Highlander swords: please help the new guy

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A 1:1 highlander 1 sword commissioned by Adam savage

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Comparison pic of the original film sword (top) and the one I offer (bottom)


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I remember I made a kind of duncan late version inspired handle from boxwood about 15 years ago, also made a tanto handle from a piece of ivory I found on fleamarket.
I have some extra katana blades and would use one to make a Highlander sword using bone or ivory for the handle.
I am thinking about the late Duncan version, or the movie version.
What are the dimensions of the conor's katana head, especially the diameter?
Are there some large resolution of the guards, and the heads?
I think I could try to get a marto "ivory" with or without the head as reference too, will get in search of it.

S..t I just discovered I also had the right hilt some years ago, so far from real katana swords I left it over or sold the saber, don't remember exactly, so much zamac and chrome plating on it....
So I think I will more go for the late Duncan version, maybe adding the kind of hidden scabbard (?!), because we never see the scabbard in the higlander serie.
 
Duncans saya was shown in the episode of the samurai, it was when he actually received the sword from hidao koto... Which we have reproduced a few times :)

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where is the Connor handle from (top sword)?

The original was a mass-produced Spanish-made katana. I had owned one a couple of years ago.
It had the original saya as used in the Highlander movie, and the handle was what you see in the picture, with a simple "bronze" (cast iron) end pommel.

Cheers!
 
The Connor handle is production cast from the first film ... That saya was not the original Marto, it was hand made by me and the tsuba (hand guard ) was water jet brass not cast iron...


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about the ivory carving, I can do it, if you can provide the original and piece of ivory, it's totally in my abilities.
I carved the boxwood one when I was a teenage, using a simple paper cutter and some sand paper, it was at this time I started polishing swords and making japanese parts for my pleasure, then I get a job in cutlery, removing all the passion for bladed weapons, I left on 2004, and made other jobs, but if makes four years now since I get interest in prop replicas, and of course, the interest for japanese blades and for highlander came back, the reason why I get in the cutlery domain....
Just came back from the museum in my town (thiers, french cutlery city), there was a japanese sword exhibition, with some good things, it gave me a good feeling, becuse I could see some polishing and judge my actual level, not so good, but not so bad, far better than chinese 1095 finish, far lower than the good japanese level costing hundred dollar per inch...now I just have to continue, and increase the level.
I ordered a custom folded steel blade with straight hamon for my personnal kill bill sword project, re-shaped it entirely for better design and balance, polished one side to 1200 grit and starting other side to 2000 grit to make the horimono, and I started the horimono, I will continue it tomorrow.
I have 2 extra 1095 blades with wavy hamon, would be good for a highlander sword project, so I just need to make habaki(simulating marto shape but without the logo), saya, fuchi-"what-looks-like a-kashira-ring"handle and dragon head, and the tsuba of course.
 
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I have owned a few cheap Highlanders, even some really good cheap ones, but the Marto is much more substantial, you feel the quality, heavy and stiff.

For a replica, it's very well done, especially the handle. The Chinese knock offs don't come close to replicating real ivory, they look and feel like cheap plastic.

Quality wise it doesn't feel any different from a real katana, but it's 440 steel and a rat tail tang, so you couldn't bring it into a fight if you ever had to. I collect real katanas too and there is a big difference, but I keep the Marto on display because of the coolness and collectors value.

Having real, battle ready, fully functional swords on the wall appeals to me very much, but so does having a Marto or two,

I also have the Conan Marto and it's spectacular!
 
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the marto handles are brittle at best.. the weight is from a metal bar that the rat tang is fed through ... it looks good but that’s the end of the story


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The Marto looks good and feels good too, if it's not broken. The first one I received was broken in shipping, but the seller accepted the return.

Like most replicas it was meant to hang on the wall and not made to suffer any abuse.

Treat it like a replica and it will be fine.

the marto handles are brittle at best.. the weight is from a metal bar that the rat tang is fed through ... it looks good but that’s the end of the story


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