Wood props NOT banned at AN 2018. (It was a rumor.)

[miyatree]

Last year when I was getting my prop checked (a painted wooden baseball bat), I was told by the ladies checking it that wood would no longer be allowed at Anime North in 2018. I haven't seen any updates to the weapons policy since, so I was just curious if that was true? I would like to start construction of this year's prop (a spear which ideally is made of wood...) but I don't want to get in to it without knowing if I can even bring it. And if wood does get banned, does that just include inside the building? Can we still walk around outside as long as we don't bring it in? Thanks in advance

[folsensory]

I would like to know the answer to this as well! I have my main prop for AN2018 made already (spear with craft foam blade & wooden dowel handle/shaft) & I'm very proud of it so I hope that wooden elements won't be banned!

[direkitty]

Also curious, I will attempt to find someone who can give a definitive answer on this as I have wood props I regularly bring....

[Deleted]

I am also quite curious, especially since I wasn't told anything of the sort myself. My props are always wooden, so I'd need to adjust my budget for other materials if wood is suddenly no longer allowed.

[folsensory]

Yeah exactly, wood is such a widely used material because of the price compared to other materials... I can maybe understand not allowing certain elements if a prop to be made of wood (blades & such) but completely banning wood sounds like it would be really problematic

[Alset4Panels]

Surprise surprise, I too would like to know the answer. I have a few cosplans myself already, one of which involves a prop made out of wood for last year's Anime North. I unfortunately didn't get to debut it because of personal reasons causing me to leave the convention early. So, would be nice to have the heads up as to whether or not I can even bring it to AN at all. Would also help in knowing to let my significant other know depending on how he goes about doing his cosplans for the year. Any updates anyone gets would be greatly appreciated ^^

[starglazeddonut]

Is there going to be an update on this? The AN website says:  "NO metal weapons [...] Plastic or wood that LOOK'S like metal is permitted." (couldn't find another mention of wooden props)

so I am assuming that wood is okay, however I don't want to be in a situation where I build a wooden prop and then I'm told that it's banned at weapons check cuz the policy wasn't updated online...

[starglazeddonut]

So I emailed the Weapons Master about this question and he told me that wood as a prop building material is NOT banned. Just follow the rules laid out here and you should be fine. It states that wooden/plastic weapons that look like metal are fine. 

However in the case of the wooden baseball bat, they may be getting a ban. As of right now they are not banned, however that may be subject to change. The Weapons Master suggests that anyone utilizing a bat in their cosplay to use a foam/plastic one instead of a wooden one to be on the safe side in case a wooden bat ban does occur. 

Now we know so after the snow melts it is time to craft wooden weapons! YAAAAAAAAAAAAA~!

[direkitty]

Thank you... i dropped the ball on this. :3

[knightofhope]

Hi Everyone

Talked to the weapons master about wooden baseball bats We would like to discourage them you can use foam or plastic but wooden baseball bats are NOT BANNED so they will be allowed at Anime North 2019 as long as nobody does anything stupid with them.