The Longsword blade is designed to flex in the last one-third of its length towards the tip, allowing for much safer thrusting than with conventional wooden wasters or shinai. The blade/tang joint is reinforced by a high tensile steel rod running along the full length of the handle, so removing the handle flex typically associated with plastic training swords.The blades are crafted in a special-purpose high-impact polymer to provide strong and flexible sparring characteristics. In sparring activity they should be used in conjunction with appropriate protective clothing.