Wooden Viking swords

[ETaylor]

Son studying vikings and must have a sword. Any sites to see designs, plans, etc... Not just viking style but any I can modify. I haven't got a lathe. Thanks Ed.

[Maxwell Lol]

Vikings uses axes. Still do. :-) The woodworking catalogs sell them for a pretty penny. I drool.

Frankly I have no idea what swords they used.

I make my son a two-handed broadsword for Halloween. It was a pine blade I used a drawshave on to make the bevel. I put it in a wood handle, made with a jigsaw, and wrapped the handle with rope. It looked great, and he loved it.

Some safety tips. * Very rounded edges! * The wooden blade "tang" was inserted into the handle. If you swung it hard at someone, the blade would break off.

[Jim Willemin]

ETaylor wrote in news:46f65340$0$1462$afc38c87 @news.optusnet.com.au:

Wikipedia is your friend:

It looks like the blades were about 3 feet long, maybe 2 inches wide, with a groove down the center (a fuller) and a subtle taper. There are quite a few places that make replicas that have illustrations on the web: looks to me like the real challenge would be the little tiny guard and the honking big pommel.

[dadiOH]

Swords galore...

[MatthewK]

You might want to see Dr. Jim Hrisouilas site atar.com he talks about forging viking stle swords in his books I believe. He is accesible via his forum and sometimes email.

Just remember sticks have been effective weapons before Tubal Cain. I like the other guy's idea about the sword fitting in the handle. Maybe use a piece of 1/8 inch plywood as a tenon so it would break before it someone gets bledgeoned. Round the point over and make sure nobody gets "Stabbed" with it.

I imagine you know all this but sticks aren't playthings. Wooden swords have been used in combat. Make this thing break easily.

matthew ohio

[J T]

Sun, Sep 23, 2007, 9:51pm (EDT+14) [e-mail] (ETaylor) just had to ask: Son studying vikings and must have a sword. Any sites to see designs, plans, etc... Not just viking style but any I can modify. I haven't got a lathe.

You are on the web, right? Might try looking.

What is life without challenge and a constant stream of new humiliations?

- Peter Egan

[HeyBub]

What kind of Neanderthal community do you live in? You are going to give your son a SWORD and he's going to take it to SCHOOL!

The kid's teacher will be fired, the principal will be skinned, everybody who heard about this weapon will have to undergo sensitivity training. Bills will be introduced in your state legislature, marches held, it will be just awful.

On the other hand, you could be living in Texas where they've just instituted trap and skeet shooting for high-schoolers.

[ETaylor]

You might be able to help me, I'm looking for plans to make an AK47. Thanks Ed.

[ETaylor]

I was actually asking for help with diy plans, especially how to attach the crosspieces. Ed

[ETaylor]

Did you drill into the handle to fit the tang? Ed

[ETaylor]

Wow they are swords all right- interesting whether these are modern incarnations(as seen in the Rings movies) or did they really use designs like these. But they are fantastic. Thanks, Ed

[ETaylor]

Son needs it to kill "monsters"! But at least the stick he picks up, he uses as a sword... not a gun. Thanks Ed

[ETaylor]

These are more like what I am capable of making. Thanks Ed.

[Curran Copeland]

On the toy swords I make I attach the crosspieces by cutting through the guard with a mortise machine and sliding the "blade" through. I glue the guard to the blade and then drill a hole and put a dowel rod through to hold it in place. I use a round over bit to "edge" the blade and point and round the point to keep it from being sharp. The last one I made was lamanated oak and hickory blade with maple guard. and wieghted hilt and pommel to balance the blade. The hilt was rope wraped for better grip.

[ETaylor]

Thank you Curran, I am presuming you drill thru the guard to put dowel through so it must be minimum about 1/2" thick? Cheers Ed

[J. Clarke]

Here's an example of a real wooden sword. When I say "real", Miyamoto Musashi (arguably the greatest swordsman who ever lived) is reputed to have used similar swords to kill a number of swordmasters who were using Japanese steel swords.

[Curran Copeland]

Blades 1/2 to7/8 inches thick depending on sword, guards 1/4 to 1 inch thicker then blade. In the thinner guards I taper the mortise to add extra strength but doubt that this is necessary on one that would just be used as a kids toy. On the "kids" toy swords that I sell at shows I cut 5/8" poplar to width (about 2 1/4")cut the grip down to about 1 1/4" give or take. I use a section of 2x to make the guard. cut the 2x into sections the right length and height and mortise them, then I cut the shape of the guard and slide the guard on to the blade with a bit of glue. put in dowel (round over blade and hilt before putting on guard). You now have a sword fit for a Jr Knight. On the better swords I some times laminate (sp) the guard. Swords are sold only to parents with a warning on the use of the sword,

[Rita and Neil Ward]

Try this link:

"Wooden Sword & Shield Kit Design and paint your own wooden Viking shield, complete with traceable design. Plus wooden sword and colouring poster. Paints and crayons are not included. Ideal for ages 5 to 11."

[Maxwell Lol]

Sorta. It was a mortise-like joint. The handle was two pieces, split in half, and I cut a half mortise into the inner side.

If the mortise is weak enough, it should break off in case of violence. :-)

This was 25 years ago. I'm fuzzy on the details.

I used silver paint on the wood.

[dadiOH]

Those are easy. Making the ammunition is harder :)