Looking for a heavy staff/stick/club for exercise - Q for Spectre

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jeff, CA
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Jeff, CA

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I'm looking for something to simulate the size and weight of a rifle (about 4' long, 2" diameter, 7 or 8 lb) to use on my exercise walks. I have no experience or training in using such a piece as a weapon, and I haven't had any trouble with animals of any number of legs, so that aspect is farther down on my list of priorities - the size and weight are what I'm after, followed by a non-threatening appearance. I also want it to "feel friendly", so a piece of steel pipe won't do.

Spectre, in another thread you said you have a 6'2" bo, made of "canvas micarta" (?) that weighs 2x what a hardwood one would weigh. How much does it weigh, and would something like that be available in other lengths? How about $$?

Thanks.
 
Hey, Jeff.

Micarta is a composite made of melding cloth and resin. Linen micarta is a common material for scales on good knives. The canvas micarta I have has larger, more visible grain from the tighter weave of the linen. It looks like wood until you inspect it very closely.

I bought my bo from an aquaintance that also trains. I'm not certain on exact weight, but the micarta easily outweighs purple heart, which is very dense and heavy. The micarta I've found to be practically indestructible(I've broken other materials), at least in the 1 1/4" or so piece I have. I paid $100 for mine, but I believe the price had gone down a little in "production" examples. (I bought the first one. :D)

The problem is, I heard the guy who made my bo finally got a "real" job. I do believe a 4' ("jo") length, 2" wide piece of this material would weight at least what an average rifle would weigh. Perhaps more. I'll see if I can get an idea of exact weight of my bo after I get home this evening.
 
Jeff, I have a steel bar that I use for this purpose. Ran me about 15 bucks at a metal shop. Wrapped it in red duct tape and carry it everyday.

Does not fit your bill, but it's an option.

Giz
 
Is it a solid bar, or a pipe? What are the dimensions & weight? How's it grip when your hands are sweaty?
 
It's about two inches in diameter, solid metal (steel?), 42 inches long. Weight is right at ten pounds IIRC. I picked the length and then ran the numbers (lbs. per foot) until I was at or over my desired minimum. The duct tape is to keep my hands clean and disguise the bar. If sweat was a concern, I'd wrap some grip tape on it too.

Giz
 
Actually a piece of steel pipe wouldn't be all that `bad'. {GRIN!} What you'd need to do would be to find a shop where you could get a `crook' bent on one end and then have them carefully weld up and grind smooth the open ends. Finally you'd have to find some of that foam tubing like they are now using for the `handlebars' on lawnmowers and slip a fairly long piece over it such that it covers the `crook' and a fair ways down the shaft. (I'd even go as far as having it `powdercoated' in either a nice gloss black or maybe even a walnut coloured finish before I slipped the `grip' on it.) The one I have was actually `faux' woodgrained to look like a nice `tight' Thornwood and while the foam grip doesn't go much farther down the shaft than the `drop' of the `crook'. (I also have a `bill' on the end of the `crook' similar to those one finds on the better `defensive' canes.) I haven't had any problems being able to hold it just about anywhere along the shaft. Oh, and everyone who's seen it and did know that it *was* a piece of iron pipe always complemented me upon the `nice cane' I had. {GRIN!} (The `goblin' I recently *used* it on didn't have very much to say until he came to in the ER and then all he could comment about was that "Suddenly a ton of bricks came out of nowhere!" *and* "He didn't know if he was *ever* going to be able to `have sex' again." {CHORTLE!} [The old `eight ball into left pocket' and chin meeting `unmoveable object' maneuver... {SNICKER}]) For your purposes the extra length probably wouldn't be all that `outlandish' and letting the `grip' material come down the shaft would just make it look a bit less `sinister' and more like a short shepherds `walking crook' which I've been seeing more of recently when I *do* get out and do a bit of `exercise walking'.
 
Interesting, but too light and not "non-threatening" enough :(

Reminds me of "All Quiet on the Western Front". The drill seargent had something like this, while the recruits struggled with iron ones.
 
I understand. It is pretty cool though. Believe it or not there is a growing segment among the fencing/HEMA people to resurrect the practice of bayonet fencing. It used to actually be a part of Olympic fencing!

Matt
 
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