Blades on Swords

The following blades are all fight-worthy, meaning that they are designed for the techniques developed and taught by the Society of American Fight Directors. The are not designed for sparring, HEMA, SCA, or anything that would fall under “real” fighting.
[Oh, and if you already have blades and are looking to build your own swords, take a look at the bottom of the Odds & Ends page..]

“What if the swords don’t have to hit each other?”

There are some swords described as “costume” or “dress”. That means that the blades, even if made of steel, are not suitable for stage combat. Sure, they may look and feel real enough for dress and flourishing purposes, but don’t drop them or fight with them.

“Oh, the actors aren’t really fighting; they only have to hit them once or twice”.

I understand what you mean, but that’s like saying that you don’t really need brakes on your car because there is only one stop sign on your way to work. Even if you only need to touch the brakes once all day – at that one time YOU REALLY NEED THEM. The same with swords. Even if the sword only has to touch another one time, or if it has to be dropped, it must be a fight worthy blade.

Blades break. Under the stress of performance and rehearsal, blades break. The lighter blades break with more frequency, but even a broadsword blade will snap in half and give no warning before it does. Even brand new blades fresh from the foundry have micro-fractures. When these micros turn macro, the steel shatters. For that reason, I do not guarantee against any blade breakage. If it breaks, you’ve bought it. For the same reason I strongly advise that sword fights be choreographed by an instructor of stage combat certified by the Society of American Fight Directors, or someone of equal training. This does not include fencing instructors. The techniques of competitive fencing are dangerous to actors and their swords.

Members of the SCA (Society of Creative Anachronism) and Renaissance Faire fighters are not qualified to fight onstage, and should certainly never give fight instruction to those who do.

“What about plastic blades? Or aluminum?”

I’ve never carried them.

  • Plastic breaks more easily than steel, and then you have a very sharp stick with the same potential for danger as a real weapon. Steel is safer.
  • Tempered aluminum is wonderful, but you can’t use it against steel. So your entire stock of weapons must be made of tempered aluminum. Crazy expensive.

For some tips on blade longevity see the sword safety handouts.

Need a replacement blade? New epee blades (order #T25) are only $22 – that’s the lowest price nationwide.

 

Light and “Finesse” Blades

Foilfor the sport of foil fencing it’s fine, but it is far too “whippy” and weak to be used for stage combat. L= 35″; 5 oz. I do not carry this blade – it is unsafe for stage use.

Epeethe traditional standard for stage combat. Pronounced “eh-pay”, the triangular cross section and thin groove allows for stiffness, flexibility, and quick response, but it will break if strong cutting motions or aggressive parries are used. L= 35″; 6 oz. ,  ⅝” at the base

Demi-epeeI’ve taken the epee and reduced the size to more closely match the true smallsword blade. Excellent choice for theatres with limited space. L= 28″; 5 oz

BTW: There is also a grooved blade known as the Double-wide Epee, also called the Musketeer. I NO LONGER CARRY THIS BLADE. Many people like them because they think that they are stronger than the standard epee. Please benefit from my experience. Over the past thirty-three years I have purchased thousands of both kinds, and I’ve seen that the double-wides are more brittle (and therefore break more often) than the standard, yet are four times as costly.

Dagger Blades

Poniardthis light and thin blade makes a perfect match against the common epee or foil bladed rapiers found in most props cabinets. L= 15″ ; W= ⅝”; 4 oz
[just below is one at 13″, but the 15″ length is recommended for rapier & dagger fighting.]

Wide Daggerincredibly strong steel, this blade can survive even broadsword fights. Nice visual impact, but not recommended against the fencing epee blade. L= 12″; W= 1″; 8 oz.       I’ll only make four more of these blades before I discontinue them.

Wide Blades

ScimitarThis uses a very light spring steel, but it is stiffer than the usual bendy/floppy blades used by Wushu martial artists. L= 30″; W= 1 ⅜” [2 ⅝” at the widest point] ; 25 oz. These used blades are only found on the scimitar swords.

Early "Arming" Sword Blades

ShortswordGreek, Roman, and other bronze-age and iron-age cultures. L= 18″; W= 1 ½”; 14 oz.

Early "Arming" Sword Blades

Leafthis shape was developed by many early pre-steel cultures as a way out of the conundrum of making swords with iron or bronze. If too short, not enough striking power. If too long, they bend easily or must be made too thick to be practical. The leaf shape puts extra weight at the impact point and lightens the blade near the hand. Especially popular among early Celts and Romans. L= 18″; W= 1 ½”; 13 oz