How do I make a dagger?

With experimental string on the grip (which needs to be wrapped tighter in places). Its a lot less squishy, and hides the ugly grip quite nicely (so would leather).

Next step: coreless throwing dagger. And then, eventually, I’ll need to do a latexing party.

This one is intended to be a serious knight’s dagger, styled to match the excalibur longsword I use. Its not a perfect match - I didn’t make the hilt long enough to put the rings at the top and bottom, but good enough.

All I need to do now is stick a raised ellipse on the pommel. I’ve got thinner foam, but it doesn’t cut very well even with fresh blades (it has a tendency to tear instead). Any suggestions for what else to use? Would cardboard work?

Also, any suggestions for adding a fuller dowm the middle?

You just need to cut a small ellipse out of thin foam? I’ve used scissors for small shapes and it’s worked fine.

Scissors instead of craft knives?

I am so fucking thick sometimes.

A bit scruffy on the grip, but it’ll be covered by leather anyway.

So, any hints on how to spiral-wrap a grip?

Two common ways:

  1. cut a long strip of leather (e.g. about 20mm x 300mm) and trim off both ends at an angle. ADOS the grip and the leather and glue it on, spiralling down the handle.

– or –

  1. cut a rectangle of leather that will wrap around the grip in one go with a slight overlap (e.g. about 120mm x 120mm). ADOS onto handle. Use a piece of wire or string to spiral down the handle.

Right, I did a spiral wrap when I re-did the sword Derek gave me. (Only because I lost the original bloody piece of leather. Mutter mutter).

I prefer spiral wrapping to the overlapping wrapping style, but that’s pure personal preference.

I did a bit of trial and error with thick cloth until I had the length and angles down right. Once you get the piece cut out to the correct size it’s a piece of cake to clue.

Mmmm cake.

[quote]Scissors instead of craft knives?

I am so fucking thick sometimes.[/quote]

ROFL, glad I could help. :smiley:

Finished bodice dagger

More for display / throat slitting than serious combat. Unfortunately I didn’t measure / place the wrap quite right on one of them.

Now I really need to work on some sort of scabbard.

Looking good. It looks like you’re got the shaping really sorted. Are you using some kind of electric sander?

I got a cheap oscillating sander from The Warehouse. No good for bulk removals, and you have to be careful about the edge of the sheet (as if it rolls up, it becomes a knife cutting into your foam), but it works OK for smoothing.

Those are looking really nice.