Despite the fact that in the modern world firearms are widely used, cold weapons are still used - in the form of knives, daggers and bayonet knives. This ends the official combat use of knives. Sabers, swords and daggers became part of historical and national costumes. Rolefighters and reenactors rapturously fight, using wooden swords, plastic, made of automotive steel and other materials in their battles.
In almost every school of hand-to-hand combat, one can find a direction in fighting with sticks and training swords. Because fencing develops body balance, orientation, speed, and muscle flexibility. A person who knows how to fence with a steel sword can easily do the same with any stick.
What types of swords are there
There are several types of swords. The simplest and easiest to manufacture are straight, one and a half and two-handed. They vary in weight, type of battle with them.
Direct or Slavic - the smallest and most convenient for handling it with one hand. The second hand usually takes a shield or another sword of the same kind. The handle of such a gun is designed for one brush. To choose the size, take the workpiece in your hand - the tip of the blade should touch the ground.
One and a half is an intermediate sword between a straight and a two-handed. A battle with such is conducted either with two hands, or with one and a small shield, so that you can always help the second hand. In schools of hand-to-hand combat, this type of sword is very common, as it allows you to develop the upper shoulder girdle and strengthen joints.
A two-handed sword is the heaviest and longest; if you lean it on the ground, the hilt should reach the chin. To deal with this is possible only with two hands. In training, good for muscle development.
All swords, one way or another, develop coordination of movement, especially if the battle is against several opponents.
Making a wooden sword: which material to choose?
A wooden sword can be made from different types of material. Some advise to take dead wood or parts of boards from birch, hazel, oak, aspen. This is suitable if you need wooden swords for training, so that it is not a pity to break. If you are preparing for a role-playing game and want to have an impressive, durable sword, with which you can show off, then you should pick up a fresh young tree. Thickness depends on the type of sword. You can take the tree thicker, but then you need to choose the core as the strongest part.
Carefully consider the choice of material, wooden swords with knots, rot and wood bugs do not live long. The selected workpiece must first be soaked until completely saturated with moisture, and then very slowly dried, so that the tree does not crack. If you follow the technology of drying wood, you will get a very durable and light sword.
Sword at home: how to do?
A wooden sword, despite the flexibility of the material, will require patience and the skill of working with a bench tool. Remove the bark from the workpiece by removing the bumps along the way and making the trunk straighter. Cut the trunk on both sides to make the blade from 3 cm to 0.5 cm. It makes no sense to sharpen the tree, given the strength of the material. All sharp edges must be removed, the blade made oval. Do not make the handle round, otherwise during the battle the sword will scroll in the hand, it is better to choose a rectangle with rounded edges as a shape. Between the blade and the handle, make a place for the guard. Garda can be made of wood, metal or nylon. We make two identical symmetrical parts and fasten with electrical tape.
The handle is also wrapped with tape or wet skin. The balance of the sword should be at a distance of one or two palms from the guard to the blade, if this item could not be observed in the manufacture of the sword, then when inserting the handle under the winding, lead inserts can be hidden. The tree itself should be strengthened with impregnating compounds, like epoxy. Your weapon will last you longer and will not be afraid of moisture. Wooden swords can also be made beautiful. Therefore, at the last stage, it remains only to decorate the sword to your taste.
Do you still think how to make a wooden sword? This is a simple product. But to fill the skill, you can start with a knife or a boat.
Scandinavian type wooden billboards
Round shields are called Scandinavian, although they were used everywhere in the Slavic squads, since round shields are easy to manufacture. Their diameter was usually from 65 to 90 cm. The Scandinavians made them from ash, oak, and maple. Especially appreciated made from linden - for its low weight. The thickness of such shields was from 6 to 12 mm. Boards were shrouded in steel plates, and they themselves were painted in various colors and decorated. Sometimes a finished and decorated product became an expensive gift.
Making a wooden board
Based on the preferences of the Scandinavians and modern materials, the simplest thing is to make a shield of plywood 6 mm thick. By marking, cut out a circle of the diameter you need. In the center, cut a hole for the fist. Using a knife on wood or paint, you can simulate boards. For durability and a better look, cover the shield with a stain.
Depending on the size of your hand, make a metal umbon to close the hole. The handle of the shield is attached to two slats that are attached to the entire diameter of the product. The handle is made of oak, birch or ash. Fasten with nails, and protruding parts are removed with pliers and rivet.
At the next stage, the shield is pasted with leather or burlap on the glue. After that, the umbon is mounted. The shield is framed either by metal or by skin. The metal is from 1 to 1.5 mm thick, and the skin should be thicker, from 5 mm when cladding.
For ease of wearing, you need to make a leather strap. This addition will allow you to wear a shield on your shoulder or throw it on your back over your head.
The final stage - decoration - remains at your discretion. The shield often depicted a coat of arms, a detachment sign or simply a drawing aimed at intimidating the enemy.
Wooden sword training
In schools of hand-to-hand combat in the classroom, training on sword fighting is often arranged. It perfectly develops coordination, reaction, sense of distance. And the pain of blows allows you to believe in the reality of the battle. Wooden swords and shields are an excellent weapon for such training. There are separate sword fighting schools that use heavy defense, and the battle is more like a show. But in such trainings there is a minus: a fighter, getting used to strong armor, begins to substitute for a blow, and in the case of street fighting on sticks this leads to injury.
But try to remove the defense, every hit leaves bruises. After a few lessons, students begin to dodge the blows. Fighting with a stronger opponent, they learn not to take a blow hard, but to redirect it. In a battle with several opponents, they develop coordination, speed of movement, thinking and intuition. Such skills will come in handy in real life, and not just in the ring.
Wooden sword is cheaper and easier to manufacture, so it is used for training. With it, you can work out most of the movements, but when switching to other materials, a lot has to be learned anew, since the weight changes a lot. Some trainers use very heavy and clumsy wooden swords so that students develop muscles and work out movements on metal.
Additional protection
Looking at photos of wooden swords and making your own, do not forget about protection. In the heat of a training battle, it’s easy to lose your temper and start beating at full strength. To avoid fractures, it is worthwhile to apply additional protection to the arms, legs and head. The first defense is your own sword, then the guard of the sword. At risk are fingers, wrists, forearms. In mass battles, the rest is at risk. Therefore, it is recommended to protect the hands with gloves, the wrists and forearms with sleeves. Cover the case with a thick leather jacket or quilted. A thick knitted hat should be put on your head, in case of a pass it will soften and distribute the blow. To protect your teeth, do not forget about the mouthpiece. Legs from the foot to the knee should be covered with high boots or boots with knee pads.
Reconstructors
In our world the movement of role-players and reenactors is popular. Some people use a plot from fantasy books for their games, while others reconstruct the battles from our history. If the former can get rid of a not too active role and not participate in mass battles, then the latter is better to have the skill of fencing, good physical preparation and dexterity, and also be able to fight in the ranks.
It is always easier to buy a sword in a special workshop, it is not difficult to find one among the role-players, but if you decide to make a wooden sword with your own hands, then be patient.