The History of Gorgtech Foam Arrowheads

The History of Gorgtech Foam Arrowheads

The History of Gorgtech Foam Arrowheads started with pennies and progressed to 1″ steel Disc with a constant commitment to crossgamers. We want LARPers to have fun, meet new people, and play lots of LARP games without breaking the bank.

As of 12/1/2024, all gorgtech modular foam arrowheads are built with Amtgard V8.5.3 Saucy Compliant 1″ diameter solid steel discs to continue passing universally in LARP Sports including Dagorhir,  Belegarth,  Amtgard.

After 2025 we are still and will always be committed to LARPers who cross-game.

The Past: Designed for Cross-Gaming

Gorgtech Foam Arrowhead’s history began more than a decade ago when we started our company. We used a drill press, 4lb puzzle mat, squishy foam, PVC PEX pipe, a box of pennies, and a gallon of DAP to construct our modular arrowheads. Durability and Universality were always two of our top goals. We spent a lot of time considering the rules of Dagorhir, Belegarth, and Amtgard when designing a standard weapon line.

Many weapons are still designed to function well for LARPers who cross-game. This is why our 2025 bootknife has a small haft padding section… It meets the minimum length requirements of Dagorhir (<18″) while also meeting the minimum continuous padding requirements or Belegarth. In contrast, our Belegarth sidearm is made specifically for Belegarth and may not be suitable for cross-gaming. The rules of cross-gaming in LARP sports can be more complicated than learning multiple decks in MAGIC. Gorg the Blacksmith has always attempted to build foam weapons for the benefit of the LARP athlete who wants to cross-game in multiple sports.

Additionally, the secret bat does not have the same fan-favorite taper at the base of the blade (like the classic bat) because Amtgarders requested 2/3 of the weapon to be fully padded without any taper. This is another example of design modification for the benefit of cross-gamers. If there is a small design change that would make gorgtech pass more universally in your games, please reach out!!!

Dagorhir, who historically had the strictest ruleset on weapon construction, specifically required pennies in their construction until a 2022 rule change. The language was “penny-capped”. This meant that the penny had to touch the shaft on the completed arrowhead. Our modular arrowheads are designed to be taped to any store-bought, un-tipped, archery shaft. This means there are no screws, buttons, or latches… just a simple hollow pipe for the archery shaft to slide inside. You can see more about attaching arrowheads here. The point is, that our original design both met and exceeded any safety or construction requirements for Amtgard and exactly met the detailed specifications of Dagorhir.

After a series of rule changes in multiple battle games, Amtgard now has the strictest ruleset for foam archery, requiring a 1″ solid disc at the base of the foam Arrowhead. Read more about Amtgard v8.6 rules here. Since 2022, our design has slowly transitioned from a penny-cap to a penny-sized 0.75″ disc cap, to the 1″ solid disc cap. This design is compliant with all major Foam-Archery Sports Requirements including Dagorhir, Belegarth Amtgard, and more.

The Past: Pennies

The History of Gorgtech Foam Arrowheads started with a wrap of thin foam to build up the pipe to the same diameter of the penny. Then we tightly taped the penny with a strong strapping tape. This base pipe was then dapped into layers of hand carved 4lb foam and topped with a squishy stab tip. The finished product was shaped with a turkey carver and finished with colored fabric and cloth tape.

The goal of this whole design was to keep the penny securely in place in between the foam Arrowhead and the untapped arrow shaft and keep soft foam in between the LARPers face and a flying Arrowhead. We had years of success with this product.

Most of our original supplies were bought in person at Home Depot, Lowes, or Harbor Freight. A few things were bought online and shipped straight to our house. But collecting pennies was always a challenge! Sometimes I would go to the bank and request a BRICK of pennies (it actually looked and felt exactly like a brick). I’d often spend $50 on a box of pennies. This felt so silly. One time, I went to a friend’s house and sorted through a 5-gallon piggy bank to buy all of her pennies off of her. Amazon doesn’t exactly ship pennies! Collecting the specifically required pennies is a funny part of our history. While the new steel discs are more expensive, they are definitely easier to acquire… I call my distributor and they ship me a box… easy peasy.

The Present

Times have changed. Rules have changed. The popularity of LARP battle games has shifted. Our Arrowhead construction has adapted.

The 2025 Gorgtech modular Arrowhead has been updated with improvements to keep LARPers safe and make cross-gaming accessible. Improvements include:

• 1″ solid steel disc cap,
• machine-shaped 4lb base,
• increased consistency of design appearance.

Furthermore, because safety is a top concern of Gorg the Blacksmith, the modular foam Arrowhead still meets and exceeds both the requirements for minimum diameter and minimum padding.

Additionally, we believe that aesthetics are important. We’ve upgraded our turkey carvers for a more consistent (still made in America) pre-shaped 4lb gumdrop. This improves the consistency and uniformity of the finished shape of our arrowheads. Not only are they prettier, but they fly straighter now too.

The Future

Trust Gorg the Blacksmith for your premium foam-fighting sports equipment. We play LARP sports. We are a small business that employs LARPers like you.

As of 12/1/2024, all gorgtech modular foam arrowheads are built with Amtgard V8.5.3 Saucy Compliant 1″ diameter solid steel discs to continue passing universally in LARP Sports including Dagorhir,  Belegarth,  Amtgard. After 2025 we are still and will always be committed to LARPers who cross-game.

Made in America, by Larpers, for cross-gaming in LARP sports.

All Gorgtech arrowheads are Amtgard compliant… and safe for face shots in games that allow it.

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