For the kinds of stage-combat swords discussed here, two materials are ordinarily suitable for the blade: properly heat-treated steel and the more expensive but significantly lighter heat-treated aluminum alloy, often called “aircraft aluminum.”
Fighting with an aluminum blade makes life much easier for the actor, but aluminum swords must be matched only against compatible aluminum weapons. Tempered aluminum is relatively soft, and even a cheap steel blade can gouge it badly enough to render it useless after only a few rehearsals. A properly constructed steel broadsword can be matched with a much wider range of fight-grade weapons. As a choreographer, I prefer steel.
Material is only a starting point, not an instant seal of approval. A blade described as “carbon steel” is not necessarily suitable for fighting. Fight-worthiness depends upon the blade’s heat treatment, construction, condition, and compatibility with both the opposing weapon and the choreography. Any unfamiliar sword must therefore be examined carefully before it is placed in an actor’s hand.
Begin With the Blade
First, look at the flat. Most blades will have a manufacturer’s logo stamped near the shoulder. That is normal, although not required.
Ornate engraving or acid etching should raise concern. It does not prove that the blade is untempered, but in my experience it is frequently found on decorative swords never intended to withstand blade contact.
Country of origin is not conclusive either. Nevertheless, over forty years of handling literally tens of thousands of swords, I found remarkably consistent differences among blades made in different countries. Markings such as “India,” “Spain,” “Toledo,” or “Mexico” were serious red flags. Most such swords proved to be tourist pieces incapable of taking much stress. Many Pakistani blades, on the other hand, stood up to stage combat remarkably well even when they were not sold as fight-worthy—sometimes better than French blades specifically made for combat.
These are warnings, not verdicts. The individual sword must still be examined.
What Ringing Tells You
Tap the blade. Does it ring like a bell? Then you can be sure of—nothing.
A blade that rings is no more fight-worthy than a blade that clunks. At Weapons of Choice, we tried to make every sword ring before it left the shop, but that was largely because directors liked the sound. Some thoroughly worthless swords ring beautifully, while some excellent fight-grade swords do not ring at all.
Ringing can provide one useful warning during a fight. Once you become familiar with the normal sound of a particular sword, a sudden change in that sound—or its disappearance—may indicate that the blade has begun to loosen in the hilt. It does not establish the problem, but it is reason enough to stop and inspect the weapon.
Test the Blade’s Spring
Next, carefully flex the blade. Even a heavy broadsword should show some spring and return to its original shape when the pressure is released. Some thin sport-fencing blades may retain a very slight change in curvature, but if a blade bends easily and remains bent, keep it as a costume piece. Do not fight with it.
A bend test can quickly disqualify a blade, but it cannot certify one. Returning to shape does not prove that the temper is correct throughout the steel, that the blade is not dangerously brittle, or that the rest of the sword is sound.
Examine the Tang
The tang can be properly examined only by removing the blade from the hilt. If the blade is very wide but the tang is extremely narrow at the shoulder, the blade may crack where the two meet.
There is no hard-and-fast proportion. As a minimum, I feel more comfortable when the tang is at least one-third the width of the shoulder on a light blade and at least one-half the width on a heavy blade. Wider is always better. A two-inch blade with a tang only ¼ inch wide at the shoulder is not something I would trust in a fight.
Do not assume that the tang must have the same spring as the visible blade. Many fight-grade blades are differentially heat-treated, leaving the end of the tang comparatively soft even when the blade proper is stiff and springy. This makes the tang easier to thread or bend to fit the handle.
Nor must the tang always run in a perfectly straight line with the blade. Many fencing blades are made with the tang at a slight angle, allowing the fencer to direct the point without bending the wrist excessively.
The hilt must also be examined. Make certain that the guard, handle, pommel, and any pommel nut or cap nut are secure. A sound blade mounted in a weak or loose hilt does not make a fight-worthy sword.
Examine the Edge
Most stage-combat blades have a beveled but unsharpened edge. If that bevel is too acute, the blade may gouge deeply into the opposing weapon. Even if the blade is otherwise fight-worthy, the edge may need to be ground back until there is more steel on the contact surface.
This is one reason many Ren Faire swords are not practical for stage combat. They may be strong and correctly tempered, but their edges can be so thin that repeated contact produces very deep gouges.
No blade edge is impervious to strike damage. Burrs must be removed and gouges reduced. Both can become possible breaking points, and burrs may be sharp enough to cut skin or costumes. Some nicking and burring is common during aggressive combat, especially with new blades. If the edge develops deep gouges after nearly every strike, however, the steel is probably too soft for stage combat.
Removing Nicks and Burrs
Some people will remove burrs only with a hand file, fearing that power equipment may harm the temper. That can take hours when the steel is hard. A grinding wheel with a medium-grit stone will do the job, provided that it is used carefully.
Use ordinary workshop precautions, and do not allow heat to build up in the blade. It can become hot very quickly while grinding, and overheating can ruin the temper.
Make several light passes over the damaged area, allowing the blade to cool between them. Work from both sides rather than grinding continuously in one direction. Hold the blade at slightly less than 90 degrees to the face of the wheel; directly at 90 degrees, the wheel may catch the blade and pull it from your hand. Once the edge has been restored, round the tip if necessary.
The worked area will probably feel slightly ragged. Smooth it with a wire-brush attachment, fine steel wool, or emery cloth until no sharp or irregular surface remains.
Any nick in a blade creates a potential stress point, but removing too much steel can weaken the blade more than leaving a small, properly smoothed depression. Everything is a trade-off.
The location of repeated damage can also reveal problems with the fight. Nicks and burrs should generally appear in the portions of the blade actually used for attacks and parries. If they are concentrated primarily near the middle of the blade, the actors are probably making contact with poor technique. The fight—and the instruction the actors have received—needs immediate examination.
Match the Sword to the Fight
Even after the sword has passed every inspection, it is not automatically suitable for every fight. Stage combat can be extremely hard on weapons, particularly when choreography calls for repeated blade contact. A fencing blade that is perfectly suitable for controlled point work may disintegrate during a broad, cutting swashbuckling fight.
The sword must be capable of handling the strongest and most stressful action in the choreography. It must also be compatible with the weapon it will meet. Fight-worthiness belongs to the complete sword in a particular fight—not merely to the material named in a catalogue.
Balance and center of percussion do not establish structural safety, but they do affect how the sword handles and whether it is suitable for a particular fight. Balance influences how readily the sword can be started, redirected, and stopped. The center of percussion—roughly, the blade’s “sweet spot”—is where contact produces the least jarring reaction in the hand.