Alright folks, I did it. I beat the flock out of the batons and took pictures of the results. First off, I think I went well beyond what a baton would have gone through under "normal" use. I weigh 275 pounds and I was doing one and two handed swings as hard as I could. I was hitting and breaking 2x2's, and I even went a few rounds with a cinder block. For those who don't like to read much, and want to skip the entire review, I'll say this, I think they are good for the money. there was not a catastrophic failure (i.e. breakage) but there was bending. I do not think that the effective ness of the baton as a weapon is wholly compromised by the bending.
Here it goes:
I recieved two Dragon Forge batons from Wow last monday. I got the 21" and the 26" versions. I also have a 26" ASP lightweight that I used as a basis for comparison. Before testing I did do a slight modification to the DF batons. The inner rod's flared ends needed to be chamfered a little so they would lock up a little more reliably with a wrist flick. Here is a pic. The one on the left is the ASP, you can see the chamfering done on it, and the sanding I did to the two DF batons..
For the testing I used an old 2x2 from my parent's house, and I leaned up it at the end of the picnic table. It started out at an 8' 2x2, and got considerably smaller. The first baton I tested was the 21". I swung it as hard as I could with one hand and struck the 2x2 in the middle, with impact on the baton being about 5" fom the tip. the End of the baton bent forward fron the force of the blow. I was somewhat shocked, but was happy that it had held together at the joints and did not unlock. The 2x2 broke in half. Here is the pic...
Next was the 26" DF baton. I smacked the 2x2 with a two handed swing, and again the baton bent, and again the 2x2 busted in half. The joints stayed together and it did not unlock.
Just to be fair, I did the same with my 26" ASP lightweight, a two handed hard as heck swing, but there was no bending. The 2x2 did not break at the point of impact, possibly because the ASP is alot lighter than the DF and did not hit as hard.
Now for you sickos that wanted me to go the extra mile and really beat the flock out of the batons, I took three wacks with each DF baton on an old cinderblock.
I did not wack the ASP on the block. The Df batons held together, but they did bend a little at each of the joints.
When I was done they looked like this..:
The cinder block was not destroyed by any means, and olny suffered a few chips and dings.
I did have a little fun with the last one here though....
it was a can filled with water hit with the then, oddly shaped 26" baton. with it bent all funny it still packs a wallup.
Conclusion:
I am not dissapointed in the batons. they did not fall apart, and for 1/3 the cost of an ASP, they will serve their purpose. I do not think they would fail under "normal" circumstances. I Did talk to Mike Turber about my results, and we agreed that I may have gone over the edge a little in my testing. He had tested them on a practice dummy with no ill effects. He said he will talk to the manufacturer about possibly heat treating the end rod. He also said he'd replace these ones.
Give these ones a try. IF you do manage to wrap them around someone's head, they are under warrenty
..
YeK
------------------
It is not a matter of whether or not you are paranoid, it is a matter of whether or not you are paranoid enough.
AKTI # A000348
[This message has been edited by Yekim (edited 12 October 1999).]
Here it goes:
I recieved two Dragon Forge batons from Wow last monday. I got the 21" and the 26" versions. I also have a 26" ASP lightweight that I used as a basis for comparison. Before testing I did do a slight modification to the DF batons. The inner rod's flared ends needed to be chamfered a little so they would lock up a little more reliably with a wrist flick. Here is a pic. The one on the left is the ASP, you can see the chamfering done on it, and the sanding I did to the two DF batons..
For the testing I used an old 2x2 from my parent's house, and I leaned up it at the end of the picnic table. It started out at an 8' 2x2, and got considerably smaller. The first baton I tested was the 21". I swung it as hard as I could with one hand and struck the 2x2 in the middle, with impact on the baton being about 5" fom the tip. the End of the baton bent forward fron the force of the blow. I was somewhat shocked, but was happy that it had held together at the joints and did not unlock. The 2x2 broke in half. Here is the pic...
Next was the 26" DF baton. I smacked the 2x2 with a two handed swing, and again the baton bent, and again the 2x2 busted in half. The joints stayed together and it did not unlock.
Just to be fair, I did the same with my 26" ASP lightweight, a two handed hard as heck swing, but there was no bending. The 2x2 did not break at the point of impact, possibly because the ASP is alot lighter than the DF and did not hit as hard.
Now for you sickos that wanted me to go the extra mile and really beat the flock out of the batons, I took three wacks with each DF baton on an old cinderblock.
I did not wack the ASP on the block. The Df batons held together, but they did bend a little at each of the joints.
When I was done they looked like this..:
The cinder block was not destroyed by any means, and olny suffered a few chips and dings.
I did have a little fun with the last one here though....
it was a can filled with water hit with the then, oddly shaped 26" baton. with it bent all funny it still packs a wallup.
Conclusion:
I am not dissapointed in the batons. they did not fall apart, and for 1/3 the cost of an ASP, they will serve their purpose. I do not think they would fail under "normal" circumstances. I Did talk to Mike Turber about my results, and we agreed that I may have gone over the edge a little in my testing. He had tested them on a practice dummy with no ill effects. He said he will talk to the manufacturer about possibly heat treating the end rod. He also said he'd replace these ones.
Give these ones a try. IF you do manage to wrap them around someone's head, they are under warrenty
YeK
------------------
It is not a matter of whether or not you are paranoid, it is a matter of whether or not you are paranoid enough.
AKTI # A000348
[This message has been edited by Yekim (edited 12 October 1999).]
