Basic Short Sword

Easy short sword with thrusting tip tutorial.

For this tutorial we are going to make a very basic short sword from PVC pipe and 7/16" Polyurethane closed cell foam with an open cell foam thrusting tip.

Materials - 

Schedule 40 PVC Pipe cut to length (1/2" PVC for under 30 inches, 3/4" PVC for 30" and up)

7/16" Polyurethane Foam (Blue camping pad)

Open Cell (Couch Cushion) foam

Duck Tape

2 Pennies

A small scrap of leather

Tools-

A sharp knife (an exacto or razorblade utility knife)

Construction-

Step 1 - Prepping the Core

Place a penny at both ends of the core. make sure it is lined up to cover the entire whole. Alternatively you could use a PVC Cap.

Rip a 5" section of duck tape in half length wise. Forming a cross over the end, tape the penny in place. 

Step 2 - Prepping the Foam

Cut 4 strips of foam.

2x The Length of your Blade x 5/8" Wide

2x The Length of your Blade x (Your Core Width + 1 1/4")

1/2" Schedule 40 PVC  = 2 1/8"

3/4" Schedule 40 PVC = 2 3/8"

Remember, it is better to go too wide than to thin. It is also ok if your flats are a little wider than your blade trim+core.

Step 3 - Sandwich the Blade

Reverse Wrap Duck tape around your core -- Wrap 3 or 4 circles of tape along your core, so that they wrap a complete wrap around your core and then wrap the other way so the sticky side is out once also, Then Spiral wrap the ducktape down your core to the length of your blade with the sticky side out.

Carefully line up your narrow pieces of foam on the edge. You'll want to match them to your core so that they stick just a little out above the end of your core.

Carefully line up the wide pieces of foam so that they match up as the flat of your blade. 

Step 4 - Thrusting tip

Cut a thin piece of leather (cheap belts are a good source) a little smaller than the tip of your sword.

Cut two rectangles of blue foam to match the tip of your sword.

Cut a 1" thick block of open cell foam to match the tip of your sword.

Tape the thin leather across the top of your blade like you did the penny, be sure not to compress the foam.

Repeat this process for both layers of blue foam, and the open cell.

BE VERY CAREFUL NOT TO COMPRESS ANY OF THE FOAM. It is easy to compress the open cell, and very important that you do not.

Step 5 - Pommel

Decide the shape you want your pommel to be.

Cut out three layers of foam in that shape. 

Make a notch the width of your core and about half way through one of the layers.

Sandwich the three layers of your pommel the way you did your blade. 

Spiral Wrap the top (handle side) of your pommel. Don't worry about compressing the foam here. You want it to be tight to keep a good grip on your core!

Step 6 - Cover your Blade

Run strips of tape lengthwise down your blade. Try to overlap them as little as possible. Try to keep from getting wrinkles if you can. Its a skill that takes practice.

Spiral Wrap the base of your blade (starting about 2" above your handle) just like you did your pommel before.

At this point you are technically finished. You have a very basic sword with a thrusting tip.