Wooden swords and shields for training. How to make a wooden sword?

Despite the fact that firearms are used everywhere in the modern world, cold ones are still used - in the form of knives, daggers and bayonet knives. On this official use of military weapons ends. Sabers, swords and daggers became part of historical and national costumes. The role-players and reenactors fight with rapture, using wooden swords, plastic, automobile steel and other materials in their battles.

Almost in every school of hand-to-hand combat, one can find a direction in battle on sticks and training swords. Because fencing develops the balance of the body, the orientation, the speed of movement and the flexibility of the muscles. A man who can fence with a steel sword can easily do the same with any stick.

What kinds of swords are

There are several types of swords. The simplest and easiest to manufacture are straight, one-and-a-half and two-handed. They differ in weight, the type of battle with them.

Straight or Slavic - the smallest and most convenient for handling it with one hand. In the second hand, usually take a shield or one more same sword. The handle of such a tool is designed for one brush. To find the size, take the workpiece into your hand - the tip of the blade should touch the ground.

The one-and-a-half is an intermediate sword between the straight and two-handed. The battle with this is 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 kind of sword is very common, since it allows to develop the upper shoulder girdle, to strengthen the joints.

The two-handed sword is the heaviest and longest, if you lean it on the ground, the handle must reach the chin. Manage this with only 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 a material of different types. 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's not a shame to break it. If you are preparing for a role-playing game and want to have an impressive, durable sword, with which you can show off, you should pick up a fresh young tree. The thickness depends on the type of sword. You can take a tree and thicker, but then you need to choose the core as the most solid part.

Carefully refer to the choice of material, wooden swords with knots, rot and wood bugs for a long time do not live. The selected preform must first be soaked to a full saturation with moisture, and then very slowly dried so that the tree does not crack. With the technology of drying the tree you will get a very strong and light sword.

Sword at home: how to do?

The wooden sword, despite the material's dodginess, will require patience and the skill of working with a metalwork tool. With the workpiece, remove the bark of the bark, removing incidental irregularities and making the barrel straight. Stroke the trunk on both sides so that the blade is from 3 cm to 0.5 cm. Grinding a tree does not make sense, given the strength of the material. All sharp edges should be removed, the blade made oval. Do not make a round handle, otherwise during a fight the sword will scroll in your hand, it is better to choose a rectangle with rounded edges as the shape. Between the blade and the handle, turn out the place for the guard. Gardu can be made of wood, metal or nylon. We make two identical symmetrical parts and attach it with tape.

The handle is also wrapped with an insulating 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 point could not be observed during the manufacture of the sword, then lead wraps can be hidden under the winding of the handle under the winding. The tree itself should be strengthened with impregnating compounds, like epoxy resin. 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 liking.

Do you still think how to make a wooden sword? This is a simple product. But for stuffing a skill, you can start with a knife or boat.

Wooden shields of Scandinavian type

Round shields are called Scandinavian, although in Slavic squads they were used everywhere, since round shields are easy to make. Their diameter was usually from 65 to 90 cm. The Scandinavians made them from ash, oak, maple. Especially prized made of linden - for its light weight. The thickness of such shields was from 6 to 12 mm. The boards were lined with steel plates, and they were painted in different colors and decorated. Sometimes the finished and decorated product became an expensive gift.

Manufacture of wooden shields

Based on the preferences of Scandinavians and modern materials, the simplest thing is to make a board made of plywood 6 mm thick. By marking, cut out the circle of the diameter you need. In the center, cut out a hole for the fist. With the help of a knife on wood or paint you can imitate boards. For durability and better appearance, cover the shield with stain.

Depending on the size of your hand, make an umbon made of metal to cover the hole. The handle of the shield is attached to two slats, which are attached to the entire diameter of the product. The handle is made of oak, birch or ash. Strengthen with the help of nails, and the protruding parts are removed by cutting pliers and riveted.

The next step is to glue the shield with leather or burlap on the glue. After that, the umbon is mounted. The shield is made of metal or leather. Metal thickness from 1 to 1.5 mm, and the skin when forging should be thicker, from 5 mm.

For the convenience of wearing, you need to make a leather strap. Such an addition will allow you to carry a shield on your shoulder or throw it over your head.

The final stage - decoration - remains at your discretion. On the shield often depicted the emblem, the sign of the detachment or just a picture aimed at intimidating the enemy.

Training with a wooden sword

In schools of hand-to-hand fighting, classes are often organized for sword fighting. It perfectly develops coordination, reaction, sense of distance. A painful blow allows you to believe in the reality of the battle. Wooden swords and shields are an excellent weapon for such training. There are separate schools for sword fighting, where heavy defense is used, and the battle is more like a show. But in such trainings there is a minus: the fighter, getting used to strong armor, starts to be substituted under blow, and in case of street fight on sticks it leads to a trauma.

But try to remove the defense, every blow leaves bruises. After a few classes, students begin to dodge attacks. Fighting with a stronger opponent, learn not to take a hit hard, but redirect it. In battle with several opponents, they develop coordination, speed of movement, thinking and intuition. Such skills will be useful in real life, and not just in the ring.

A wooden sword is cheaper and easier to manufacture, so it is used for training. With its help, you can work out most of the movements, but when switching to other materials, a lot has to learn anew, because weight changes a lot. Some coaches use very heavy and clumsy wooden swords, so that the students develop muscles, and the movements are already practiced on metal.

Additional protection

Considering the photo of wooden swords and making your own, do not forget about the protection. In the heat of training, it's easy to lose composure and begin to beat at full strength. To avoid fractures, it is necessary to apply additional protection of hands, feet and head. The first defense is your own sword, then the guard of the sword. In the risk zone are the fingers, wrists, forearms. In the mass battles, the rest falls into the risk zone. Therefore, it is recommended to protect the hands with gloves, wrists and forearms - armlets. The case should be closed with a dense leather jacket or quilted jacket. On the head is to wear a tight knitted hat, in case of a pass, it will soften and distribute the blow. To protect your teeth, do not forget about the cap. Legs from the feet and to the knee should be covered with high boots or shoes with knee pads.

Reconstructors

In our world, the movement of roleplayers and reenactors is popular. Some use for their games a plot of fantasy books, others reconstruct the battles of our history. If the first can get off not too active a role and not participate in mass battles, then the second is better to have the skill of fencing, good physical training and skill, and also be able to fight in the ranks.

It is always easier to buy a sword in a special workshop, among the role-players it's not difficult to find, but if you decide to make a wooden sword with your own hands, then be patient.