother had a sword, while the other only had a plunger. Thus ingoring the well known phrase, 'never bring a plunger to a sword fight.' Fear the awesome power of my plunger... There are those who call it 'The Widowmaker'.Perhaps unexpectedly, it seems that the plunger might actually have been the more effective weapon. Those Daleks clearly know what they're doing. According to police reports, the boy lunged at his brother with the plunger, which promptly suctioned itself hard to his stomach. It was as the man was trying to remove the plunger from his brother's stomach that, apparently, he managed to impale himself on the sword. The man was taken to hospital in the brothers' hometown of Denton, Texas, where he was treated for non-life threatening injuries. It is not currently known if the plunger has yet been removed from the brother's stomach.
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Post by vraptor on Nov 13, 2006 14:52:36 GMT -6
Sorry I haven't gotten back to this thread. My web access was down for quite a while.
Couple of comments to LB:
I've read the law on prohibited weapons (sister and ex brother-in-law were both cops) but there appear to be loopholes that let people like fencers and SCA types carry their toys on specific occasions. Not that this was one of those specific occasions, but the selling of things classified as"replicas" is a little vague. Besides, most, if not all, of the swords would either break, bend, or suffer serious damage if you even hit anything solid with them. I took apart the claymore that I bought and it has a welded 1/4-inch rat-tail tang that would come apart like a cheap watch.
Texas has some of the goofiest laws regarding guns and other weapons that I'm surprised that any of them get enforced. In any case, nobody in Denton has seen fit to shut this down. My suspicion is that since every other person in that town has a gun that swords and maces are not considered much of a threat. Technically, I suppose that they're illegal, but in order to be dangerous, you have to know how to use them. And the available evidence indicates that the knowlege of edged weapons is pretty minimal.
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Post by LongBlade on Nov 14, 2006 2:23:42 GMT -6
Sorry I haven't gotten back to this thread. My web access was down for quite a while. Couple of comments to LB: I've read the law on prohibited weapons (sister and ex brother-in-law were both cops) but there appear to be loopholes that let people like fencers and SCA types carry their toys on specific occasions. Not that this was one of those specific occasions, but the selling of things classified as"replicas" is a little vague. Besides, most, if not all, of the swords would either break, bend, or suffer serious damage if you even hit anything solid with them. I took apart the claymore that I bought and it has a welded 1/4-inch rat-tail tang that would come apart like a cheap watch. Texas has some of the goofiest laws regarding guns and other weapons that I'm surprised that any of them get enforced. In any case, nobody in Denton has seen fit to shut this down. My suspicion is that since every other person in that town has a gun that swords and maces are not considered much of a threat. Technically, I suppose that they're illegal, but in order to be dangerous, you have to know how to use them. And the available evidence indicates that the knowlege of edged weapons is pretty minimal. It all depends, 'raptor... It all depends. Tell it to the Deputy at the side of the road! Then tell it to the Judge in the morning! Check out Chapter 46 of the Texas Penal Code. Particularly the part about the definition of an illegal club in Section 46.01 (which specifically defines that a mace is a club) and what exactly an antique is defined as being. tlo2.tlc.state.tx.us/statutes/pe.toc.htmYes, exceptions abound. Read the volumes of case law that interpet what the statutes say. Many of the exceptions are for transporting a weapon for sporting uses, dramatic performances, historic recreations, for educational purposes, to and from the range, or a smith for repairs. There are numerous cases on what is the exact meaning of transportation to and from a destination. (Stopping for gas with a gun in the trunk is legal; stopping at the bar is not.) There are also exceptions for having weapons in your home collection. Ability to use a weapon or how cheaply made or how dangerous it actually is has nothing to do with it. And I can't tell you how many people tell me it must be legal to have it (a mace, sword, throwing stars, a pistol, knucks, hatchet, axe, hunting knife, etc.), because they bought it at the flea market or at Wal-Mart. It is a matter of intentional, knowing, or reckless possession of an illegal weapon and not being within one of the recognized exceptions (which you refer to as "loopholes"), and your use or intended use of a weapon. If you just have one of "it" in your car or your pocket for no particular reason, in my profession, we'd call you "job security", 'raptor. Come see me after you post bail. And bring your checkbook!
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Post by schlager7 on Nov 14, 2006 9:00:38 GMT -6
There are also exceptions for having weapons in your home collection. For which, I, for one, am grateful... In addition to being a history junkie I must plead guilty to the related condition antique-addiction. (avatar submitted as evidence)
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Post by vraptor on Nov 14, 2006 16:50:51 GMT -6
I read Ch. 46 some time back. And I don't carry the toys for no particular reason. If theyre in the coffin, it's 'cuz I'm going to practice with Schlager or do a demo. Trouble is, the back of my truck is so trashed out, I'm not sure what's there any more. And I just carry blunts, not cutters. At least not generally. We occasionally do cutting demos, but we don't to them very much because it makes such a mess, even when you use cabbages for targets. In fact, I stopped buying sharps a couple of years back, mainly because you CAN"T play with them safely.You can't understand sword combat styles unless you use them and you can't use them if theyr'e dangerous.
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Post by schlager7 on Nov 15, 2006 11:22:10 GMT -6
In fact, I stopped buying sharps a couple of years back, mainly because you CAN"T play with them safely.You can't understand sword combat styles unless you use them and you can't use them if theyr'e dangerous. That has always been the trade-off. Even in the Renaissance they tended to flatten the tips of sharp rapiers just for practice. The practice of gringing edges dull and hammering tips blunt was called "foyling" or "foiling" hence our word, foil.
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Post by vraptor on Nov 17, 2006 14:03:30 GMT -6
Right now, I know of only two lines of theatrical blunts that could be used safely. Of course, Starfire is the cadilliac model and they seem to have expanded their line to larger weapons. But you also pay the cadilliac price. Knigt's Edge has the Stage Steel line and I have two of the line my collection. I like the Claymore but I don't particularly like the rapier.
I got a catalog the other day that has what the vendor called a "practical" (read blunt that will stand up to actual use) line with two weapons in it. One was a bastard sword which I DON'T have in my collection. I'll see if I can dig it out and bring it one night.
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