Back in Japan, thrown into whirlwind of fall term, but thought I'd update something I did while on vacation and had the access to my dad's workshop.
At a reenactment event, I picked up a dagger frog and a sword frog that had an appropriate fleur de lis on it. Not quite right, either, for exactness to the movie but close enough and saved me making them, though I did rework the sword frog. It was meant to hang from a belt, but I wanted the strapping that Evan's character had in the movie. It looked more practical with the clips for easy removal and buckles to adjust the angle the sword hung at. So, that's what I did - cut, whipped off some components and attached the straps. The belt is a nice thick piece from a cheap edging I got at the same event (in Pennsylvania).
The white decoration on the front strap was stitched in the movie. For the sake of sanity I just painted mine on, and touched up the fleur de lis to bring the ensemble together.
The scabbard is a piece of PVC pipe with a plumbing fitting at the bottom, similar to the great metal-ish thing that tips Aramis' scabbard. I covered it with pleather, and stitched some decorative filigree jewellery things on to reflect in style what was in the movie version as well.
Happily, I already had a dagger thing, a three-sided blade, cheap, probably Indian. (Since both weapons are metal, I won't be bringing them to cons, only photoshoots.) Not like the movie version again, but I said upthread I wasn't going for complete accuracy.
The sword is a reenactment schlager for fencing in the SCA - quite a heavy blade, with a long tang. Though my dad's workshop has all sorts of welding equipment, I was on vacation, and I don't really know much about metal work anyway. I COULD have made the proper hilt and guards. I didn't. At the event, I picked up some fittings for the blade that were *sort of* similar to the movie. I don't think anyone will quibble about it. The only metal working I did was to grind off a metal cup that was on the ring section of the quillons and file it smooth and buff it. The rings are a touch big for doing pistol-grip, but sufficient. Maybe sometime I'll get another stab at making the hilt. Granted, his wooden cross pieces are more angular and remind me of fancy butcher's blades, but I did what I could without my dad's former fancy woodworking stuff.
The fun part was using ye old table saw, chop saw and jigsaw to work the cherry wood my dad had lying around to fit over the crossguard/quillons I'd bought. (He used to have a band saw and scroll saw but those have been sold, alas.) I used the table saw to lay a groove down the wood pieces, used some stick glue and clamps to hold them together and drilled a channel from the crosspiece to fit into. When final shaping was down, the wood was glued and clamped around the guard.
For the rivets, mine are only decorative. The large ones on the side are similar to the movie, the little cross decoration was my own addition, since Aramis is a priestly sort and does pray for the men he's killed with the sword as his cross. I got some nails, ground the tops smoother, clipped them, pre-drilled holes and used wood glue to help keep them in place.
There was no wood stain, so I used some of my mom's leather dye. Some clear coat, sanding, more clear coat, and it was done. Probably could be more professional, but I was pressed for time.
The finger rings I bought were meant to be a scorpion style crossguard for a dagger. I reversed it, made the hole a bit bigger and used the force of the pommel thread to sort of screw and push it into the wood of the crossguard to keep it from swivelling around as it wanted to do.
In the meantime, I'm scrambling to throw together a Starlord that won't look complete pants for an event next week, and I need to work a commision for the King Louis this costume will be paired with, so this costume will have to wait a bit. The cloak is up next, though! Buttons galore!
That's it for now.
r
