Purpleheart Armouries Company FAQ
 Frequently Asked Questions:  
What is Purpleheart Armoury?

PHA is a small family business that is dedicated to making the finest wasters at a fair price and short lead time. We offer a complete line of hand-crafted solid hickory practice swords.   Fully functional and historically accurate.  Strong enough to meet and exceed all martial training practice needs.  Specializing in 15th and 16th century European bladed weaponry.

Owned and operated by a martial artist, who was regularly disappointed by the training products that were available on the market, he created his own product. Combining his manufacturing experience and craftsmanship, Christian Darce' designs strong, realistic, and attractive training weapons.  Our goal to is to bring you, our customer, the best possible products and selection around.

We are mainly a Web company, but we will often be represented at seminars, conventions, tournaments, and training camps.  We will continually expand our online catalog as customer input is received and analyzed. We try to feature products which have wide appeal but encourage you to e-mail us with any suggestions that you may have. 

For those who have searched for quality wooden European style swords as training tools in martial-arts, recreational combat, or living-history these will easily hold up to the stresses of strenuous drills and exercises or contact practice. These wasters are offered at significantly lower prices than other manufacturers. What is considered custom to them is standard to us.

 
What questions should I ask before buying a waster?

Since Martial arts are seeing tremendous growth right now there are many people jumping on the bandwagon and making inferior and dangerous wooden training swords. After all what's the difference between a wooden toy and martial art equipment?   We have a select vendor list of approved distributors around the World.  Some of these people have made copies of our swords that look similar in a picture, but with inferior wood and joining techniques.  Before purchasing a training sword...

1.  Ask if it is made of high quality select species impact grade hickory. Often pecan or some lesser quality species of hickory get mixed in.   Hands down, hickory and some select South American and African exotic woods have been used for years in martial art equipment. 

2.  Ask if the wood has been selected and dried for use in martial art equipment or for use in kitchen cabinets.  Cabinet wood is too dry, varied species, lower grade,  and unacceptable for martial art use.

3.  Ask how the guards are attached to the blades.  Purpleheart Armoury is the only company that has a three point a solid lock on the shoulder of the blade and a holding pin through the guard and blade.  Our guards can not be pushed back onto the users hand unless you absolutely destroy the blade and guard.  If they use a 'wedge method' of tightening the guard to the blade, it will come loose very soon.  Reject this method.

4.  Ask if its a Purpleheart Armoury or www.Woodenswords.com training sword!

  
What is a "Waster"?

Since Roman times, through the Middle Ages and Renaissance, wooden weapons were used throughout Europe for training and practice by warriors, men-at-arms, knights and students of fencing.  Wasters save wear and tear on valuable steel swords and help build strength and coordination. Also called "bavins" or later on "cudgels", wooden swords were often of double weight for instructing squires or for use on pells or even tournaments.

Purpleheart Armoury is among the first to offer in a range of styles special discernible edge hardwood weapons for Western martial artists and students of historical European swordplay. All weapons are hand-constructed for the best possible degree of strength and sturdiness. The wood for each piece is carefully chosen for strength, grain, and beauty. Purpleheart Armoury design patterns follow actual historical sword and weapon geometry. Each is carefully polished and then hand-tested to ensure ruggedness,  correct weight, and proper balance. Each piece is made as an individual weapon just as with its real-life steel counterpart. Only all natural hardwoods are used in the traditional manner –no press-woods, pressure-treated lumber, or artificial compounds. 

Wooden practice weapons are much less expensive and less conspicuous than steel versions and offer an excellent and historically valid alternative for practicing or performing.   Ideal for anyone who has been searching for Western equivalent to Japanese bokken, these swords and weapons are suited for countless hours of supervised semi-contact sparring and training drills. They are NOT toys. They will hold up to heavy abuse to let you safely train and exercise to develop your skills. They are ideal for fighting demonstrations where live-steel is impractical or undesirable, and also for theatrical stage-combat practice (saving wear and tear on steel weapons). Use them to develop serious martial skills or just to practice for fun. Develop precision and finesse in your movements while safely training in techniques or conducting choreographed fights.

 
Why are Purpleheart Armoury wasters superior?

Design, development, and past success makes our wasters the best on the market.  our design features an exclusive locking system where the guard can not be pushed down the blade.  Simpler designs use a 'wedge' design to hold the guard in place.  But that only will last so long.  With cutting edge technology we are able to cut the wood in a way to have a hard stop on the guard so it does not slide back down the handle when it accidentally gets hit over time.  The guard is then pinned to lock it in place and industrial grade glue is used hold it in place.

Our source of woods are vastly superior to any other woods that can be found on the market.  Very few other can get the high quality of woods that we use.  See 'What type of wood do you use?' for more info.

Support in the field of martial arts.  I am a martial artist myself first and foremost.  I know weapon terminology, design, and what people need or how to make what they need.  I am not a wood worker who just happens to be making swords but could just as soon be making pull toys.  Take a look at our customer link page to see the people we deal with on an a daily basis.


What type of woods do you use?

Our Wasters are made from crop grown American Hickory, the best wood for martial arts weapons.  Hickory is used to make axe and hammer handles so it known for toughness and durability. Sometimes called 'impact grade' it is also used in the press beds for steel forming machinery.  It has a good weight that gives the weapon fair balance when compared to it steel counterparts. Our Wasters are solid wood weapons made to withstand the rigors of serious martial training. They are designed after actual weapons in the same manner as historical wooden practice-swords ("wasters"). They are ideal safe, practical, training tools.  

We do not use hickory that is purchased through cabinet maker shops like many other weapon makers do.  This results in an inadequate species of hickory (there are 5 species in the US and only 2 are useable) or more likely pecan will be used.  Cabinet wood typically has more defects and is incorrectly dried.  The hickory that we select is hand pulled in a very select region of the United States.  Sorted for highest quality by the lumberjack, inspected by the sawyer, then inspected at 5 different operations during manufacturing.  Ask others where they get their lumber and I guarantee it will be from the local lumber yard. 

There are many other tropical hardwoods such as ironwood, bloodwood, purpleheart, cocobola, etc, that can make excellent wasters.  But due to the cost, time, and questionable origins of these woods they are not available.


Why Hickory vs. Japanese White Oak (Shiro Kashi)?

As for the strength of the woods hickory is going to be a little bit stronger.  Hickory has more impact resistance. White oak is a bit harder.  This means that the hickory will last longer and take more overall damage, but the white oak may not show as much damage on the surface.  The hickory may show more indentions on harder impacts, while the white oak will not show the damage. But internally, the damage will be there.

On average white oak tends to have fewer defects.  It is also less prone to warping.  That is the downside to a small percentage of hickory.

White oak can be polished better than hickory.  But that may only be of interest in presentation pieces.

Both will provide years of service.  Many people like the tradition usage of the white oak, since it has been used in Japan for martial arts training for hundreds of years.  Colorwise, the hickory is a bit more yellow or tan. The white oak has a white and spotty look to it.  It can vary from a white to a dark blotch brown.

All of our hickory is American crop grown hickory, while the white oak may be Japanese or Chinese in origin.
Why Ash vs. Hickory for Staves?

Our select ash is lighter in weight than the hickory.  But the ash is not as strong as the hickory.  Choose the ash if you are using the staff as a primarily thrusting weapon.  Fewer strikes.  While the hickory is heavier, it is also more resistant to impact damage.  Pick the hickory if you plan on striking with the staff in your training.
Why Octagon vs. Round Staves?

Octagon staves feel great in your hand.  You know you have a solid deadly weapon.  The octagon shape will also cause greater damage to your adversary.  They are good for a bladed weapon since you always know where you edge is.  But for heavy training the edges of the octagon are more likely to splinter than the round.  Although with proper care the will hold up well.


Do you use impact grade hickory?

Technically there is no such thing as impact grade hickory.  As far as official designations from all professional hardwoods associations and arborist, there is no such thing.  But in reality there is select hickory above and beyond the average hickory that is available.  The wood that we are able to obtain is the best wood for martial art use in the world.  Period.  This wood is so dense that it often will SINK in water.  This wood tears up carbide tooling bits at a significantly higher rate than any but the hardest exotic woods.

 
The difference between Pecan and Hickory.

Pecan is a close relative of Hickory.  In appearance, it looks very similar.  It's a very common wood in the south United States and fairly inexpensive.  That's why cabinet and furniture makers often use pecan as a hickory substitute. All the wood mills and resellers mix hickory and pecan in the same batch since looks are more important than strength.  Even for an experienced eye, it can be nearly impossible to tell the difference. 

But the similarities stop there.  The strength and impact resistance of Pecan is significantly lower than hickory.  I made one sword out of pecan for a friend one day.  Within one hour of practice the hickory swords had demolished the pecan.  We have experienced lumberjacks and wood specialist that pick out the healthiest Hickory for our use.  No Pecan cabinet wood is ever used in our martial art swords.  This is a level of quality that few can offer.


What is your contact information?

Our mailing address is: 27229 Lana Ln, Conroe TX 77385.

Our telephone number is (281)419-6429. We do not have a toll-free number.

We encourage you to e-mail us with any questions to both save you money and allow us time to research your question. cd@woodenswords.com

If you call and reach our voice mail, please feel confident that you can leave a message, including any credit card information. The machine is in a totally secure area.

If you leave a message, please include your e-mail address so that we can answer your questions in writing.

We receive many inquiries from all over the world. We try to answer all inquires within 24 hours. So please be patient if you don't get an immediate reply to your questions.  If you don't get a reply within a few day, the please resend it, it may have gotten lost.

 
Do you have a printed catalog?

We are an Internet, WEB only company and part of the reason we are able to have low prices is we don't have the expense of constantly printing, updating and mailing new catalogs.

Our online catalog is constantly changing and expanding as we receive requests and additional input from our customers. Our goal is to have an extremely comprehensive online catalog but we want it to evolve through input from our customers. 

If you have a particular product in mind that you don't see in the catalog or would like us to quote prices on some specific items e-mail us and we'll try to oblige. It's very possible that your suggestions will end up in the catalog. We aim to please and look forward to your support.

    
Where do you ship and what are the charges?

We ship all over the world.  Shipping & Handling Charges outside of the Continental USA are determined by package size, weight and method of shipment. Once you have finalized your order, we will calculate the Shipping & Handling Charges and e-mail you the options and charges. You can then decide which option you want or whether to not proceed with the order at that time.  International shipping for items under 41" (short-sword, axe, Cut & Thrust, etc) can often ship at a much lower rate.   Shipping to many European countries, anything under 60" can also be affordable when shipped via USPS. You will not receive a tracking number for international shipments.  Domestic shipments are made via UPS.  You will receive a tracking number from UPS when the order ships.

 
Do your wasters carry a warranty?

These weapons were called wasters for a reason. Eventually they will get wasted. They are designed to hit other wasters, scrape the ground, hit pells, and hit your opponent. But just like every thing else, depending on their use/abuse, they will eventually be too torn up to use anymore. If you think they are too beautiful to spar with (and I understand) and you hang them on your wall or only wear them to Renaissance Faires then they will last forever. If you do contact drills or techniques with them three times a week, they will last awhile, but just like steel or any other material they will not last forever.

My warranty is this, if the damage is due to a wood or manufacturing defect I will repair/replace.  I will also refund your money if you are not totally satisfied with the quality or purpose of my product within the first 30 days.  Virtually all breaks occur within the first month of the wasters being used due to cracks in the wood that we did not see during manufacturing.  Just contact me about the the circumstances and we will resolve it promptly. Our waster are the finest on the market, you will not be disappointed.


How do I care for my new waster?

Your waster will be coated with a mixture of Boiled Linseed oil and paint thinner. This keeps the wood from drying out and becoming brittle. You should apply a coat of oil monthly for at least 10 months, then every 4 months thereafter. You can not over-oil them!  Let the oil sit on the wood for 15 minutes then wipe the excess away with a clean cloth.  The oil will provide superior protection to the wood and extend its useful life. Tung oil can also be used with much the same results and give a shiner finish. Its just a little more expensive.

A light sanding with the 220 grit sandpaper can also be used to removed dirt and grime that builds up on the handle area.

Caution: Please be careful with Linseed oil, since wet rags can spontaneously ignite, so follow all safety precautions.  We have seen it happen, so please be careful.

Regularly check your waster for any splinters that may appear. These should be sanded out with 120 grit sandpaper and then smoothed over with 220 grit. Re-oil the spot as required.

Do NOT leave your waster in direct sun, heat, or water.  This include leaving them in your car.  This will cause the blade to warp and will not be covered by our warrantee.

Do NOT use wasters against steel weapons or steel armour.  Wasters hitting a round surface is typically OK, but any sharp edges such as on a rim of a helm will gouge the wood if their is sufficient force.  This is also not covered by our warrantee.

Do NOT use beeswax on your wasters, this makes the weapons look pretty, but does not penetrate and preserve the core of the wood.  Some beeswax applied in the handle area to keep the dirt away is OK, but not on the blade section.

Do NOT neglect oiling your sword.  The wood moisture content in the wood will change just like your skin.  A dry air conditioned house to a humid workout room will cause the wood to warp.  Oiling can prevent this.  Also without oil, the wood will dry out and splinter with contact.  This is not covered by our warrantee. 

With proper care and maintenance your waster should last many years to come.


Will you keep my personal information private?

All information submitted to us is for use strictly by PHA. We will not sell, rent, lease, loan or otherwise provide our mailing list or any other information to anyone. We value your privacy.  Often we have request for contacts in a particular city or region.  You will be emailed first to see if you would like to be contacted.

We occasionally e-mail information about new products or specials to our customer list. These mailings are not frequent -- usually only several times per year -- but if you do not wish to receive any such information, let us know and we will remove you from the mailing list.

For further information contact: cd@woodenswords.com
Designs, Pictures, and Text ©2007 Purpleheart Armoury