Percy Jackson & the Olympians: Riptide

arivin923

Well-Known Member
hey guys! first major prop I'm making. Its Percy's sword, Riptide.

For those who don't know, the Percy Jackson series is an amazing book series by Rick Riordan. Synopsis from Wikipedia:

The protagonist is a 12 year-old boy named Percy Jackson who discovers that he is the son of Poseidon, god of the sea. He learns that the legendary beings of Greek mythology still exist, including Cyclopes, Empousai, Titans, and of course the Olympians (Greek gods) themselves who are in Olympus on the mythical 600th floor of the Empire State Building. Percy meets many other young demigods, both friendly and hostile, who are also in the process of discovering their heritage and powers.

In the first book, percy recieves the sword Anaklumos, or riptide, a gift from his father. It is disguised as a pen, but when uncapped, it returns to its true form of a large bronze sword. Here is a caption about it from the first book:

"I took off the cap, and the pen grew longer and heavier in my hand. In half a second, I held a shimmering bronze sword with a double-edged blade, a leather-wrapped grip, and a flat hilt riveted with gold studs. It was the first weapon that actually felt balanced in my hand."

So, the sword described here is pretty boring. I think I'm going to take some artistic license, and go a step further. Since it was a gift from his father Poseidon. I was thinking of decorating the hilt with images of tridents, horses, dolphins, waves, and hippocampi. And I had the Idea of making the pommel a seashell. Any design ideas for the hilt are greatly appreciated.

The sword is often described as being metallic bronze. Is there any way to achieve this look with paint? I've also heard that you an get things like this chromed. Would this work? and how much would that hurt my wallet? lol

the other thing is, I don't know what kind of sword to go with. I was thinking a greek style, but I don't know what that would specifically entail. I was planning on buying a wooden one, and modding it, because I want to be able to bring it to cons.
here are the swords I am looking at:
http://www.realmcollections.com/p1751/one-hand-practice-sword.html
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3693084
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3693082
http://www.swordsknivesanddaggers.com/product/1610/Roman_Wooden_Training_Sword.aspx


also, here are the best pictures I could snag of what is shown of the sword from the covers:
Riordan_LightningThief-1.jpg

lastolympian.gif

BA8C008A-9225-4EDC-9129-5B9B54688D4.jpg


last but not least, although the design of the sword looks like garbage in the picture below, I loved the wave design on the blade. I was thinking of doing it engraved in the wood (woodburner or dremel or something) and then painting it in a metallic blue. what do you think?
PercyFiles_FC3.jpg
 
My son loves this series of books. Can't wait to see what you come up with. You might try picking up some different metallic paints an types of woods, then testing them out to see what looks best before you commit to a sword design. Try a google search for painting wood to look like metal, I'm sure there must be a few tutorials out there.

Cheers,
Neil.
 
Awesome idea! What a fun series of books. I'll have to post pictures of my version of Anaklumos tonight.
 
It might be easy to have it bronzed. People are always bronzing baby shoes.

The sword (Excalibur) in one of my favorite swords and sandals book series, Jack Whyte's Camulod Chronicles, has a seashell pommel.
 
"I took off the cap, and the pen grew longer and heavier in my hand. In half a second, I held a shimmering bronze sword with a double-edged blade, a leather-wrapped grip, and a flat hilt riveted with gold studs. It was the first weapon that actually felt balanced in my hand."
It sounds like the author intended a two-foot - bronze swords were short - version of the style of early bronze-age dagger with a tangless triangular bronze blade riveted to a bronze handle. Off the top of my head, other greek styles don't match as well; either the handle isn't bronze (or bronze-covered) or the rivets would be non-existent or hidden under a hilt wrapping or too small to qualify as 'studs'. A god would also be expected to possess an older-style weapon and this way the blade shape, if not the hilt, matches the cover art. Regardless, best to ask in the myarmoury forums.



No point starting with a ready-made sword. Just cut out the pattern from plywood or sintra, build up the handle on either side and round the edges. Hehe, 'just'.

Bronze electroplating probably isn't worth the cost given what bronzed baby booties go for, but you never know until you ask. Failing that you could paint it or use Rub-n-Buff but art stores also sell powdered bronze and binding mediums for - wait for it - faking the appearance of bronze objects.

I like the seashell pommel and the waves on the blade. Would be nice to use iridescent paint for the later.

:)
 
ya that is how I pictured it too, except different hilt, and in a bronze color. But where can I find a wooden one that looks like that?
 
I don't think anyone mass-produces a wooden xiphos. Your best bet if you want to go that route is to reshape a wooden gladius. For reference of final appearance, note the construction of the xiphos hilt below: slabs of wood or bone go on either side of the tang (with the pommel being a separate barrel) and then metal strips are riveted over the top. Also, for what it's worth, this.

1610.jpg
hoplite_sword_hilt.jpg
 
o sweet, thanks! any chance anyone wants to help me design the hilt? I think I'm going to take a little artistic license, and instead of some boring rivets, I was thinking a sea-green stone with a trident, and like on either side either a seahorse, a hippocampi, or a horse, and maybe some of that greek squigly design on the top ad bottom. I don't have a scanner and cant draw at all on the compuer or I'd show you.
 
please guys, don't make me beg!

on another note, while reading through book 5, it mentions that the sword is 3 feet long
 
ok, I picked up the sword, I've finalized the design. Now I just need some help with doing it lol

1) there are some grooves in the sword that i don't want. can I fill them in with something?

2) the center of the design is going to be sea green stone on top of a sketched in and painted picture of a trident. where can i find a stone or whatever to use?

3) I want to replace the pommel with a wooden seashell. having trouble finding a good one. any help is appreciated

thanks guys!
 
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