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So You Want
Blade's Blade?
A Commentary of the
Sword used by Wesley Snipes in "Blade"
Review by David K. Wilson
You say you have a problem with bloodsucking vampires (I don't mean
lawyers or politicians, I mean the actual fanged, living-dead,
sunlight-hating, garlic avoiding Night Stalkers) and you lack the proper
tools for the job? You need a weapon you can show off to your Daywalking
friends, one that will make you the envy of all post-modern Vampire
hunters and will get you 86'ed from your local Vampire all-night Rave?
Never fear! Inspiration is at hand, in the form of Wesley Snipes, decked
out in leather, sunglasses, and an attitude, armed to the fangs with an
array of deadly goodies that are sure to make the "Living Death" a little
more permanent.
"Blade", the motion picture starring Wesley Snipes as a virtuous
half-vampire, half-human avenger known as a Daywalker and Stephen Dorff as
a satanically evil vampire with an apocalyptic scheme that would give ol'
Vlad Tepes himself the willies, exploded onto the silver screen last year
with blood and fury, attracting all sorts of viewers -- horror fans,
action fans, Wesley Snipes fans, and, of course, sword fans -- making it a
certain hit. Why? Lots of reasons! Explosive, non-stop action, thrills,
terror, gallons of stage blood, and the martial artistry and suave
machismo of Wesley Snipes, are a few reasons.
But that's not why YOU saw it, right? You went to see the weapons. Come
on, admit it! Maybe it's a guy thing, but I for one pay close attention to
a couple things in movies and these are: 1. The weapons -- swords, guns,
artillery, etc. 2. The Cars (or motorcycles, or planes) and 3. The women
(remember, this is not in any order of preference!).
Seriously though, Let's face it: Most of us Sword Nuts got our
introduction to the world of swords through cinema. Be it "Black Sheild of
Falworth", "Scaramouche", "Spartacus", "The Three Musketeers", "Conan the
Barbarian", "Highlander", it was Hollywood that inspired us to "take up
arms", so to speak, to emulate our on-screen heroes and heroines (the same
goes for the fireams enthusiasts among us, but that's something for
another magazine to pursue!). "Blade" is proving no exception; If the
responses posted on the Sword Forum Magazines' Discussion Board are any
indication, the interest in the weapons of "Blade" run quite high indeed!
And which weapon captures the most attention, ask you? Let's think about
this a second: Could it be that neat Machine Pistol (an M11 with plenty of
make-up), firing silver bullets? Well, it wouldn't be legal for most of
us, and those silver bullets get expensive after several full-auto bursts.
Those nifty silver spikes? No way, they're boring! The Vampire
"anti-venom"? Hasn't been FDA approved yet. That leaves one last (And
obvious) choice... the Blade of Blade!
The Sword of Blade
The Sword of Blade -- a serious Vampire-killing tool, with few frills just
a blade of "silver-titanium" and a nifty "hilt-trap" comprised of three
small spring loaded blades that pop up on unsuspecting unauthorized users
-- the ultimate anti-theft device! To this layman observer, the blade of
the Blade Sword looks double-edged (freeze-frame the video cassette,
folks!) with a couple fullers. The hilt vaguely resembles a Star Wars
lightsaber. There is no guard. Some have voiced the opinion that the
whole set-up resembles an Oriental sword of some sort (a Chinese Gim,
perhaps? Personally I don't quite see it), but to me it (again, vaguely)
looks like a mutant Roman Spatha, with a hand-and-a-half, or perhaps
two-hand, grip. And this fairly substantial weapon is carried -- and
concealed -- in a back sheath!
That's all fine and dandy, you say. All you know is that you want it, the
Blade of Blade, a sword capable of sending those pesky vampires to the
depths of Erebus. And it has to have a Titanium Blade!
It's Gotta Be
Titantium!
Oh yes, titanium, the indestructable miracle metal, used on the Space
Shuttle! And you just have to have a sword made from this wonderful
material! Why? Because it's lightweight and indestructble! Right?
Right?
Not so fast, garlic-breath. Titanium alloy's greatest strength lies in
it's strength-to-weight ratio -- basically, it's very light. But you knew
that. Let's not forget that one of the most important things that make a
good sword blade is proper hardness! Most titanium alloys simply cannot be
hardened much past the mid-40's on the Rockwell scale (the ideal range for
swords is in the low to mid 50's RC). This lack of hardness affects both
edge-retention and blade strength. And so to compensate for this lack of
strength you'll have to increase mass -- a lot. In non-egghead terms, if
you want to go blade-to-blade against a steel katana, you'll need a much
bigger sword than the one shown in the movie, as in all possibility the
steel sword could CUT INTO the titanium blade! And then there is the
previously mentioned element of edge-retention -- titanium just can't hold
an edge very well, considering again the lack of hardness. Further,
there's the cost element to consider. A titanium blade will cost you much
more than an arm and a leg! But, I suppose if you have a lot of extra cash
and can find a smith who will work with titanium alloys, it could be done.
But considering the above points, why would you still want to?
Besides, the Swords in the Movie weren't REALLY made from Titanium....
That Bane of Vampires:
Aluminum?
Most likely. Rubber, too. This is the Motion Picture Industry, folks!
They often use, ahhh, "alternative" materials in fight scenes for a
variety of reasons. Aluminum is often used because it is very light (Hmmm,
sorta like titanium, but cheaper, right?) and helps "speed up" the sword
fight sequences. If you remember the final battle between Blade and Deacon
Frost, that scene moved, didn't it? Although Wesley Snipes is a pretty
buffed guy, it's still just a lot faster to swing an aluminum sword.
However, aluminum is very soft and gets damaged VERY easily. In many
productions, they will go through SEVERAL aluminum blades in JUST ONE
ONE-ON-ONE fight sequence! But that's Hollywood, they've got the bucks
(and the armourers) to work around that. Then for close ups they will use
a steel or plated-metal blade.
And for some fight sequences in Blade, they used a different material.
Something very flexible and whippy -- rubber? Check out the fight sequence
at the Vampire rave, where Blade is cutting down several attacking
baddies. Slow down the video and look close -- that blade sure flexes
easy, don't it? Of course it's rubber or some "High Tech Resin" ! The
flexibility and ductility would be necessary filming such a close and fast
sequence -- after all, those bad guys are stunt men, not Vampires, and it
would slow down production if you actually whacked some of them with an
aluminum (let alone steel) blade! And then there are the scenes where
Blade whips his sword from his back-sheath. Flexibility is necessary
there, too!
Okay, so you can forgo the titanium and aluminum alloys, but you still
lust after the Blade of Blade, and at this point you're asking....
Is There Any Hope For
Me?
Not much. As of this writing, there is no "Officially Licensed Sword of
Blade" available -- you think that one of the big display-sword makers
such as Marto or United Cutlery would have jumped on this grand
opportunity. Alas, they have not, as yet. Will there be any such thing in
the future? Sadly, my crystal ball just got really foggy (maybe it's my
cable service....) I do see a light at the end of the tunnel -- and the
good news is, it isn't an after-hours Vampire nightclub. Tony Swatton, who
made the original prop sword for the movie Blade, is willing to make -- on
a custom basis only -- swords similar to the prop sword he made for the
movie Blade sword! Note that he does not own the rights to the
Blade sword, as they were not his design originally, and thus Tony will
not make exact replicas due to copyright laws.
The prices start out at about $1,000 (for a Blade with a sold cast-resin
hilt) up to the neighborhood of $2,500 (for a hilt with a FUNCTIONAL
spring-loaded trap!). However, do not be illusioned into thinking
that the sword will perform like what you see in the movie - that is,
after all, a combination of special effects, props, computer animation,
etc. Do not expect the sword to be battleworthy or be usable for
stage combat; there is a big difference between swords made to battlefield
tolerances and swords made as light-weight movie props.
(Editor's note: I was able to examine a Blade prop featuring a 1095 steel
blade and a resin hilt. The tang measured only half the length of the
handle, and the blade was very thin. The sword may be construed as being
made of "real" materials (for those insisting on a "real" sword) but in
reality the sword would not withstand significant use. The sword was
incredibly light and well balanced, but the blade would not endure any
stage combat action. In addition, the resin handle would be prone to
cracking, compounded by the pressure exerted on the handle material by the
half-length tang.)
Contact Info
Tony Swatton
Sword and the Stone
723 North Victory Boulevard
Burbank, California 91502
Phone: (818) 562-6548
FAX: (818) 562-6549
Website: www.swordandstone.com
E-mail: Tony@swordandstone.com
Editor's Note
Tony Swatton is reknowned master propmaker for various motion pictures.
The
Blade sword does not exist outside of being a movie prop and thus
we cannot recommend this for those desiring a real sword or
seeking to obtain one for use as a real sword.
Potential buyers should be aware that prop swords of steel are
generally made heavier and thicker to withstand entertainment swordplay,
which are the opposite parameters of traditional historically accurate
swords. It is therefore not merely a matter of having a steel blade
instead of aluminum or titanium alloy. With any sword and swordmaker, you
should determine from the maker factors such as heat treating, weight,
balance, sectional geometry, handle durability, harmonic balance, center
of percussion, etc.
Although Mr. Swatton's artistry is truly evident, we have no data at this
time as to how his work as a bladesmith will perform as real swords, or if
he will make swords out side of the context of movie props, but we look
forward to discover more in this aspect.
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