Forums > Technical Discussion > Fire Sword Help

Posted: 17th Jan 2012
Not going to work!

First off I love Cold Steel they are awesome for quality weapons. However, the Gladius Trainer is made from Polypropylene that will deform very quickly with low heat. Boiling water (100 C) will deform it and at 160 it will melt.

The best material to use is Steel because of it's low heat transfer coefficient and strength, but it is also heavy.

I have made fire swords for less than $30 total that have lasted me a long time. For cheap metal swords, you can find them at BudKWW.com with many under $20.

https://budk.com/Swords/Full-Tang-Ninja-Sword-1
is full tang (metal along the full length) and comparable in size to the one you had listed (27") but it's metal and only $10. (see below)

Best of all, it has a hole at the tip and corner etches along the blade so you can secure your Kevlar with kevlar thread or metal wire (at least 18 gauge or lower) and it will never come off. Trying to drill steel is a pain. You could use aluminum too though. You can get 1/4" aluminum plate laser cut into the shape of a sword fairly cheap.

Also, depending how long you want this fire sword, don't get tempted to buy thin Kevlar and spiral wrap it up the length. It will break pre-maturely. Get either a tube of Kevlar or by the 6" or 8" wide (depends on blade width and thickness) and wrap the blade length wise.

I've included an old picture with swords I made in it. The hook swords are made by wrapping the blade with wide wick and the floating sword was made by sliding tube wick over the blade.


Non-Https Image Link




Note:
Make sure you include a guard on the swords and wear gloves. They get very hot.
Fiberglass protection sheaths/guards still burn. You will see bits and pieces come off.
My Cheapest Sword: $12 sword, $9 wick, $2 hardware, $4 grip = $27. (With shipping costs maybe around $40)
The Hook swords above were about $60 total.

If you have any more questions, please ask.
EDITED_BY: ShadowlessTyger (1326814156)

Posted: 17th Jan 2012
Thanks for the help. Do you know of any online stores in Australia or that ship to Australia where I could get a sword like the black one you posted? I really like the sword but Budk doesn't ship to Australia. Also, where did you buy the Kevlar tube for your sword?

Live in the light, or Revel in the Dark,
Nothing matters, just make your mark.

Best mate: "I trust you"
Me: "How stupid are you? I set myself on fire yesterday just to prove a point!"
Best mate: "Okay, I trust you... But you scare me when you get ideas!"

Posted: 18th Jan 2012
Ebay.au would probably work. I don't know much about Australia weapon dealers, sorry.
I got the Kevlar tube from Trick Concepts, I've never had a problem with them, but I hear others do. You can always sew the wick from HOP into a tube.

Posted: 18th Jan 2012
or for a cheaper option you can use an oak bokken. You can pick them up for around about £10 and as they don't have the edges like a metal sword the kevlar won't get chewed through in no time.
wrap the 'blade' area in a few layers of foil to protect the wood and stop oxygen penetrating to the core, then sew a kevlar sheeth to fit, remember to make the kevlar sheeth a couple of inches shorter than the overall length of the blade so there is a small gap between the burning kevlar and the tsuba (hilt) which is still protected by foil. once you have the sheeth sewn and in place drill a couple of small holes and secure the whole lot with a couple of screws&washers. you can also attach some kevlar around the tsuba and dampen it with water before use to create a very effective heat shield. total cost under £30
EDITED_BY: liquidtrance (1326922880)

even chuck norris can't pin you down if your on fire