Some guidance sought

I second everyone who's suggested a targe, because even if you get good with a sword or whatever, that doesn't mean the other guy isn't still swinging on you, and it's better if you don't have to parry with your weapon. Those Cold Steel targes and bucklers are really tough. Hopefully they're still available under the new ownership.
 
Boombats,
I am making some lighter smaller shields and may consider a 12-15" metal buckler as well. The shields I am making are 1/4 plywood + 1/4" planks, laminated with linen and fitted with a metal boss. I may try my normal center grip and also a strap arrangement to see which I prefer.
Thanks,
Bill
 
Boombats,
I am making some lighter smaller shields and may consider a 12-15" metal buckler as well. The shields I am making are 1/4 plywood + 1/4" planks, laminated with linen and fitted with a metal boss. I may try my normal center grip and also a strap arrangement to see which I prefer.
Thanks,
Bill

I have a full-sized viking shield made from 1/4" plywood, with an oak handle, rawhide rim, and professionally built steel boss.

For a while I've been thinking about making a targe-type shield if I ever stop being lazy/tired. Maybe 21" across half an inch thick, also with a rawhide rim, the front adorned with numerous brass tacks, and the straps made from some leather belts.

No offense, but the country you're moving to conjures the image of third-world Filipino-type backwater countries where folks live in remote villages, where internet access is limited to big cities, and where local smiths are fighting over broken truck springs for forging out machetes locally.

You know, typical Mad Max sort of stuff. And with that thought in mind I can't help but wonder, what about something wasteland-oriented? What about a 55 gallon steel drum lid as the body of the shield?

cover_for_steel_drums-1855cvr.jpg


They're about 2 feet across, very sturdy, not excessively heavy, and the construction of the rim means it's pretty rigid. You'd be pretty hard pressed to chop through one.
 
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Charlie_K,
The OAK shield was made from old T&G flooring, I hand planed it to 1/2"-5/8" and then tapered it down to 3/8-1/4" at the edge with a convex spoke shave to give it grooves and texture. I have done the rawhide yet but I am thinking to epoxy a twisted steel cable under the rawhide, just for fun. The lighter ones will be 24 and 15". Then I will do a full size at 36" the same light construction with the addition of the cable at the edge.

;) The area I plan to live is a little remote, enough so that police are report writers and your family is your ambulance. But internet and mobile service is good. Friends can be made and family will be nearby, as well as the potential for members of NPA(Communist Party of the Philippines) they are not well organized and the police/military hunt them with a vengeance as they are the primary targets.

Once there, I will be hooking up wit local craftsmen to include forgers and welders, I have had one knife made to my specs and will have more and other designs of weapons. What I want to do now is to start developing some skills that I lack. Hopefully, we can get a license for a shotgun for the house- but I do not want to count on that as we may not be able to grease the right wheels and that grease may need to be applied often. Pieces of paper from local officials sometimes do not hold up in an official courtroom.

Bill
 
Charlie_K,
The OAK shield was made from old T&G flooring, I hand planed it to 1/2"-5/8" and then tapered it down to 3/8-1/4" at the edge with a convex spoke shave to give it grooves and texture. I have done the rawhide yet but I am thinking to epoxy a twisted steel cable under the rawhide, just for fun. The lighter ones will be 24 and 15". Then I will do a full size at 36" the same light construction with the addition of the cable at the edge.

I was thinking a steel band under mine. But twisted cable would probably work better.

;) The area I plan to live is a little remote, enough so that police are report writers and your family is your ambulance. But internet and mobile service is good. Friends can be made and family will be nearby, as well as the potential for members of NPA(Communist Party of the Philippines) they are not well organized and the police/military hunt them with a vengeance as they are the primary targets.

Once there, I will be hooking up wit local craftsmen to include forgers and welders, I have had one knife made to my specs and will have more and other designs of weapons. What I want to do now is to start developing some skills that I lack. Hopefully, we can get a license for a shotgun for the house- but I do not want to count on that as we may not be able to grease the right wheels and that grease may need to be applied often. Pieces of paper from local officials sometimes do not hold up in an official courtroom.

Bill

Alright, so things are slightly better than I imagined. Although I still wonder if coming in with something a lot fancier than what the locals use might cause you even more trouble; like you're broadcasting the fact you actually have money enough to afford the fancy stuff others can only dream of.
 
I am afraid that thought is there upon sight of pale skin. The assumption is, anyone that grew up in US/Canada or Europe, has money. I dress in cargo shorts, old Teva sandals and a T shirt. My only piece of jewelry is a wedding band and my phone case is covered in duct tape, even the screen has a piece of scotch tape across it. My wallet is a nylon cordura with less than 25.00 in PhP, a drivers license and a credit card I already canceled. ATM card is inside my waistband.

I am always in the company of my wife or locals. People there that know me know I have NO pretentions, I eat with my hands, piss on trees and squat behind bushes when the situation calls for it. But no matter, there will be some that see me and my family as an opportunity. It is that 1 person in 100 that I have to worry about.

Nothing about me says money and the wallet will be handed over without confrontation.

Nothing about me will change except that final solution in lethal force is likely to not be there. So I am considering other "final" options and those are going to require sill that I lack. I know how to use an ASP so a machete will not be much of an adaptation, similar length and weight- still a short slashing weapon.

If I have have the choice of more distance, I prefer that advantage. If things are close(hallway) I can still practice half swording/ thrusting becomes primary and I will have other advantages in the house.

Most people there have "grills" or barred doors and window guards. So there are many local welders making these. These could also be used to section off the inside of a house should someone start beating down a door. A spear at the end of the hall can poke between the bars.

LOL This is all starting to sound paranoid. I have carried sidearms for over 30 years and only pulled one once. I DO have it, and I DO intend to avoid using it. Same with the above precautions.
 
Single hand sword and shield, and take up HEMA classes and do lots of sparring. I've been training with swords for quite a long time, and we do mixed weapons training. I have found sword and shield to be the easiest way to "win" without actually getting hit. Usually in sword fighting or bladed weapons fighting and sparring "doubles" are quite common, as in you both hit each other. After years of training I can now beat unskilled fighters (not always) without getting a double and land a clean blow while not recieving a blow in return. But and this is a big but, when fighting an aggressive person even one with low skill it is not hard to mess up your guard and still get hit, speed and aggression can overcome skill and finesse sometimes, no matter what people say it happens and sometimes the best swordsmen still get hit, it's very hard to actually parry every incomming strike, no matter how many years you train.
Now when you introduce a shield into the mix things become far easier to safely land a clean blow while not getting hit in return, and I have found Historical European Martial Arts, such as sword and buckler, arming sword and heater shield, basket hilted broadsword and targe etc the way to go. It's actually a great advantage when using a sword and shield Vs somebody with just a sword. Even when going up against a much larger sword, having a short sword and shield is still better. Anybody who tries attacking a man armed with a sword and shield while wielding a machete is going to find out very quickly why people in the ancient times used this weapon combination for thousands of years. It works.
 
Two questions are raised: What can you have with you and not raise eyebrows? How can it be weaponized?

An answer (certainly not the answer) to the first might be a cane. Cold Steel has several options. Canes seem to be acceptable even in non-permissive environments.

To the second question, the art of single-stick may appeal. An interesting thing is that single-stick was once taught as an approach to broadsword. It works the other way, too. If you learn broadsword, single-stick comes along for the ride.

Not a recommendation, but offered as an example only, Ben Kerr at Palm Beach HEMA offers four-week broadsword courses. Students learn on single-sticks.

Importantly, learning HEMA broadsword via single-stick / cane would reasonably be comforting should you be confronted by an ill-mannered man with a machete.

https://www.coldsteel.com/walking-sticks-canes/
https://ejmas.com/jmanly/articles/2002/jmanlyart_wolf_0202.htm
https://palmbeachhema.com/
 
I am with the avoidance is your best option crowd. At 60 plus, you are well past fighting fit trim; and, lets face it, hacking up opponents at close quarters is not something most people do well.

Security at such a location depends on the obstacles that you can create. If you have to live there, then you certainly are better off living with an extended group of friends, family and co-workers. Attacking a clan of 20-30 close knit people is a real deterrent, especially if the group can coordinate their response. The police may take hours, but those immediately around you can get there in seconds. Perhaps there are ready built communities in the area with private security and other ready defenses.

Before you buy a sword, may sure that the local laws allow you to have one, less you be buying a gift toy for the local custom officials. Check in detail to see what other kinds of defenses can be made to work for you. Start with stern doors, good locks, and barred windows. Add barbed wire fencing/barriers and vehicle obstacles. Alarms and backup radio communications and ready power can be a big plus. Consider adding a pack of trained guard dogs. Depending on where you go, there are always various levels of defense, although getting there may be costly and require years of dealing with bureaucratic hurdles and sometimes the local black market as well. .

If machetes are the main threat, then consider protective armor. Are there any functional modern solutions to help mitigate the risk? Will you be able to stock bandages, medication and other supplies to deal with the immediate trauma?

It is essential to be able to strike back; but, real security comes from making it much harder to strike you, than that other guy down the road. If you try to lone wolf this, you will end up as fish food.

n2s
 
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n2s,
Oh yes :) ;) Since my early 20's, I decided avoidance was best, an advantage was second and a fair fight was the last result.

My current home is heavy on deterrence and some advantages designed indoors to provide me cover and a blinding set of spotlights facing down the hallway.

Our home we are buying there now is in a gated community, the home we build once there will be in a more rural area. The location will be chosen for visibility, quick egress if needed, a nearby medical clinic, reduced NPA activity. Our home will be built with a few key features that I have already discussed with an architect their(college friend of my wife)- and is a construction practice familiar with area contractors. Steel grills over windows and doors as well as masonary walls at the yard border are common. There is a strong presence of breeders of Belgian Malinois, even one with a decent reputation. I will also have metal grills hinged on walls indoors as a barrier while retreating to a safe room. Hiring a welder there to fabricate these things is quite cheap. When the house is build, steel angle iron will be incorporated into the walls with the flat side out, unobtrusive but a good anchor to weld the grills later.

My entire point is and will be to make certain anyone with bad intentions understands I am working hard to make certain I am no easy target. Most here would choose another house for easier pickings. There, I am seen as a desirable mark as I am likely yo have money or family in the US that do. So I have to put out a little more effort. My focus with this thread is just that final/lethal option.

My wife will apply for a permit to own a shotgun to keep in the house. My using it in an emergency should not present much of an issue(INSIDE the house). Ownership of a sword there is no issue for me. I regularly carry a ZT clipped in my pocket, a small pukko inverted in kydex around my neck and an ASP in a small haversack. Bank and mall security have seen them many times and pass me by--- not a legal measure but an acceptance on a low level that protection of oneself is acknowledged. As well as me not presenting myself as a problem.

My wife's extended family are shocked that a 'Kano is so ready to fight back. They seem to think that only "bad" people would be ready to do violence. They were shocked at first to know that I owned guns but my wife learned to enjoy shooting them and has now convinced them how safe she feels having guns around for protection.

Bill
 
Physical / structural security , as in formidable walls and fences , sturdy doors ,locks and barred windows .

Man traps .

Lots of big , mean guard dogs . And human guards if you can afford retainers .

Missile weapons like a recurve war bow or similar . Learn to use it .

Hand weapons with superior reach, but only to use where there's room to maneuver . Close quarters fighting should be only the very last resort .

Make yourself liked and valuable to the locals and don't be an attractive juicy target in any way . Don't display wealth or incite jealousy and envy .

Unless you make someone mad , most violent crime is opportunistic . Don't be the easy mark . Most criminals are both lazy and risk adverse .
 
I think the smart thing to do is ride around in a Rolls Royce so you can get away from threats, and wear a lot of thick gold chains and bracelets as a form of armor. Be sure to wear dark sunglasses all the time so nobody knows what you're looking at. If anybody tries to talk to you, just be aloof and tell them you don't speak English. Follow those steps and you're sure to blend in and stay safe.
 
:cool: My ex mother in law lived in a nice neighborhood and I asked her why she never locked her windows. She said it was a nice neighborhood so why worry? I told her if I was a crackhead looking for valuables to sell, I certainly would not rob MY neighbor as he has the same junk as I do. I would visit her neighborhood where people like her feel safe.

Bill
 
The suggestion to attend HEMA club sparring sessions is spot on. If you are going to rely on armes blanches for protection, start practicing and learning how they work in the hand and interact with human bodies. You'll also get in shape (assuming you aren't already, which is presumptuous of me) and have a lot of fun. Too bad you aren't here in Colorado. I'd invite you over and we could have some fun sparring sessions. Best of luck and enjoy your adventure!
 
Late to the party, but:

1) A stave and build a practice dummy- have to crawl first as this is all new.

Glad to see you quickly got this idea. Had you not brought it up, I was going to suggest a staff.


I am with the avoidance is your best option crowd. At 60 plus, you are well past fighting fit trim; and, lets face it, hacking up opponents at close quarters is not something most people do well.

Security at such a location depends on the obstacles that you can create. If you have to live there, then you certainly are better off living with an extended group of friends, family and co-workers. Attacking a clan of 20-30 close knit people is a real deterrent, especially if the group can coordinate their response. The police may take hours, but those immediately around you can get there in seconds. Perhaps there are ready built communities in the area with private security and other ready defenses.

Before you buy a sword, may sure that the local laws allow you to have one, less you be buying a gift toy for the local custom officials. Check in detail to see what other kinds of defenses can be made to work for you. Start with stern doors, good locks, and barred windows. Add barbed wire fencing/barriers and vehicle obstacles. Alarms and backup radio communications and ready power can be a big plus. Consider adding a pack of trained guard dogs. Depending on where you go, there are always various levels of defense, although getting there may be costly and require years of dealing with bureaucratic hurdles and sometimes the local black market as well. .

If machetes are the main threat, then consider protective armor. Are there any functional modern solutions to help mitigate the risk? Will you be able to stock bandages, medication and other supplies to deal with the immediate trauma?

It is essential to be able to strike back; but, real security comes from making it much harder to strike you, than that other guy down the road. If you try to lone wolf this, you will end up as fish food.

n2s

Underrated post.
 
Joe,
That is a beautiful weapon. Reminds me of TFW's Panabas
https://www.traditionalfilipinoweapons.com/shop/panabas-2/

As to my future home, the Philippines. If I faced someone with training, it would likely be Kali or Arnis- close fighting and I would be toast. The good thing is, aggressive thugs rarely take formal training. But men there in the provinces grow up using machetes. So I am likely to face guns, not much I can do unless I know they are coming and they get close... or knives/machetes.


I am an axe nut, so I have hawks and light axes, I will try to get pics. I also shoot archery. I will have a rattan fighting stand in the yard to practice against.

While there are organized threats in the Phils- Abu Sayef, MLF and the NPA- these are not what I am concerned over. Just run of the mill thugs looking for money, by theft or by ransom. I am not looking for a one tool solution, just looking for things that would be unfamiliar or give me an advantage.

Thanks,
Bill

Hmm.

Something about going blade to blade against Filipinos leads me to conclude that it's not a high probability for a positive outcome.

Have you explored the options allowed to competition shooters? People who travel to the PI for IPSC matches are allowed to bring their firearms and ammunition. I don't know if that will help you, but it might be a place to start looking for alternatives.
 
rhino,
Definitely would not "choose" to go blade to blade with...anyone to be honest. I am hoping I took/gave my last beating many years ago. Unfortunately, some people will just not give a person a choice to opt out of a confrontation.

My wife is a native born citizen of the Philippines and we plan to apply for a permit to have a shotgun in the house under her name. That will do loads to tip the scales in my favor. It still leaves car travel to prepare for but many tools and "farming" implements make good SD weapons in a pinch. I do plan to try to locate a HEMA group this Fall when life slows down so I can go and at least learn some defense measures.

My ASP baton is a solid choice for carry there for both defense and offense. Rabid dogs and aggressive people.

I do not want people to get the idea the Phils is the wild wild west. I have spent a good bit of time there and needed nothing for defense so far. But visiting a place and living there are different. I will become stationary and more predictable, VS a moving opportunity as a visitor.

Bill
 
MR Mary, You HAVE spent time there as well!! LOL!! Not many people would know to avoid that song.

My voice is so bad that folks in church prefer if I hum along, so karaoke has not tempted me so far.

Bill
 
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