Play Sword

not extremely ornate but good craftsmanship nontheless… very nice

-- "Measure twice, curse once"

I have 4 sons that all loved play swords. Ornate is not the way to go with these. This design is perfect for the use and abuse it will inevitably get.

-- Greatness is not found in possessions, power, position, or prestige. It is discovered in goodness, humility, service, and love.

This is a nice project for energetic youngsters. My two grandsons would absolutely love something like this. Catalpa appears to be an interesting wood with which I have not had the opportunity to work.

Thanks for the post.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

Perfect for the youngsters.

-- Maplewood, MN

Let the creativity begin! Nice job.

-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)

Southern Indiana? Like, Evansville? (I got my MBA at U of E, near the Indian Summer vinegar plant … invigorating.) I remember when I was young playing swords with a guy whose father had made him an iron sword, which chopped our wooden ones to bits, even without an edge. Since he refused to trade off or adopt a wooden weapon, he soon didn’t have anyone to play with.

Even wooden swords can be effective, though. The Aztecs gave the Spanish a run for their money (so to speak) using wooden swords embedded with volcanic glass and quilted cotton armor. You really don’t want to be on the receiving end of a Japanese bamboo sword if you’re dumb enough to volunteer as a dummy in a dojo, even if you’re wearing padding. Any kind of fencing, especially in play (where it’s easy to get carried away, trust me), should include some kind of safety equipment or armor, especially for the eyes. Maybe something from an old bleach bottle and safety goggles, painted to look like metal, with elastic to hold it on? I don’t know.

-- Hibernicvs

Thanks for the comments everyone! Thanks for taking time to look at my projects!

-- Daniel, Southern Indiana -- "Have nothing in your home that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." -- http://blackdogwoodshop.etsy.com