One of the phrases we use pretty often at CK Maceworks is that our plate loadable mace is the only mace you need to buy.
That doesn't mean there aren't cheaper ways to start swinging a mace. There absolutely are. You can buy a handful of lighter fixed weight maces and potentially spend less upfront than you would on one of our handles, a loading pin, and a stack of brand new plates.
But upfront cost isn't really the point we're making.
The value of a plate loadable mace is what happens after you buy it.
A Small Stack of Plates Gives You a Lot of Maces
Say you have a few 5 lb plates for your CK Mace.
On their own, those already give you several loading options. But add a single 2.5 lb plate and suddenly you've created intermediate weights between those 5 lb jumps.
Add a 1.25 lb plate and you have even more.
Combine the two and the number of possible loading combinations keeps growing.
Two inexpensive change plates can turn a small stack of weight into dozens of different loading options without buying another mace.
That's one of the biggest advantages of a plate loadable system: your equipment doesn't dictate your progression.
Microloading Matters With Mace Training
A few pounds might not sound like much if you're used to traditional strength training.
On the end of a mace, it's a different story.
Because the weight is positioned away from your hands at the end of a long lever, even relatively small changes in load can create a noticeable difference during a swing.
That's especially important for newer mace swingers.
Going from one fixed mace to another might require a fairly substantial jump in weight. With a plate loadable mace, you can add 1.25 or 2.5 lbs instead.
That allows you to gradually expose your muscles, tendons, connective tissue, grip, and technique to more load instead of forcing large jumps just because that's the next mace available.
You don't need to rush progression. You can earn it a couple pounds at a time.
Weight Isn't the Only Variable
Plate loading also lets you experiment with how the mace is loaded.
Five pound plates, 10 pound plates, smaller change plates, different combinations and different loading pins can alter the distribution of mass at the end of the handle.
Two setups can be similar in total weight while feeling slightly different during the swing.
As you become more experienced with mace training, those differences become increasingly noticeable.
Instead of owning a collection of maces that each give you one predetermined setup, you have a system you can continue experimenting with.
The Loading Potential Doesn't Really Have an Endpoint
There's another part of our mace design that makes this idea even more interesting.
Our loading system uses a common 1 inch threaded connection.
That means weight plates aren't necessarily the end of the story.
If you can safely and securely build something around the appropriate threaded connection, you can create entirely different mace heads and loading configurations.
We've seen custom concrete heads, and there's potential for wood and other materials as well.
That's something we love about the system: we don't really know where the upper limit is.
We've loaded our longest pin to roughly 120 lbs using 10 lb plates. Very few people are going to need anywhere near that much weight for mace swinging, but that's exactly the point.
You're probably not going to outgrow the handle.
Buy More Weight, Not Another Mace
We have nothing against fixed weight maces. They can be great tools, and depending on what someone wants out of their training, they may make perfect sense.
But the philosophy behind the CK Mace is different.
Instead of buying another mace every time you get stronger, add a plate.
Instead of being forced into a large jump in weight, add 1.25 or 2.5 lbs.
Instead of owning a rack full of different maces, build one system that can change alongside your training.
That's what we mean when we say it's the only mace you need to buy.
You're not buying one weight.
You're buying the ability to create the mace you need today—and keep changing it as you get stronger.