The merits and demerits of full face masks - a debate

We're strapping a helmet to your noggin to hide your shame I just need to add the fieldgrau paint as the fine sands arrived, that or a cover.

Face masks are fine at Gunman games, I am sure no one has ever been hated or made to feel unwelcome at anything Josh has done, ever. Then again I am unaware of encountering any such attitude at any event run by anyone, it is why things are discussed here so thoroughly, so organisers can put up clear concise information on what is required of their events, avoiding any undue awkwardness on the day.

However,

1: no one has lost or damaged a tooth at a WWII day, ever - and teeth protection is covered by a gumshield/keeping ones mouth closed. Discussions about the threat of teeth loss are akin to discussion on the 'fear of crime' being akin to 'actual crime'.

2: As has been said time and again, the events we are talking about are the ones which are in no way like open days, encounters there are simply not relevant. We are not playing airsoft, we are using airsoft weapons. Does this apply to all events on here? No, of course not. But those events which are more akin to the open day will continue to allow full face masks, they are not what is being discussed.

No doubt someone will cut and paste bits of this and attack me with a passion

Dreadful line-of-reasoning aside, your whole argument boils down to this: You want to wear a face mask and you want game organisers to let you.
The good news is that the vast majority will. The bad news is that a few won't. If you think that's the moral equivalent to Kristallnacht, that's your problem, not ours.

EDIT:
Have we considered the possibility that wearing full face masks might actually INCREASE the likelihood of injury overall? It's pretty well know that seatbelt laws and the proliferation of safety features in modern cars haven't helped to reduce road deaths as people are more likely to drive like twots if they feel super-safe. In fact if anyone has ever driven a classic car or motorcycle with lots of non-bendy bits that can skewer you if you crash, you'll know that you drive it much more carefully than a Ford Mundano with anti-lock brakes and more airbags than a balloon factory.

When AGS did a site recce for Sandpit, we all went in WWII gear with shooting specs. None of us had the balls to fight inside the CQB areas as the Darth Vader Kru were going CQ-Krazy. When we ran the actual game (and not one person wore a mask), the nature of the room to room fighting was very different.

Food for fought.

Personally i don't like face masks, but i cant see how it would spoil the immersion of an event anymore than a german (or american for that matter) running round hollerin' in a cockney or northern accent
I'll stick to my shooting glasses, but if people wanna give thier mug a little extra protection, i have no quarrel

though if some one can convert and can manage a day in a "era" gasmask, go for it haha!

I'm pretty sure someone did this at one of our tunnel games. Evo or Gadge perhaps, or that could have just been pictures of one of their nights out...

....although i would just like to say, i have some what rethought my position...

Excellent, that is the purpose of this thread - not to annoy, inflame or get people uppity, but to get them thinking.

though if some one can convert and can manage a day in a "era" gasmask, go for it haha!

I'm pretty sure someone did this at one of our tunnel games. Evo or Gadge perhaps, or that could have just been pictures of one of their nights out...

Barrie and Anne made some, and they looked really good.

though if some one can convert and can manage a day in a "era" gasmask, go for it haha!

I'm pretty sure someone did this at one of our tunnel games. Evo or Gadge perhaps, or that could have just been pictures of one of their nights out...

Barrie and Anne made some, and they looked really good.

Ah yes. Pretty sure they used them 'recreationally, too.

Barrie and Anne made some, and they looked really good.

Oh yes, they were very nice "respirator" style jobbys. I recall being impressed at the time.

While we wind back the hands of time lets take a look at these.

History and the forum do repeat themselves

viewtopic.php?f=31&t=1456&hilit=mask

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1652&hilit=mask

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2876&p=47498&hilit=mask#p47498

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=4396&p=68546&hilit=mask#p68546

viewtopic.php?f=75&t=4561&hilit=mask

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6175&hilit=mask

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6175&hilit=mask

and the big one viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3904&hilit=mask

Look at page 4 viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3904&hilit=mask&start=45

I use a double-gum shield from decathlon. They're in the boxing section. Why a double gum shield and not single? Well the tooth I had shot out was a lower one!

fandanglos should be reading this as he had a filling shot out of his teeth

at the gulch game, I had part of my front tooth shot out by a tanaka k98, and I was wearing a gum guard,

I staged a fall at school at school the next day, as my parents are not too fond of airsoft, and look for any excuse to get me out of this "unhealthy sport"...

so I now support full face masks.

at the gulch game, I had part of my front tooth shot out by a tanaka k98, and I was wearing a gum guard,

I staged a fall at school at school the next day, as my parents are not too fond of airsoft, and look for any excuse to get me out of this "unhealthy sport"...

so I now support full face masks.

So I guess when we said we'd not heard of any teeth being shot out at a wwii airsoft game... we were wrong.

However I still say that it's a lot less than at normal airsoft events!

As mentioned before my tooth was shot out at Urban Assault on a normal open day.

Well, as I mentioned, some WWII games are more open day then others... Gulch was definitely on the open day side of things

However good research Oddball, wish I had looked it up myself as it quite clearly shows how people bring this 'idea' of the facemask when they enter the hobby from open days, and rather encouragingly quickly see there is no need for it.

Genuine 1918 pic of Stosstrupp bloke. I especially like the bedspring ear-thingys and the carphone ariel. Testament to the old adage - Go Large or Go Home.

Re Stosstrupp bloke. They're no springs. they're hooks for hanging spare bags of BB's. Love the look. Do you think I could pick up one of these outfits on Ebay ?

Barrie and Anne made some, and they looked really good.

Ah yes. Pretty sure they used them 'recreationally, too.

Lol, no Headshot he's talking about our WWII ones.

I made those actually for my little sister and her husband, Paul, in response to the first WWII game they came to, when Paul got lit up by a full auto Thompson burst to the face from about 2m away and I didn't want them to get put off from coming again.

The point being, it does happen at WWII games, and it can happen to anyone.

Bloody hell that was a lot of reading! Thats one of the reasone I never go in here much these days...its just taken me an hour to read it all

My personel thoughts and Gunman AIrsofts.

Josh
I personally hate wearing full face masks of any kind and think they can be dangerouse as you have limited vision (this is a personal choice)
I use scrim/scarf if Im worried about me teath, this is in all the theatres and periods i play/run.
I would prefer if all players used heavy scarves instead of face masks in all filmsim games. Prefer has no hidden agenda, I dont think any less of anyone that wears one!!

Gunman.
We recomend a full facwe mask as you will get shot in the face!
By NOT wearing one it actually removes you from the insurance all together unless the policy states it allows googles or safety glasses! (which ours does) This will mean your uninsured! bet you didnt all know that!
Gunman Will always be inclusive but runs games for every player to attend ...anyone thinking of wearing a full face mask as flying lead will be given a scarf or full refund;)

FIlmsim events are all about the experience and effort made by all that take part, we pionered 300rnds and real steal limits to help reduce the fire power of the game and return it to more an experience that uses airsoft to settle combat! Some one mentioned filmsim is more gungho, a battle weekend would be a bit shit if you had no shooting but filmsim is bigger than just battle weekends, its a foundation of rules to wrok from and an ethos to follow.

Now then, my opinion on this thread is it was so nearly a great debate but hearts got pulled in over minds and to be fare, a few antaganistic comments have dulled its reading a bit. Experience in something that should be a wisdom to pass on not a tool for making a point. but who am i to stall an opinion!
I also think the topic is to easily misreadable, i did think when I started reading it and other threads, it was a 'LETS BAN FACE MASKS FROM WW2' and my first feeling was...GET FUCKED!!NOT ON MY WATCH then after reading the whole bloody thing again and the other threads (CW could you just itemise these threads from now on and ill get my people to talk to your people ) I realised what a fantastic consept and direction this was taking the game.
So, summed up.
Would I go to an event that banned facemasks, hell yes I would wear a thick period looking scarf if consened. If everyone else is playing it, thats the rules!
Would I ban them from my games...FUCK NO, commertial suiced! but would encourage other means if realy needed! I do with kit and weapons to the point we own so much free rental kit, that know one has an excuse!
Would I wear a gum shield FUCK NO (cause I never swear on forums and just felt like I needed to do it again ) liberating actauly!

The key thing here and its been touched on a few times is that there is only ONE hobby in discussion 'Airsoft' and it has so many faces and flavours that no one should ever try to own it or disagree with what some else wants to do with it.... unless is against the law
wubsx

Hehe, saw you reading the thread for ages and you began to post then disappeared. Bugger I thought. But no, back you came with a super, considered post, using your experience as a tool for making a point. Oh, wait... Anyhoo, hope it shows others that just getting uppity doesn't get anyone anywhere but thoughtful contributions do!

Oh, and a while back I said I'd do a bit of a test on gum shields - bought two different types, one upper only and another that covers upper and lower. And now I've remembered why I never replaced my old lost gum shield - keep them in for more than a minutes I start to gag, which is a bit weird. I'll persevere for a while before coming to a conclusion...

Now then, my opinion on this thread is it was so nearly a great debate but hearts got pulled in over minds and to be fare, a few antaganistic comments have dulled its reading a bit. Experience in something that should be a wisdom to pass on not a tool for making a point.

Agreed Josh I think the last part of the above quote is what disapointed me from some of the veteran players in the debate.

As this debate started a lot of new players who were about to play their first WW2 game at Greenback got involved in the debate, some who keen to wear facemasks at events. Although the occasional newcomer got carried away, I dont think the 'Old Guard' covered themselves in glory.

Those dozen or so youngsters who attended Josh's game had a fantastic attitude and got stuck right into the spirit of the game, so much so you would have thought they were veterans of 20 WW2 games and all credit to them I hope they return for many more, this hobby needs new blood like these lads.

I think I only saw about 3 or 4 of them with face masks including one young lad in my squad (who was slapped down in the debate by an older player), he soon removed his realising it wasnt necessary in this style of game and kept it in his pocket just in case.

Im sure people will point out to me what they percieve the purpose of a debate to be and believe their comments to be justified, but I believe any debate is only worthwhile if you are prepared to take on board the other persons point of view, if not you are arguing and we only do that to 'win'.

I think these young lads at Josh's game not only showed that they could take on board the other persons point of view but that they could teach us old un's a thing or two.

using your experience as a tool for making a point.

I completely misread this. I thought you were calling Josh a tool for a second! Good post Josh.

I did, but edited the post