Japan at all times was famous not only for the masters of martial arts, but also for the craftsmen who are able to make amazing examples of cold weapons. One of these masterpieces is the traditional samurai two-handed sword - the katana. It may not be so easy for you at first to make a real katana, but you can try making a training version of it from wood.
It is necessary
- - birch board;
- - tools for working with wood;
- - sandpaper;
- - varnish for wood.
Instructions
Step 1
Prepare a dry birch board or block. Hazel or dead wood is also suitable. The main requirement for the material for the sword is the absence of wood defects, especially knots. The length of the workpiece should be about a meter or a little more. The overall dimensions of the future wooden samurai sword are determined by the height of its owner; traditionally, the handle of a katana is about 25 cm long, and the working part (blade) is no more than 75 cm.
Step 2
Use a plane to plane a straight, wide workpiece. Remove excess wood layers; if you are using a solid bush trunk, you should first remove the bark and dry the workpiece a little. After initial processing, you should have a strip with a thickness of 10-30 mm.
Step 3
Give the sword a slightly curved look by removing the excess. So that the dimensions and shape are not distorted during processing, the contours of the future weapon should first be applied to the workpiece, and then, using a planer, sequentially remove excess material.
Step 4
Grind the sharp edges of the workpiece to give the katana a slightly rounded or oval shape. Pay special attention to the handle of the sword, since the ease of handling the training weapon will depend on the quality of its processing. It will be ideal if you make a round or oval handle. Make sure that its thickness is the same along the entire length.
Step 5
After giving the working part of the katana to the required shape, process it with a file and then with sandpaper. This will keep your hands free from splinters. First, use a coarser "sandpaper", gradually moving to a finer sanding. For safety reasons when handling the projectile, make the tip of the katana rounded and also grind.
Step 6
Cover the finished sword in succession with two or three layers of varnish to protect the wood from the harmful effects of the environment. For the convenience of holding the training weapon in your hand, carefully wrap the sword handle with insulating tape. Now you can safely start mastering the art of fighting with samurai swords.
