Light weight aluminum sparring swords
I had a question. Does anyone know what strength of aluminum I would need to buy to make aluminum sparring swords?
I have some experience in the stock removal method of blade making. Any information would be appreciated.
Hi Mike,
I've never attempted to make an aluminum sword. That said, I believe one of the more common aluminum grades used is 7075-t651 aircraft aluminum. I don't know enough about the different types of aluminums, but these seem to hold up quite well.
Thanks alot BIll :lol: I might go with that. I'll do a little research on that aluminum before I get any though. I don't know how inexpensive it is


Last edited by Mike H on Sat 12 Nov, 2005 3:21 pm; edited 1 time in total
Hmmm... I'd never seen that site before. Thanks for posting that!

I think that the aluminum type I stated is the same type used by David Baker of the Hollywood Combat Center, but don't quote me on that. Also, it's the type used by Charles Jevon of www.swordcrafts.com
Those are beautiful swords!
Yikes, that site says their Claymore is 1 pound. They aren't kidding when they say "light weight aluminum sparring sword"! Too bad, I'm always looking for multiple options for training gear for my students.
1 lb?
Bill Grandy wrote:
Yikes, that site says their Claymore is 1 pound. They aren't kidding when they say "light weight aluminum sparring sword"! Too bad, I'm always looking for multiple options for training gear for my students.


Hey there. I don't see where it says 1 lb at all. As far as I can tell, The weights are pretty much in line with the real thing. A little on the light side but still plausible.
Mike H had a link that it looks like is gone now, but in that link is where the claymore was that weighed 1 pound. The Swordcraft swords are quite nice.
.....................
Bill Grandy wrote:
Mike H had a link that it looks like is gone now, but in that link is where the claymore was that weighed 1 pound. The Swordcraft swords are quite nice.

oh sorry. Do you use the swordcraft swords? We have some new people in our group that need some training swords and the steel ones are a little too steep for them right now. How do they compare to steel? and how would they hold up to a steel sword. I'm using an Albion great sword and there's a Paul Chen hand&half in there as well. how would these pair up against our current swords.
oops. Looks like when I edited that post I erased the site. Here it is. Sorry

http://www.nobleend.com/noblearmory.html
I see..............
Mike H wrote:
oops. Looks like when I edited that post I erased the site. Here it is. Sorry

http://www.nobleend.com/noblearmory.html


Thanks mike . I've got the gist of it now. The weight goes up by series. It starts with the squire, Then the apprentice, and lastly the master. Even the master is way too on the light side for me. I might pick one up for my youngest daughter. It seems that's what the site is geared towards. More like a family that trains together, stays together type of vibe. For that purpose they seem good. I wouldn't use one myself to train though. That's just my opinion of coarse.
The reason why I'm making my swords this way is I'm going to be making an independant low budget film and meed lightweight weapons for the actors safety and because of my puny budget.
Re: .....................
Mike Capanelli wrote:
Bill Grandy wrote:
Mike H had a link that it looks like is gone now, but in that link is where the claymore was that weighed 1 pound. The Swordcraft swords are quite nice.

oh sorry. Do you use the swordcraft swords? We have some new people in our group that need some training swords and the steel ones are a little too steep for them right now. How do they compare to steel? and how would they hold up to a steel sword. I'm using an Albion great sword and there's a Paul Chen hand&half in there as well. how would these pair up against our current swords.



Swordcraft training swords demonstrate the characteristics of the average steel sword of each type. The weight, balance and grip are consistant with examples of 14thC swords they were designed to simulate. They were created for training at AEMMA and have been adopted by numerous other groups throughout North America. They are tough, reliable training tools at an affordable price. I'm sure Charles could get some swords out to your group in a week or two. Consider the basic model for new trainees. "Tuning" the sword by chamfering the edge and cutting fullers makes them look extra spiffy but does reduce the useful life of the weapon. Untuned models are remarkably tough. Most of our 100+ swords are not tuned and serve three to four classes a week without any maintenance!

That said, they were never intended to be used against steel blades or wooden simulators. Don't mix and match training tools. :\
Mike H wrote:
The reason why I'm making my swords this way is I'm going to be making an independant low budget film and meed lightweight weapons for the actors safety and because of my puny budget.


There is no way you can make a 7075 AL stage weapon for less than the $60 on the site you mentioned. The materials will cost almost as much after you buy the plate and build various jigs to manufacture the components.

Good luck with the project!
Kel Rekuta wrote:
There is no way you can make a 7075 AL stage weapon for less than the $60 on the site you mentioned. The materials will cost almost as much after you buy the plate and build various jigs to manufacture the components.


Yeah, I thought as much myself. I'm surprised out how cheap those are, too bad they aren't really useful for anything I do. Still, those seem like they'd make decent low-budget stage swords.

Oh, and yes, I use the swordcraft swords. They're fantastic, I used to not care for aluminum swords until these. But as Kel said, don't cross them with steel unless you want a hacksaw for a training tool. ;)

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