Hacking up a sword

[Sir Edward]

OK... so here's the deal. Sir Brian and I were discussing options for (and this makes me gnash my teeth and cringe) hacking the blade off of a sword to make a hilt+scabbard prop to wear to the renfaires that don't allow complete weapons to be worn as garb items.

Anyone have some good recommendations for inexpensive swords with pretty hilts that would be period-appropriate for late 13th or early 14th century? These can be real clunky wall hangers with non-tempered blades... and of course, that might even be better since we're talking about cutting through the steel.

I'm still half-tempted to get another Hanwei practical single-hand trainer, but I know there are cheaper options out there for something that is essentially going to be destroyed.

[Sir Wolf]

http://www.kultofathena.com/product~item~PAKLI3112~name~Brass+Hilt+Crusader+Sword.htm

http://www.kultofathena.com/product~item~GZ6002~name~Headless+Horseman+Sword.htm

http://www.kultofathena.com/product~item~SW669~name~Lord%27s+Broad+Sword.htm

http://www.kultofathena.com/product~item~M3060~name~Phantom+Short+Sword.htm

http://www.kultofathena.com/product~item~SW620E~name~Kings+Two+Handed+Sword.htm

http://www.kultofathena.com/product~item~PAKLI3224~name~Wald+Sword.htm

http://www.kultofathena.com/product~item~BK1368~name~Barbarossa+Sword.htm

http://www.kultofathena.com/product~item~SW672~name~Lion%27s+Head+Sword.htm

http://www.kultofathena.com/product~item~SW610~name~Wizard+Sword.htm

http://www.kultofathena.com/product~item~BK780~name~Black+Baron+Sword.htm

http://www.kultofathena.com/product~item~SW626DLS~name~Ranger+Sword.htm

http://www.kultofathena.com/product~item~SW651~name~Sword+of+the+White+City.htm

http://www.kultofathena.com/product~item~SW668~name~Duke%27s+Broad+Sword.htm


here's a few on kult of athena that were in the 20-50 range theres a few really nice one's in there that i'd like to do that with, i don't know if there were any under 20 bucks, i didn't look but here's teh link: http://www.kultofathena.com/under20.htm

as to cutting the blade off, it would be easy to use the cutting blade on my angle grinder, maybe take 5 seconds.

[Sir Edward]

Oh, I forgot to mention that one of the requirements is a rigid scabbard that it can be glued into. Many of the swords I looked at on KoA either didn't have one, or had a leather one. I suppose one could be fashioned, and with most of the blade gone, the fit wouldn't have to be precise. But I also don't want to put a lot of time and effort in either.

[Sir Wolf]

a wooden scabbard is easy. especially if u only have to grind out 3 inches or so of the inside.  it takes 1 piece of 1/4 inch poplar that is 6 inch wide by about 3-4 ft long. they sell it at lowes in the specialty section. then u just have to stitch up a leather outter and your done.

[Sir Brian]

Heck I might have to jump on a couple of those deals just to add some variety to my
harness!

Oh and don't worry Sir Ed...the pain of what you must do to the sword eventually fades. 

[Sir Edward]

Yeah, some of these might work. Others are way too fantasy for my tastes (for faire).

Out of Chuck's suggestions, these wouldn't be bad: (and I wonder if I kept more of the blade, if that would keep a leather scabbard rigid and also give me more surface area to epoxy):

http://www.kultofathena.com/product~item~PAKLI3112~name~Brass+Hilt+Crusader+Sword.htm

http://www.kultofathena.com/product~item~SW669~name~Lord%27s+Broad+Sword.htm

http://www.kultofathena.com/product~item~SW668~name~Duke%27s+Broad+Sword.htm

... though that last one is a little later period I think.


And Sir Brian suggested this one last year:

http://www.twiggystreasures.com/koh-1-2.html

[Sir Brian]

Oh yeah! I had forgotten about that one!
...hmm that looks pretty good and a decent price as well!

[Sir Edward]

http://www.kultofathena.com/product~item~SW669~name~Lord%27s+Broad+Sword.htm

I decided to try the one above. For $20, it's hard to go wrong. If I ruin it, I'm not out a lot of money. I may leave more of the blade on it than I originally planned, and use it to keep the scabbard rigid. I'm not sure I want to take much time and effort to make a hard scabbard for it.

Ugh, I can't believe I ordered a $20 SLO.

[Sir Wolf]

put a piece of wood down in the scabbard. that should keep it rigid

[Sir Edward]

True, I could do that.

[Sir Brian]

Something I've noticed with my newly acquired sword frog from the Inner Bailey...
http://www.theinnerbailey.com/frogsofthecircle3.htm
is the constant need to hold the sword because of the imbalance between the hilt
and the now empty scabbard. 

I've been contemplating various methods of correcting this and the best method I
could come up with is to drill a small access hole into the scabbard and pour a sufficient
amount of sand to act as a counter-weight to the hilt.
I will then try to pour some white glue into the hole and hopefully it will act as a stopper
in preventing the sand from shifting too much. I have an ornament on hand I can use to
epoxy onto the scabbard to cover up the access hole.

I post this as a lesson learned and a recommendation to anyone else interested in hacking
up a sword to put some counter-weight in the scabbard BEFORE you epoxy the hilt to the
scabbard! 

[Dragonlover]

Sir Brian, could you add a weighted throat on the end of your scabbard?
I couldn't remember if you have one there or not. Might save you the trouble
of going back inside the scabbard.

[Sir Brian]

I did consider that but I don't really have anything that would look decent. 
The scabbard already has a chape which I don't want to mess around with and risk
the possibility of screwing it up beyond repair. 

[Dragonlover]

I can relate to that! Hopefully this is a good lesson learned for all
of us. hope all goes well with your efforts and keep us all posted!

[Dragonlover]

 I apologize Sir Brian, I didn't mean to suggest the throat or the chape,
I meant the tip end. I couldn't remember what your sword had on the
tip, i.e. a metal fitting on the end that you could possibly weight, etc.