Question regarding the weapons policy

Looking through the side menu, I came across this. I'm not sure if this helps clarify a few things, but it should give you a small idea.

No weapons or any item that can be easily mistaken for one may be carried either openly or concealed at any time in convention space, regardless of any concealed carry permits you may possess. Padded swords, bokken and similar striking implements used to practice swordplay may not be used in any convention area. Weapon replicas may be worn as part of a costume only at the Masquerade and during convention-sponsored costuming events at the discretion of the Masquerade Director, and must be cased or otherwise secured when being transported to and from that event. If you have any questions as to the permissibility of a prop for your masquerade performance, please contact the Masquerade Director prior to the convention.

Hi -

I'm Steve 'Sgt. Steve' Simmons, #2 on the security crew. Giza forwarded your question to Rene and I.

The short answer is that from the description you give above, we'd probably not want you carrying it around the hotel lobby as is.

The middle answer is that it's a judgment call, and we (Rene, me, Mark Osier, the #3) would make a final decision when we see the item itself.

The long answer is, well, long. Here it is. It speaks only for me, not for Rene or Mark, who necessarily will have their own nuances. Yes, I'll talk about how we resolve those nuance things when I get near the end. If I forget, please nudge me.

There are two antithetical problems here. The more realistic the weapon, the less likely it will be to pass. That's a problem for security folks. The less realistic the weapon, the less interesting and useful it is to you as part of your costuming. That's a problem for you and other costuming folks. So we make some situational decisions. Here's how I look at and evaluate a prop weapon when asked.

The first question is always always always: Did the owner come to us first and ask? If he didn't, it means the owner didn't read the rules before signing and isn't as likely to get the benefit of the doubt. You, by asking the right question here, are clearly someone who pays attention, so you're already on my good side. On the other hand, Rene and Mark probably aren't reading this note. So check in.

Want to wear it in the fursuit parade? No problem. Let us examine it and know your intent well before the parade so we can inspect it and see that it is what you say it is, and you're cool for the parade. Under some circumstance we may want it covered or escorted during transit; see next paragraph for more detail.

Want to wear it walking around on the convention floor? Even if we deem it to be visibly not a real weapon, we'd still want it peace-bonded. That means it would have to be locked into it's sheath somehow such that it cannot be drawn without use of tools. Wired down, zip-tied, exact method doesn't matter. It has to be easily visible that it's locked down. The visibility requirement is important. We'd hate for both us and you to be pestered with people reporting weapons on the floor. There are about 50 of us, and you don't really want to be stopped 50 times to have it inspected. That disrupts your day and sucks up our time. It also prevents claims of favoritism when we've banned someone's prop for not being peace-bonded and then he sees yours but doesn't see the peace-bonding. So yes, visibility is important. And sadly, sometimes it detracts from the prop.

Want to wear it for a special event, such as a skit, presentation, etc? That can be arranged. Check in with us at conops well in advance. If your item can be stored in a prop bag, etc, great. That way it never appears on the main convention floor, and doesn't cause disruption. We'll alert the folks manning the event room that you'll have the item and that it's been cleared. So long as you take it out only in the room during the scheduled event, all is cool. If it can't fit into a prop bag, then we'll arrange an escort to get you from your room to the event and back. At first glance, you might say there was no way your scythe would fit into a prop bag. But what if you made the handle from something that telescoped, or that unscrewed like a fancy pool cue? Or the center pole of one of these Torchier (sp?) lamps that unscrews into 3 pieces? The scythe head and unscrewed handle pieces would fit nicely in a prop bag. Be creative. We like creativity. We reward it whenever we can.

Want to wear it to the dance? Almost certainly not. In the case of your item, definitely not. Anything that's the length and hardness of a staff or sword is right out. Even if you are as careful as can be, that doesn't prevent some enthusiastic but unobservant person from stepping into your space and getting whacked by the sheath. Swords, quarterstaffs, etc, are all banned from the dance.

Coming back to the topic of the con floor, I should mention that there are some things that simply can't be peace-bonded. A quarterstaff, even if strapped to your wrist, is still a quarterstaff. Your scythe sounds difficult to be peace-bonded, but I've been surprised before. Sometimes folks come up with really creative ways of peace-bonding. Convince us that it can't be used and can't accidentally hurt someone, and you're good to go.

I hang out here on a semi-regular basis and will get email when this item is updated, so bounce some ideas around and see what you can come up with. We happy to bounce ideas around with you and see if there's a way to do it that meets our level of concern. The better your suit works, the more fun the con is for you and for us.

And for you other folks reading this, did I mention checking in with us? Bunny is doing an excellent job here, and you should all learn from his example.

As to how we resolve the nuances - each of us is man on the spot for about 1/3 of the day, and the man on the spot make the decisions. The other two honor the decision made by the original duty officer, even if they disagree with it. So if I say yes, Rene and Mark aren't going to override me. They may come back and tell me privately that I made a bad decision, but we don't change it. I factor their opinion into the next judgment call, they factor mine in. After years of doing this, we tend to make the same decisions.

But this also means folks shouldn't go judge shopping. If I think it's a near thing but say 'no,' I always inform the other two. If the same person comes back looking for a different opinion, he'll get a chilly reception. So should I say "no" and you want to appeal to Rene, please do me the courtesy of telling me so. This lets me discuss the issue with him in advance and alert him to any specific risks I see. That way both he and I can be confident we've got a clear picture as to the concerns and can make the best-informed decision.

Since a sythe is not a weapon, it shouldn't.

from Wikipedia:

A scythe (IPA: /ˈsaɪð/, from Old English siðe[1].) is an agricultural hand tool for mowing grass or reaping crops. It was largely replaced by horse-drawn and then tractor machinery, but is still used in some areas of Europe and Asia.

no mention of weaponry