Weapons Construction Expectations for Purchased Weapons
DISCLAIMER: Nothing passes Inspection until it has passed Inspection. This means do not DM Sarah or another Member of the Combat Team to ask "Hey is this sword, dagger, bow, axe, fish okay?" You will get "maybe but I won't know until I have it in my hands" as your answer every time.
Typically weapons from Epic Armory are incredibly likely to pass (see disclaimer above) and typically look really good. They usually have a decent amount of foam between the edge and the core (usually over an inch) and have a good space between the tip of the core and the tip of the weapon. These weapons still are not designed for thrusting as the tip collapses rather than compresses. Because of this the ONLY thrust safe weapons are weapons built to be Spears (see the Spear section of Weapon Types)
Calimacil weapons tend to be a bit more hard and heavy, but that doesn't mean they won't pass Inspection for sure. We have several people who have had great luck with weapons from this dealer. (As always, see the disclaimer.) Though these tend to be a bit heavier and more rigid, they have a good amount of foam between core and edge and tip of the core and tip of the weapon. Most Calimacil swords have an even less flexible tip and as such are also not thrust safe.
B3 weapons are basically a hybrid between a foam latex Epic Armory style weapon and a boffer. As long as they have an inch of foam on the striking surface between the core and edge, they should be fine. (see disclaimer above)
In general, purchased weapons must have at least an inch of soft pliable foam between the core and the striking edge, and when compressed the core should not be felt. There should be roughly an inch between the tip of the core and the tip of the weapon and the tip should be very pliable and bendy. There should be no hard plastic on the striking part of the weapon, but rigid plastics on the grip and guard are usually permissable (see disclaimer again.) Hammers, axes, etc (anything not a sword) should be compressible but hold their shape.
Thrown weapons must have no core and be very soft and pliable. Somethings that are billed as thrown weapons are very hard and not actually safe to throw. (see disclaimer above.)
Arrows must have a flat compressible foam head that is 2 inches in diameter and 2 inches thick. B3 has good options for LARP safe arrows.
Weapons Construction Guidelines for Homemade Weapons (boffers)
We understand that purchasing a foam latex weapon can be daunting if you aren't sure if combat is for you or even if LARP is for you. Because we understand that we want to offer the ability to make a cheaper option yourself. However, our goal is for everyone to eventually end up with a foam latex weapon (either a loaner or one of your own) and as such Homemade Weapons will not be able to hold any enchantments.
Boffer construction guidelines are as follows:
All boffer weapons must be under 36 inches in length to be a club type, or a greater than 42 inch staff
Boffers must have carbon fiber or graphite core, the easiest way to source this is by purchasing used golf clubs from a thrift store (not metal clubs, the black/dark grey ones)
Boffers must have AT LEAST a 1 inch of foam between the core and the edge (2 inch diameter)
The handle of a boffer can be made from PVC pipe to make the grip easier to hold
You must have at least an inch of foam as a pommel on the grip of your boffer
You must have at least an inch of foam at the tip of the boffer past the core, and the core tip must be covered entirely in tape.
Boffers must have a "natural" looking cover/skin. They should look like they are made of wood, bone, or stone. No bright colored fabric boffer covers.
You have to know exactly what your boffer is made from, you will be asked at Inspection.
This is a fairly good step by step tutorial for making a boffer. You do not need to use the exact same foam materials he is using, pool noodle of an appropriate thickness is also acceptable. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oN3-K_e_hg