Sword name: Davy Jones Chopper. Wow, I can't believe the first sword is a "fake" one. I mean, I believe you, but... wow. And that was just a side quest? It looks so good on camera.
Can the name be anything other than "The Kraken"? Also, Nice go for a first "complex hilted" sword! The style is quite attractive with a bit of whimsy thrown in. I would suggest some fencing lessons to get you to the next level of sword making. Namely, all 3 swords are reasonably good blade-wise (at least from a distance), but are too large in the hilt. Try the handle on a metal or composite baseball bat without the grip tape for a better sense for what the girth of a sword handle should be. The Kraken's handle wood is also a finger+ too long and the knuckle bow is similarly too large. This is pretty common mistake in films. Lastly, you really need to do a Sparrow themed saber :)
Forget fencing, he should take up HEMA instead and really learn how to use a rapier. He should also watch some HEMA channels, I recommend Skallagrim and Scholagladiatoria, for more in depth info on how historical European swords are designed and used.
The tang on the Viking sword seems kind of large and flat. Most sword tangs I've seen are very fine and square. This includes Viking swords. Also do you make the swords out of flat sheet steel? If so you might want to grind it thinner towards the point to create a distal taper. It's very important
One other thing, the hilt of the sword should be flattened, sort of ovoid or a rounded rectangle and not perfectly cylindrical. The reason being is that having a flattened hilt helps with edge alignment, when the hilt is perfectly round the user has a hard time telling which way the edge of his sword is facing without having to take time to look at time. With a flattened hilt he can instantly feel where his edge is because it lines up with the distinct top and bottom of the hilt.
I would like to see a prop sword made to look like a pattern welded (aka Damascus) blade. The texturing and pattern in the blade would be really interesting to see made into something like foam, or some other materials.
While I understand that Chris has access to Weta Workshops massive array of crafting equipment, what does he suggest to start with to get into sword making? I'd like to be able to make metal blades to go with foam as it as been a dream of mine for a while.
hay bill, do you have any experience in makeing larp save weapons? i'm quite ok at makeing props but i'm really struggling at makeing larp swords lately. no matter how much i read about the subject i cant get it right.
yea i know that already but i still have quite a lot of problems actually working with latex. oh well, guess i have to read a little bit more and look for tips. anyways thanks :)
thanks i will. EDIT: hu! god no! thanks for the tip but no. i just skiped through his videos that is absolutely not what i am looking for. it's the "american" aproach on larp weapons with lots of duct tape instead of latex finishes. you can't run around like that here in europe :D
thx very much. :) unfortunatly as far as my experiences go so far just latex is not enough in the long run. there is some pu-finish needed as well and at the moment i'm trying out different products.
I would really like to make a helmet (halo 5 recruit) but I can't find any good templates. how do I go about making one without one? how do I figure out the dimensions and sizes?
I'd go to the RPF (Replica Prop Forum), there's lots of info on making things like not only the Master Chief's helmet but his entire suit of armor. The 2 most common and practical methods people use are foam and Pepakura, which is like foam but with paper, resin, Bondo, and lots of sanding. You'll see info on people making all sorts of things using both methods and even some who use the more involved vacuforming method. There's also a dedicated HALO costuming group out there with their own dedicated website/forum but I forget the name though. Just do a search and you'll find them, they should have patterns available (both foam and Pep) there for sale or download.
Cosplay swords are the replicas of the real swords but are made up of foam for safety purposes. They are getting famous day by day because lots of people use them in LARP, cosplay or Halloween. ... read more: www.slideshare.net/jasondavid034/pros-and-cons-of-buying-real-swords-knives-deal
