Calimacil vs. Latex

*Disclaimer: I used to work for Calimacil*

In terms of sheer durability, realism, and bang-for-your-buck, I would absolutely back Calimacil every time. The cores are virtually indestructible, and as has been pointed out, you have to basically rip them with something sharp to damage the foam. They're impervious to temperature changes (don't freeze up in the winter, don't melt in the summer), and with good care (or even not good care) you can get 3-5 year minimum life out of the weapons easily. Also, they're really lovely and realistic looking. As far as your worries about 37" and up, calimacil's weapons actually start at 32", and I believe they even carry some 28" blades now. As far as hardness of the foam, the current formula is MUCH softer than the original that many people here are familiar with, and it also depends on whether or not you're using a thin blade (a la the "Captain Deep") or a thicker hitting surface (a la the "Tarkasis Sabers" that are very popular at KR).

As far as weight... that's a personal preference. I know I enjoy the heavier weighting of calimacil weapons as it feels more realistic, but whenever I use the super-light latex on my NPC shifts it's hard not to notice what a difference being able to swing so quickly makes. Personally I know I sometimes wish that the people swinging at me couldn't move so fast, because there's sometimes something very panic-inducing about it.

Latex might be the way to go if you're worrying about being able to handle a large weapon safely and well, but if you intend to go small (under 37"), I find the heft of the calimacils to be very pleasant at that size. I've mostly stopped using my 36", 2lb cutlass (it was becoming unwieldy, and I was receiving too many complaints about injuries), but you couldn't convince me to give up my 28" for anything.

Can anyone tell me what the difference is between the palnatoke squire series and the ragnarok series? Palnatoke seems like the inexpensive version of calimacil so i will prolly go with one of their swords, i just dont wanna by one of the ones for little little kids.

I wouldn't say that the Palnatoke line is a more inexpensive form of Calamacil. Maybe in durability, but not construction. The Palnatoke line has a kevlar reinforced tip to prevent it from puncturing through. Mine finally broke after 6 years of constant use, and only because the person using the sword fell wrong. If it wasnt for that, i feel it may have lasted another year or two easily. The only other problem I experienced with mine is the latex bubbled. I had accidentally left it in the car one weekend, and the heat caused the latex to bubble and get sticky. Outside of that, i love it, and will probably be replacing it with another Palnatoke.

As far as the Ragnarok line you mentioned, I suggest staying away from them. They are the ones designed for ages 6-12, and while more inexpensive, they are much softer and a lot less durable. I personally purchased one as a backup weapon, and it only lasted me a year and a half. They are also all much shorter than a standard length one handed weapon, bordering on 30" at best. Also, the big difference between the Squire and Classic lines if I remember correctly is that the Classic is balanced and the handle is weighted, whereas the Squire line is not.