[Coda]

Actually, on my field, the most popular choice of weapon was a graphite golf club shaft (metal is prohibited as a weapon material, but graphite is legal) with a thin spiral of foam taped to it to make it big enough to screw into the hole of a pool noodle, then one inch of foam taped to the end for the thrusting point, then half of a pair of pantyhose for the cloth cover, with whatever pommel construction technique you want. A 3' longsword made this way only weighs a few ounces. INCREDIBLY fast weapon (and probably the kind of construction that prompted the "one pound per foot of blade length" rule) to the point where the leader of the field was capable of delivering a strike to your right shoulder, left arm, and left leg so fast that it looked like a single swing despite the audible "pop-pop-pop" of the distinct blows.

Letiel: Go ahead. XD