As part of my ongoingefforts into modernizing sports, I’ve been doing some brainstorming…on using chainsaws in fencing. Specifically, could you parry an opponent’s “blade” with a chainsaw of your own without damaging your own weapon’s chain into inoperability?
And, if not, what might be the best way around this problem—some kind of guard for the side of the “bar”? Or adopting some manner of specialized main-gauche?
I regret to say that I don’t have enough experience with chainsaw use to say what kind, size or model of chainsaw would be used in such a “sport.” Although, obviously, if a parrying dagger was to be used, that’d limit the size of the primary weapon.
Would anyone care to weigh in?
(Also…apologies, but this actually did seem to qualify as a GQ. God help us.)
If you adjusted the clutch to slip at the slightest provocation such that when the chains of the 2 saws locked, their clutches would both slip, then both saws should be fine.
However for the purpose of emulating a rapier more closely, bumper bars could be added to the guide bar. I’m thinking of something solid steel, maybe 1/4" thick that would go from the tip to the housing along the top and bottom of the guide bar on both sides. Maybe it could be angled up (toward the chain) to make engaging the chain directly more difficult, but not impossible.
This would also leave the tip mostly free for thrusting.
A half-round section of concrete or other abrasive material affixed to either side of the blade - the material properties could be adjusted depending on whether the intent was to permit extended blocking, or to damage the attacking opponent’s blade.
Whatever you do, if the chains hit each other there’s a good chance of one or both binding or breaking. I’d like to add that this is one of the stupidest ideas I’ve heard recently.
Another problem: Doesn’t a chainsaw blade pull towards the user? I’d want to reverse it, to kick the enemy blade away from me, rather than pulling it closer.
One bottom pulls, the top pushes. Either way, when the chain breaks it’s most likely to hit you. That doesn’t matter which chain on which saw breaks, that’s the way chain saws are.
If your motors were electric it would be a simple thing to have it reverse when encountering more than X load. If a freakin paper shredder can do it, why not a chainsword.
A chainsaw running at speed is quite a different machine to a paper shredder, is why not. It would be very.hard to engineer a chainsaw that instantly reverses direction without self-destructing
Back in the early days of those robot combat events (Robot Wars, Battlebots, etc) some of the competitors tried to use chainsaws as weapons. It turns out that chainsaws make for terrible weapons. The mechanism is far too fragile, the first good impact against something hard either breaks the chain or jams the mechanism. Hitting one chainsaw against another would probably result in both failing.
Maybe what you really want here is a set of extra large, extra strong, electric knives. They use more of a back-and-forth sawing motion; much more conducive to active swordplay, and just as gore-inducingly-effective as a chainsaw.
Now, now, lets cut him a little slack. I think it’s a fine idea, considering there has been a serious proposal to weaponize a chainsaw for military use. If your interested here’s a rough sketch of this black ops weapon:
