Rapier:Inspecting equipment - General information

General information

1. At each event, the marshal-in-charge must arrange for the inspection of all equipment to be used in combat (e.g., armor and weapons). This in no way relieves the individual combatants of their responsibility for following the equipment standards.
2. The purpose of our rules, standards and inspections is to reduce the chance of injury for those who participate. Even with those rules and standards, all of our combat activities can lead to injury.
3. Ultimately, the fighter is responsible for the condition and safety of the armor and weapons they use at all times.
   • This includes periods between bouts, between battles, and day to day periods between battles at a multi-day event.
   • Equipment that was perfectly serviceable at the beginning of the previous event or day could have broken since, and even the most experienced fighter can occasionally forget some piece of armor.
   • The marshal's inspection is intended to provide a second pair of experienced eyes and an outside point of view.
4. As a marshal, you are not guaranteeing or certifying that anything is completely safe, or that its use is without risk.
   1. The primary responsibility for the safety of weapons and armor remains with the fighter.
   2. You are inspecting to see whether the item (armor, weapon, how the armor sits on the fighter, etc.) complies with our published standards or not.
   3. Weapons or armor that do not comply with our standards must not be used.
5. If you (as a warranted marshal) do not believe that the weapon or armor is safe, do not let it be used on the field regardless of whether it meets all other requirements.
6. When in doubt, ask for a second opinion from another warranted marshal. Only a warranted marshal is allowed to make final decisions about weapons and armor.
7. Properly carrying out your duties as an officer of the SCA and a marshal will indemnify you in case the corporation or its officers (of which you are one) are sued.
8. The sample inspections, listed below, are not meant to be comprehensive for every item in the rules. Marshals are encouraged to use their best judgement to conduct any aspect of an inspection more thoroughly.