Props, Scenery, Costumes and Makeup: Stage swords for combat

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Stage swords for combat

Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Props, Scenery, Costumes and Makeup
Forum Discription: For how-to's and where-can-I-find
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5251
Printed Date: 10/31/25 at 1:02pm
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Topic: Stage swords for combat

Posted By: MusicManD
Subject: Stage swords for combat
Date Posted: 1/23/12 at 8:20pm

I need a good source for cheap(er) stage swords, suitable for actual stage combat. It's a pirate show, so I'm looking mainly at rapiers and cutlasses. The cheapest I can find right now are of the $150 variety (Hanwei swords), but even though my biggest fight scene involves only eight people, that's a LOT of my budget invested in swords.

Any thoughts? I might consider other options besides metal, but I want the swords themselves to be safe.

Replies:

Posted By: colugino
Date Posted: 1/30/12 at 9:27pm

I had a very hard time finding swords for a show that I did, and I wanted to use metal because I wanted them to sound real when the actors banged the swords together. I am not sure where to get cheap ones, but I do want to forewarn that you need to be careful what you do get. We found these swords at an antique store that were perfect for our show. Within a week of getting them they all broke. We didn't realize they were ornamental (decoration) swords that someone had cut out of steel. We had some where the blades broke in half and others that broke at the handle. And our actors weren't even full force swinging them. In case you have never used a sword before, you want to also make sure they are NOT sharpened and you should try to find a rounded tip. I have several swords that even though they are not sharpened, they have a point on the end that can still stab someone and injure them severely. Another is your actors. We have a mix of adults and youth and even after 6 months of rehearsals, people still continued to walk around with their swords pointed straight out - one of our actors stopped suddenly and the guy behind him almost stabbed him in the back. Luckily he had 3 layers of costumes on! We ended up getting rid of the real swords and went to a costume / prop store and bought plastic swords that we spray painted with a Metallic Silver paint and then sprayed them with a clear gloss to try and make them look more like metal.

Posted By: MusicManD
Date Posted: 1/31/12 at 11:52pm

I've used real swords on stage before. Second rule of stage swords- mind your tip!

I don't think there's any source for metal stage swords below a hundred dollars apiece- at least not any sword I'd be comfortable banging against another. I did find LARP (live action role playing) swords for significantly cheaper... they are foam with a fiberglass core, designed for safe combat.

Posted By: startingout
Date Posted: 2/01/12 at 11:20am

I have made wooden swords

with wood lath You can glue them and belt sand them to look prety real

I bought a bundle for 8 dollars

Posted By: Majicwrench
Date Posted: 2/02/12 at 1:21pm

I have made sword out of 1" metal strap, just takes a few minutes per sword, they sound wonderful. YES BLUNT THE ENDS!! And I never have anyone jab with a sword either.

Take a 4ft piece of 1", Cut about 8i" off, cut a slot in the center of that piece, it becomes the hilt, slide it on, leave about 10" for grip ( enough for two hands), weld hilt on. Cut a point of sorts into end of sword, wrap grip with duct tape, paint sword if desired. "STuff" can be added to hilt.

Posted By: Thudster
Date Posted: 2/05/12 at 2:30pm

Watching "Robin Hood" with Errol Flynn, and during the huge fight scene the swords are going "click click" as they strike each other. I assume this was before gaffers and sound effects, so whatever they're using in the movie isn't real steel either.

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"Hey look! That's my dad up there whacking himself with silverware!"

Posted By: Nyria
Date Posted: 2/06/12 at 10:01am

You can get some really nice ones at toy stores - then spray paint the blade so it is a more shiny metal look. Ths won't give you the sound but it's an option.

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NYRIA

Posted By: Topper
Date Posted: 3/07/12 at 6:42pm

Check out TrueSwords.com. They sell training weapons, but don't know how sturdy they might be. Pirate cutlasses are only $8.00! You won't find much cheaper than that.
http://www.trueswords.com/pirate-cutlass-wooden-sword-replica-p-2876.html

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"None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone