These are often called "plastic cuphilts" or "rubber cup hilts". These cup hilts are designed specifically for SCA heavy combat, made of a high-density, high-durometer, injection-molded Santoprene material. They have a slight amount of flexion that significantly absorbs shock normally transferred to the hand when blocking a blow with the hilt, and can withstand repeated blows with a sledgehammer, even when laid keel-up on a concrete surface. They're lighter than bar hilts and almost all sheet-metal hilts, never dent like the latter or break welds like the former.
Like all conventional cuphilts, your marshal will probably require you to wear at least back-of-the-hand protection while using these; check with your local marshallate.
They are an unobtrusive dull black with an overall shape reminiscent of a Schiavona Hilt, though of course they're one-piece with no piercings or openwork. Three keels, a reinforced throat plate, and a flanged rim add greatly to protection without sacrificing light weight, and thick tabs fore and aft allow attachment to the weapon with hose clamps or multiple wraps of strapping tape. The two-tab construction also leaves the pommel clear for attachment of a pommel weight, and coupled with the lightness of the hilt itself, allows you to fine-tune the balance of your weapon. Unlike any other non-metal cuphilt we've heard of, these are neither assembled from chunks of plastic nor made from something else; they're specifically designed and manufactured for SCA combat, with thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours invested in design, mold costs, and prototype runs. It's like nothing you've seen before; if you've never used one, you've probably found the last hilt type you'll ever need.
This cuphilt is specifically intended for use with SCA combat rattan. But the rattan itself is not being sold in this listing. Please visit our other listing for superb weapons grade rattan.
The diameter of the hole for the rattan is about 4 cm or about 1.5 inches.
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A note on handling time: We generally ship in just a few days. However, there are periods in the armor cycle when we are at weeklong events or getting mobbed that it may take longer. We guarantee that your armor will be shipped in the timeline set in the auction if not sooner. Please let us know if you are in urgent need by a specific date and we'll do our very best to accommodate your schedule.