Quote Originally Posted by Shay
That's a great wikipedia article, and I think there's a boffing group (snerk) around my area I'd forgotten about- I'll have to look into it!

As for constructing my own weapons, we already have the wooden swords and shields, and they're strictly outside toys, so lamps are not in danger.

My husband was a saber fencer, maybe when he gets back I'll pick his brain about it.
Maybe you could take the foam pool snakes and slip the wooden swords into them, trimming the excess length to an inch or two past the end of the sword.