Looking at the image I just realized something - unlike the Spartans, the elves are armoured from head to toe. Spartans protect only the most important part of their body and it’s definitely not the abs since they have to radiate all 6 packs in battle for that psychological effect on the enemies. The Spartans put everything else at risk including their manhood but not their heads. Persians, you can slice and dice anywhere you want but keep your hands off the pretty face. But what about the elves?
Elves are the high society aristocrats in ancient times. They are skilled riders and expert archers too. I can’t imagine the handicap they would have if golf existed back then. The male elves are very much like the metrosexuals of Middle-Earth in today’s context. They must have put great effort and painstaking hours to get that long silky smooth hair and fair soft skin. After all that investment, it’s a small price to pay to wear restricting full-body armour to protect these timeless assets from the blood and dirt of filthy orcs, not forgetting the sun’s merciless UV rays.
Enough said, the elven sword has to represent those genteel values and are thus forged long and elegant. The Lord of the Rings High Elven Movie Sword has an exceptionally long grip designed to enhance the elves’ sword dancing skill which involves a lot of whirling strikes. For the sheer size of the sword, the blade groove takes off some of the weight without sacrificing its strength.
From blade tip to pommel, the High Elven Movie Sword replica is forged in a seamless smooth curve. Produced by United Cutlery, this elegant elven warrior sword has an overall length of 49.75” and blade length of 24.125”. The blade is made of tempered 420 J2 stainless steel with a false-edge while the handle is made of solid metal parts with simulated-leather grip. There doesn’t seem to be a cross-guard in the design. Obviously a 2 handed sword, the elven sword packs quite a punch looking at the long grip which adds versatility to manipulating the sword. United Cutlery reproduce the movie sword with a display plaque measuring 23”x9”x0.75” made of wood with silk-screened design. A certificate of authenticity is included as with all United Cutlery products as proof of genuine make and quality.
At the time of this post, the best price I could find was at Amazon. If no stocks are available, alternatively you can also purchase it at eBladestore.
If you don’t have the room space for the life-size Witch King of Angmar RingWraith Movie Sword or just looking for a small gift for friends, the Mini Witch King RingWraith Movie Sword by the same United Cutlery is a good buy. At first glance it does look a bit like the 'Sword in the Stone' though the Witch King ain't no King Arthur (unless the upcoming Hobbit prequel proves me wrong). Don't judge the Mini Witch King RingWraith Movie Sword by its size. The ideology 'size doesn't matter' not only applies to mortal or elven body parts so I was told. The meticulous details on the mini sword is impressive which makes you wonder how small can they shrink it further? Mini-Me would definitely have no qualms wielding this sword.
The Mini Witch King RingWraith Movie Sword is 1/5 the real size with blade length measuring 7.875”, overall length 10.875” and blade thickness 0.125”. The blade is false-edged made from tempered 420 J2 stainless steel. It has the same acid-etched surface as the life-size replica. The hilt is made of cast metal with an antique finish while the handgrip part has engraved detailed designs as well. The mini movie sword's blade is attached to the hilt by a rat-tail tang construction meaning it's pretty sturdy if you use it to cut vegetables (not saying you should). A display stand measuring 3.75”x3”x2.5” comes together with the mini sword. The stand base is made of cold cast porcelain with hand-painted finish and brass shield.
The best price I could find at the time of this post was from Amazon.If there are no stocks available, alternatively you can purchase it at BadBlades.
It is so good to be bad, no let me rephrase that - it is so darn good to be the meanest and baddest dark lord in the greatest fantasy story ever written. Which villain in Lord of The Rings trilogy is most vile? My pick will always be Witch King of Angmar, Lord of the Nazgul. The name Nazgul already screams bad ass to start with. You probably know this already but I’ll just say it again for my ego’s sake - John Ronald Reuel Tolkien’s Black Speech translates Nazg as “ring” and gul as “wraith or spirit”, hence their British name RingWraith.
Take a look at the pose above. Are you scared?!! Are ya?!! (got to love Chandler). Hell no, I bet you just can’t wait to get into that costume for the next cosplay event or Halloween. Myself I don’t mind wearing that in broad daylight and get arrested for it cause it looks awesome with the grisly gauntlet and of course the wicked Witch King of Angmar RingWraith Sword. This is the movie sword replica blog so I’ll just stick to the sword part. It’s a 2-handed long sword but personally I think it looks more stunning if you wield it in one hand right below the cross-guard.
The Witch King of Angmar RingWraith Sword was forged in the dark land of Mordor. But in the real world it is mass-produced by United Cutlery. Another thing is unlike the one in Mordor, this is a decorative sword replica. The Witch King RingWraith Movie Sword has an overall length of 54.625” and blade length 39.75”. There is no fuller or groove on the blade but a long central ridge. The false-edged blade has a thickness of 0.25” made of tempered 420 J2 Stainless Steel. The sweet thing about the blade is that its surface is deliberately made to look acid-etched which gives it a menacing evil aura. So if you opened the box and thought you got ripped-off don’t scream like a Nazgul, yet.
The curved metal cross-guard has an elaborate engraved design unlike the plain straight guard of Anduril Sword of King Aragorn. The handgrip is wrapped in genuine leather in two sections separated in the middle, exposing another intricate engraved pattern. The pommel is solid metal with an antique finish. Also included in the package is a wooden display plaque with silk-screened Nazgul designs measuring 10"x14.75"x0.625”. For genuine quality proof and recognition, a certificate of authenticity is issued together with the Witch King RingWraith Sword.
Be prepared to fork out a bit more for this replica. The best price I could find at the time of this post was from Amazon.
If you are looking for a plastic sword replica, the Witch King RingWraith Movie Sword by Costume Craze is available. It is 45" long with a rustic look and the sword is more black in color than silver. Excellent for cosplay and no need to worry about involuntary manslaughter with this sword.
Initially I expected 300 to be just another copy of Troy but boy was I wrong. Zack Snyder did a remarkable job in this visually stunning and innovative epic unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. The fight scenes were beautifully choreographed and enhanced with the use of stop-motion to capture breathtaking battle moments. Most women though tend to agree the main aesthetic in the film was nearly naked men with 6-pack abs building walls and engaging in testosterone-driven onslaughts.
300 is a fantasy tale based on the real Battle of Thermopylae (pronounced ther-mo-pih-lee). Thermopílai in Greek it means ‘hot gates’ because of the hot springs in the area. The Battle of Thermopylae took place over a period of 3 days in mid-August 480 BC although the exact dates are unknown.
What’s definitely known is the 300 Spartan Movie Sword replica used by King Leonidas and his men bears no resemblance to the actual artifact itself. Still the sword’s shape and design was brilliant as many fans would agree. The unique blade is stunning and in the movie its metal surface was weathered rather than polished shine. Good call.
The 300 Spartan Movie Sword replica featured in this post is the brawny Deluxe King Leonidas Spartan Movie Sword from TrueSwords. It’s almost as what you see in the movie, only difference is the handle grip wrapped in brown and the pommel doesn’t extend as long (movie snapshow below).
The blade length is 26” while the overall length is 34”. The full-tang blade is made of carbon steel with a sharpened edge so take caution. A deluxe brown sheath with belt strap is included in the package although it was dirty black in the film (that can be easily taken care of I’m sure). Take care when placing the sword back into the sheath as its sharp point may pierce through. You might also want to be careful with the handle grip. It tends to come off under heavy swinging.
Overall the feedback and reviews from customers who bought the 300 Spartan Movie Sword replica are encouraging. So if you’re planning to get one, this is a highly recommended piece and you can place your order with True Swords.
And no King Leonidas would be complete without his trusted shield. The Life-Size Spartan Shield Replica
If you’ve watched the previous video Japanese Katana Vs Hand Gun and thought it was awesome, wait till you watch this clip. After proving that the Japanese Katana can slice an incoming 9mm bullet, it seems some dude is still not satisfied and convinced. So the same test team raised the ante and called-in the big guns and I mean really BIG guns. The Browning .50 caliber M2 heavy machine gun (HMG).
This time the M2 HMG is placed in position 5m away from the Japanese Katana (provided by good ol' Mr. Oda). Who do you think will win this time?
And the victory goes to – depends what the challenge was in the first place. The Katana did slice through the 50 caliber bullet - not one, not two, not three but a total of 6 bullets!! However the blade finally gave way at the 7th bullet. An amazing feat no less. But whoever’s behind the sword will still get riddled with bullet shrapnel.
So if you ask me, the Japanese Katana can slice through a heavy machine gun’s bullet but it can’t withstand a repetitive assault. As far as Mr. Oda is concerned - “I told you before, my sword still Rules!!” ^_^
This video is one cool showdown you don't wanna miss – Japanese Katana Vs Hand Gun. The MythBusters gotta check this myth out!! The demo is allegedly recorded at L.A. Gun Club’s indoor rifle range. Mr. Oda the owner of the Katana brought his sword to the gun club all the way from Japan to test if its sharp blade can slice through a speeding bullet (looks like a 9mm). I’ve only seen this in anime and manga, never on real TV documentaries.
They setup the Katana vertically in the middle of the shooting range with the Ha (sharp edge) facing the gun. Behind the Katana is a large piece of paper screen used to determine where the bullet shoots through. Check out how many holes appeared after the demo.
It looked real and since it was a Japanese documentary I guess it's genuine. At the end of the clip the Katana came out unscathed, its surface only stained by the bullet's metal residue. Guess Mr. Oda can rightfully claim “I told you, my sword Rules!!”
The functional Kill Bill Bride movie sword replica is similar to the Demon Hattori Hanzo Functional Movie Sword.The difference lies in the Lion Emblem engraved on the blade instead of the Demon Emblem. Also at the center of the Saya (scabbard), the Demon Emblem is replaced by another design hand-painted in gold.
As with the post on Demon Hattori Hanzo Functional Movie Sword, a friendly word of caution - before you decide to buy a functional sword it's best to think it over thoroughly. Keeping a sharp long blade that potentially severe a limb (or two) is a huge responsibility especially if you have kids in the house. A real katana looks much less threatening than a firearm, but in reality it's the next lethal weapon. Frankly I'd suggest you buy a functional katana as if you're buying a real gun.
When I first started surfing for functional swords on the net, I found many merchant sites do not caution customers on the responsibility and potential danger of owning these swords. So think it through, make sure you know what you're doing. If in doubt it's still satisfying to settle for a decorative sword replica with rebated (dull) edge, plus you'll sleep better at night.
At the time of this post, there were no stocks available at the merchant. Alternatively you can consider the Handmade Kill Bill Bride Movie Sword Full Tang from Hanzo Steel.
Now that you know the different types of swords and the basic terms used in a Katana, it’s time to put this knowledge to use (finally!). What better sword to start with than the Kill Bill Hattori Hanzo Sword also fondly known as Bill’s Demon Sword. This awesome and accurate movie sword replica from Musashi as shown above is a fine piece of work. The Hattori Hanzo sword is made of high-carbon steel and fully functional so you’ll need to be extra careful with the sharp edge.
If you unsheathe the sword from the hardwood Saya (scabbard), you’ll see an engraved Demon Emblem on one side of the blade. How cool is that? The blade is 27.5” long while the overall length is 40”. Good info to check if you got the room space for worship. The Demon Hattori Hanzo movie sword replica has a Kissaki (point) of Chu type which is medium in length.
Full-tang design keeps the blade and the handle firmly together under abusive force during practical use. However I wouldn’t recommend risking it on cutting hard objects. Although very tempting, resist from touching the blade directly because the acid from your skin can corrode the carbon steel over time. A strict no-no. It’s more forgivable if the blade was stainless steel.
The black Saya (scabbard) comes in a glossy lacquered finish with another Demon Emblem engraved at the center. A sycamore leaf emblem is also engraved between the Koiguchi (scabbard mouth) and Kurikata (loop for cord), hand-painted in gold. Initially I thought I saw the maple-leaf emblem of Canada.
The Tsuba (guard) is made of copper while cotton cord wraps the hardwood Tsuka (handle). The Kashira (pommel) has an intricate design silver in colour and all the fittings are metal.
You can dismantle the Demon Hattori Hanzo sword replica to reveal the full-tang but I wouldn’t recommend it unless you know what you are doing. Also frequent dismantling and reassembling exerts wear and tear to the fittings making them loose over time.
Musashi is relatively a newcomer in the sword manufacturing business but is aggressively making their presence felt, recognized to become one of the most reliable and reputable producer of budget Japanese swords. For the low price tags, the quality of Musashi functional swords are commendable which is a good combination for entry level enthusiasts. Most of their budget sword selections are in the $50-$149 range. If you have difficulty following some of the Japanese sword terms above, refer to this previous post on Japanese Katana Terminology.
Before you decide to buy a functional sword, it's best to think it over thoroughly. Keeping a sharp long blade that potentially severe a limb (or two) is a huge responsibility especially if you have kids in the house. A real katana looks much less threatening than a firearm, but in reality it's the next lethal weapon. Frankly I'd suggest you buy a functional katana as if you're buying a real gun.
At the time of this post, there were no stocks available at the merchant. Alternatively you can consider the Handmade Kill Bill Demon Movie Sword from Hanzo Steel
If you’ve read the previous post on basic sword terminology and think it was piece of cake, then you’ll certainly be able to digest the Japanese katana challenge. I tried to look for a cool pic of Hiro Nakamura’s ‘Takezo Kensei’ katana but none was detailed enough to describe with. So the one below will have to do. Since this is a post on Japanese sword terminology, all the terms will be in Nihongo (in roman letters of course). Yatta!
Let’s begin with the blade. Kissaki is the blade point also known as the most difficult part of a katana to be forged and polished. Both sides of the Kissaki surface are at a different plane than the rest of the blade and converges to the sharp blade tip. Therefore it’s no surprise one of the main factors that determine the katana value is the quality and condition of the Kissaki. It’s worthy to note here that there are 2 lines separating the Kissaki from the rest of the blade - Koshinogi and Yokote which will be explained in the following section. These dividing lines and the Kissaki tip determine the 3 types of Kissaki – Chu-Kissaki (medium), O-Kissaki (long) and Ko-Kissaki (short) as shown in the pic below. Feeling dizzy already?
Next comes the shinogi, the ridge line along the length of the blade. There’s also the Koshinogi which is the shinogi in the shape of a sharp arc that stretches along the Kissaki.
Yokote is the dividing line that separates the Kissaki (blade point) surface and blade plane.
Hi or Bo-hi is the blade groove designed to prevent the sword from bending and to reduce its weight without compromising strength. It’s similar to the fuller in European swords.
Yakiba is the tempered line with a particular pattern stretching across the blade. It’s the result of the different heat treatment applied to the blade to make the edge harder. The Yakiba comes in many different patterns known as Hamon. There’s the straight Sugu, wavy Notare, zig-zag Gunome and many others.
Boshi is the tempered line that stretches into the Kissaki (blade point). The Boshi also has various design styles.
Mune is the back ridge of the blade. There are 3 different types of Mune according to the design – Ihori (standard 2 surfaces), Mitsu (3 surfaces) and Maru (rounded surface).
Ha is the sharp cutting edge of the blade.
Hada is the visible design of the grain on the sword steel. The shape of the grain is a direct result of the way the sword was folded when forging.
Tsuba is the cross-guard made of steel, copper, silver or some other durable metal to prevent the hand from sliding to the blade during thrusting action and also to protect the hand from enemy attacks. Nothing to do with Captain Tsubasa ;)
Tsuka is the hilt or handle made of wood and normally wrapped in ray skin.
Kashira is the pommel at the end of the hilt.
Saya is the scabbard or sheath usually made of wood to protect the blade. If you’re an anime fan, Saya was the heroine character in Blood+. Now you see the connection.
Sageo is the cord used to secure the sword to the obi (belt).
Kurikata is the knob on the scabbard through which the Sageo (cord) is passed through.
Kojiri is the ornament at the closed end of the scabbard.
Koiguchi is the opened end of the scabbard where the sword is sheathed and unsheathed from.
Phew! So there you have it, a short marathon on katana terminology. But don’t let loose yet. All the above are just some of the basics. There’s still a lot more to it like the Nakago (sword tangs), Nakago-jiri (tang tip), various blade shapes, etc. Keep posted for future updates on some of these advanced terms.
You’re adamant to start your own movie sword collection. Great! But wait, what type of swords are available on the net and which one should you choose? Well if you search online you’ll find various opinions on the categorization of swords since there’s no clear line that separates them. So to make things simple, there are generally 3 different types of swords in the market.
First is the decorative sword also frequently referred to as display sword (which I think is inaccurate since a genuine antique sword can still be a display sword in some collector’s secret underground vault). The name decorative sword clearly states its purpose – making your fireplace, study or games room look ultra-cool. Decorative swords are generally made from but not limited to stainless steel making them more corrosive-resistant than common carbon steel. Even though meant for display purposes, they do come sharpened.
Just a reminder, decorative swords are not to be used in sword duels or cutting parties. But if you insist, top-up your insurance coverage and get a paramedic team on standby. Most decorative swords (99.99%) will break under heavy-force and worst case possibly land you an “involuntary manslaughter” charge.
The second type of sword is the practice sword used in beginner and intermediate sword training exercise. They help students to learn basic sword techniques (offence and defence), sword handling and balanced footwork. Practice swords can be made from a variety of materials mainly wood, plastic, latex, foam, aluminium and even steel. They do not have sharp edges for safety reasons especially during sword duel exercises where students apply the learned skills to the test. You probably heard of sword cutting exercise in advanced training where actual sharp swords are used to cut bamboo, plastic containers and roll-bundled newspaper. Skilled and experienced professionals use functional sword for this purpose which is described in the next section.
The final type is the functional sword, the real thing - designed and forged to withstand the brute forces from cutting, stabbing and metal-to-metal bashing. A fully-functional sword is one great piece of engineering sometimes termed “battle-ready” cause it really is. High carbon steel is used to make the blade and the tang as one single piece. The tang is the part of the blade that extends into the hilt. A full-tang extends all the way to the hilt end typical of many European swords. A partial-tang is more favoured in Japanese katana. The guard, grip and pommel of a functional sword are also carefully designed and made of durable materials. If you plan on having a cutting party, a fully functional sword is the best piece to use. Well actually it’s a must. You are less likely to worry about the sword breaking, just keep your eye on where the sword is going and make sure you’re gripping it firmly. If you don’t have any previous training on handling a functional sword, go get one. Remember “involuntary manslaughter”?
Well there you have it, or maybe not quite. You may be asking so where does movie sword replica fall into? The answer – any one of the 3 above depending on the sword’s purpose. For example, if you’re looking for a cosplay sword replica, a decorative sword made from wood, plastic or foam is best. It’s also easier to make decorative and practice swords exactly like the movie's design. Functional swords however are a different story.
Most awesome designs seen on the movie screens are just that - designs. If a functional sword is forged exactly as seen, it may not behave like a true sword - the weight could be too much to handle, there’s heavy resistance to swinging or the whole sword vibrates violently upon contact. Not so functional or practical anymore. But there are some manufacturers who apply design enhancements to make the replicas as original and functional as possible.
So you decided to start a movie sword replica collection cause a room full of iconic swords make you look macho cool in front your friends and the girl next door (hell yeah!), that is until the girl next door starts throwing questions at you about sword features. There are many movie sword replica collectors who don’t know much about swords. Not to say a collector should have the PhD kind of knowledge, but just enough to appreciate and respect the make of a sword. Alright, it makes you look smart and sophisticated on top of avoiding embarassing situations.
So what should an enthusiastic collector know at least? Some basic sword terminology would be good to start with. For easier understanding, we have Anduril Sword of the King as our model. A typical sword is made up of 2 main parts – the blade and the hilt as labelled below.
Let’s begin with the blade section. At the tip end of the blade is the point, easy right? Then comes the central ridge which runs from the blade point to the fuller. Now the fuller is the groove that runs along the blade and there’s a widespread misunderstanding that the fuller is what many refer to as "blood groove”. It’s best if you know the actual facts from the beginning - the fuller’s function is not to lead off blood contrary to all the hype in sword-and-sorcery novels. The real structural function of the fuller is to strengthen and lighten the blade the same time. If you’re from an engineering background, you’d realize it has a similar concept to the I-beam structure used in construction. Spoils all the fantasy hoohahs right?
Next comes the sharp length of the blade called the edge and it’s designed for one purpose only - cutting. A sword can be single-edged or doubled-edged. The Anduril is a doubled-edged sword meaning both edges of the sword are sharp. A common Japanese katana is single-edged with one sharp edge and the other rebated (blunt). So far so good?
Now let’s continue with the hilt section. The part of the hilt that borders the blade is the cross-guard. It serves 2 purposes - the first is mainly to prevent the user’s hand from sliding to the blade during a thrusting strike, the second is also to protect the user’s hand but from an enemy’s sharp blade. The grip part of the hilt as its name implies, is where the hand grips firmly onto the sword. Finally at the end of the hilt comes the pommel. Sound familiar? In French, “pomme” means apple making it easy to remember, at least for those who know French.
So there you have it, a quick walkthrough on some of the basics of sword terminology. Please keep in mind that the terms posted above are by no means exhaustive. There are numerous sword designs out there each having unique features and parts not mentioned here (wait till you read about the Japanese katana terminology). So do come back to this blog to check out new posts on other sword replica designs.
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