Title: SPD-msg
Subject: Silly Parrying Devices
Author: Edited by Mark S. Harris
Last saved by: Mark S. Harris
Keywords: rapier, boffers, SCA, parry, shield, block, off-hand

SPD-msg - 7/28/13

Silly Parrying Devices for SCA rapier combat

NOTE: See also the files: bucklers-msg, r-tourn-ideas-msg, fencing-art, fencing-msg, rapier-books-msg, p-rapier-msg, merch-rapier-msg Square-Bucklr-art.

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This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that
I  have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some
messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium.
These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

I  have done  a limited amount  of  editing. Messages having to do  with
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Thank you,
    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  Lord Stefan li Rous
    mark.s.harris at motorola.com            stefan at florilegium.org
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From: STEVE.GREENFIELD at rook.wa.com (steve greenfield)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Silly parrying devices
Date: Mon, 19 Dec 1994 19:34:25 GMT

 -=> Quoting Soliiigm at aol.com to All <=-
 So> There was a Black Rose event, (I hope my memory is serving for this
 So> one) where in addition to a white scarf being used as a parry weapon, I
 So> saw a boffer wench (honest to god blowup doll with a wench dress on), a
 So> boffer cat (don't ask) and an off-hand cadet (You hold one of these by
 So> either the scruff of the neck, or the back of the belt...be nice if the
 So> cadet at least got a weapon).

Michael Farlow (he has changed his SCA name and I don't know what it is now)
late of Portland, OR, now somewhere in Texas, has made some boffer bottles
that the bottom 'breaks' off of, leaving 'jagged edges' to thrust with.
At Cavalier Lights War a couple years ago some one had 'Davey the Cabin Boy'
tied to his buckler, a boffer ham and a boffer tuna. Sebastion de Caen has
boffer barrel, mugs, etc. You get the idea. You sure that wench wasn't his
lady?
Esteban el Barbarosa de Curvo del Rio

From: magesteve at aol.com (Mage Steve)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Silly parrying devices
Date: 20 Dec 1994 11:01:22 -0500

   At a recent Atlantian event, there was a Tavern brawl involving boffer
weapons.  Besides the more usual ones, the stranger weapons includes

*  Boffer Cat
*  Boffer Dog
*  Boffer Plague Rat
*  Boffer Chair
*  Boffer Loaf of Bread
*  Boffer Boomerang
*  Boffer Stool
*  Boffer Bottles
*  Boffer Canderobra (sp?)

  Obviously, any of these could be used as a silly parrying item for
Duello.

From: corun at access1.digex.net (Corun MacAnndra)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Silly parrying devices
Date: 21 Dec 1994 06:23:04 -0500
Organization: Express Access Online Communications, Greenbelt, MD USA

Zach <zkessin at id.wing.net> wrote:
>In article <3d6v4i$193 at newsbf02.news-fddi.aol.com> magesteve at aol.com (Mage Steve) writes:
>      At a recent Atlantian event, there was a Tavern brawl involving boffer
>   weapons.  Besides the more usual ones, the stranger weapons includes

<snip>

>   *  Boffer Canderobra (sp?)

That would be candelabra. Also at this event were a boffer iron skillet 
with matching rolling pin, and a few very nice boffer ale mugs.

In service,
Corun

From: SADV153 at uabdpo.dpo.uab.edu
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: Silly parrying devices
Date: Wed, 21 Dec 94 09:07:53 CST
Organization: University of Alabama at Birmingham

corun at access1.digex.net (Corun MacAnndra) writes:
 ->Zach <zkessin at id.wing.net> wrote:
->> magesteve at aol.com (Mage Stve) writes:
->>      At a recent Atlantian event, there was a Tavern brawl involving boffer
->>   weapons.  Besides the more usual ones, the stranger weapons includes

<snip>
 
I've also seen (at various events in Meridies) boffer "herrings" (rather large
for herrings, if you ask me!), boffer haggis, and a boffer Tavern Wench! :-)
 
Jamelyn

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
From: levey at netcom.com (Don Levey)
Subject: Re: Silly parrying devices
Date: Wed, 21 Dec 1994 19:35:45 GMT

Zach <zkessin at id.wing.net> wrote:
> magesteve at aol.com (Mage Steve) writes:
>      At a recent Atlantian event, there was a Tavern brawl involving boffer
>   weapons.  Besides the more usual ones, the stranger weapons includes
>
>At the Dec 10 King's & Queen's Fencing championships there was a
>tavern named "Le Poulet Gauche" ie "Left Chicken" the name was
>invented when some years ago someone used a rubber chicken as a
>Parrying device. Or so I was told.
>
>Guiliam --Assistant Propriotor Le Poulet Gauch- Calais France 10 Dec 1594

Well, that would be (partly) me.  A number of years ago, when
Sayid Mustapha (so difficult to spell in Latin characters) still
inhabited our fair shores, he would occasionally fence with a
stiffened rubber chicken in his off-hand.  At this time, I had a 
pillow shaped (and colored) like a chicken drumstick.  We had
not a few very silly bouts because of this.  I even offered to
allow him 2 weapons, and I would take his Poulet Gauche and mine
and fight him chicken Florentine.

 -Don
  (Don Donal Artur of the Silver Band, EK)

From: iainranock at aol.com (IainRanock)
Newsgroups: rec.org.sca
Subject: Re: YKYINTSCA
Date: 27 Nov 1995 16:03:54 -0500

caradoc at neta.com (John Groseclose) writes:
>...Or you go to a tourney, the second round of which will be fought
>"Florentine," and wonder who's going to beat whom wielding *vegetables?*

I don't know, I have photos of a bout I fought "A la Florentine" (Rapier
and Spinach)

Tongue firmly in cheek   ~);^)

Iain of Rannoch     (Lost north of Sae March/Trimaris)

From: Genna <gennac at gmail.com>
Date: April 23, 2006 11:03:13 PM CDT
To: Ansteorra at ansteorra.org
Subject: [Ansteorra] BEST OFFHAND TAVERN WEAPONS!

I am remiss in not recognizing someone who, far and away, contributed richly
to the ambience, spirit and panache of the Elfsea Tavern Brawl Rapier
Tourney this past weekend. I asked participants to come armed with creative
and situation-appropriate offhand weapons and the person who managed to do
this most effectively, prolifically and creatively was the Daddy Don
Himself-

TIVAR MOONDRAGON!

Not only did he provide a table, WITH cloth, but also mugs, bottles,
goblets, fish (yes I said fish), and a VICIOUS KILLER LOBSTER! His artistry,
dramatic flair and wicked lobster parries kept us all in stitches.

And the piece de resistance? When he ripped the table cloth from the
table leaving goblets & mugs still standing and used it as a parrying cloak.

Kodak moment, Friends.

Thank you for your spirit of the game, Don Tivar. You still inspire us all.

Lady Genna
Elfsea Rapier Marshal

From: Mark Schuldenfrei <mark at SCHULDY.ORG>
Date: May 27, 2010 4:34:56 PM CDT
To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu
Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] Pennsic here's the deal

Patricia Galbraith wrote:
I think I love you . . .

You might want to check out the "Flying Monkeys" that
ThinkGeek was selling.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/plush/8f00/

It howls.  Really well.

	Tibor

From: Chris Zakes <dontivar at gmail.com>
Date: July 29, 2011 7:47:32 AM CDT
To: "Kingdom of Ansteorra - SCA, Inc." <ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Ansteorra] Questions regarding slings & Tavern Fights

>>> How does one determine what is a SCA Tavern Fight Legal Weapon?

<<< I'm not sure what you mean by SCA Tavern Fight Legal Weapon. This is probably something okay'ed for a specific event.

Are you speaking of what I call SPDs (Silly Parrying Devices)? Often
used in special rapier scenarios? I think these may be restricted to
being defensive only weapons. But again ratan(?) daggers that are
similar, used to be allowed in SCA rapier as secondary weapons but are
now not allowed while flexi-daggers are now allowed. Maybe someone
from the rapier community can add to this or tell where I am wrong.
SPD-msg (14K) 12/ 6/95 Silly Parrying Devices for SCA rapier combat

http://www.florilegium.org/files/COMBAT-RAPIER/SPD-msg.html >>>

As a broad generalization, if you make the "weapon" out of soft materials--typically foam and duct tape, maybe a golf tube for stiffening--then the only limits would be your own imagination, and the only restriction is that you want something that will kill your friends, not hurt them. They'll still need to be inspected by a marshal.

Things I've seen specifically for tavern fights:

boffer bottles (easy to make from carved-down pool noodles) including a few "breakaway" bottles with jagged edges.
Boffer mugs (made from a beer coozie, or the connecting tubes for pool noodles.)
Boffer fish (including the notorious Halibut Nevilsbane.)
Boffer cheese.
Two or three day old French bread (so it's nice and stiff.) Be aware that using bread leaves crumbs *everywhere* so you'd want to do this outdoors, and that bread against a fencing mask gives a cheese grater effect which is not much fun for the person inside the mask.
A parrying lobster (this was made from wood, leather and some metal and was *not* designed for offensive use.)
A tablecloth that could be pulled off the table and used like a cloak.
A boffer bar stool (made from foam and golf tubes.)

Other boffer weapons I've seen:

Boffer torch.
A long, skinny fish with holes in it (billed as a "Swiss pike.")
Boffer arms and legs (I made a set of these for Bryn Gwlad's annual pre-Halloween Zombie Tourney. They also got used in the zombie scenarios at Gothic War last year. http://kelly.dwarfworks.com/lj/GothicWarXIX/ )

Someday I'm going to make a boffer cat, with magnets in the paws, so it'll hang off my opponent's mask.

       -Tivar Moondragon 

From: "HE  Chiang Chi-sh h" <chiang at clearwire.net>
Date: July 29, 2011 6:25:58 PM CDT
To: "Kingdom of Ansteorra - SCA, Inc." <ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Ansteorra] Questions regarding slings & Tavern Fights

We did a boffer tavern brawl many years ago here in Bonwicke. We had some really strange weapons among them were torches, stools, a dog. I managed to get hit in the face with a boffer stew. We even had a boffer drunk, fellow made a suit from foam and duct tape. A good time was had by all.

HE Chiang Chi-sh h
Baron of Bonwicke

From: mikea <mikea at mikea.ath.cx>
Date: July 29, 2011 8:18:50 AM CDT
To: "Kingdom of Ansteorra - SCA, Inc." <ansteorra at lists.ansteorra.org>
Subject: Re: [Ansteorra] Questions regarding slings & Tavern Fights

On Fri, Jul 29, 2011 at 08:07:13AM -0500, Doug Copley wrote:
<<< I love the idea of the boffer cat! That would be hilarious to watch:-) >>>

Mistress Roane used a boffer cat, from her wheelchair, to very good effect
in at least one tavern fight. She also used a pair of boffer rats, made by
Lady Elspeth the Limner, to defeat many.
-- 
Mike Andrews        /   Michael Fenwick    Barony of Namron, Ansteorra
mikea at mikea.ath.cx  /   Amateur Extra radio operator W5EGO
Tired old music Laurel; Chirurgeon; SCAdian since AS XI
Listowner, SCA-Laurels

<the end>

Edited by Mark S. Harris	SPD-msg	Page  of