I know weaponry can be a touchy subject, so if you are averse to letting your children play with swords now is probably the time to go read one of my back posts. I feel like sword play is pretty common and natural for children, boys especially. They like to have a weapon to defeat dragons and such, and, if a boy doesn’t have a sword, he’ll probably just use a stick as a sword. I am fine with my children using a play sword, with one exception; I won’t tolerate hearing the word “kill” as a threat toward any other person, even in play. My children know this. They are free to kill dragons and capture people, but not free to threaten death to another person in the game.
I thought it would be a great project to let my son fashion his own wooden sword after reading Saint George and the Dragon.
First, he drew a picture of how he wanted his sword to look. (I am heartbroken that I can’t find his sword drawing to post here! It was painstakingly drawn and colored.) Next he and I drew the sword onto a 1″ X 6″. I followed his design, but changed the proportions a bit so the sword would feel balanced in his hand. The crossbar, grip, and pommel comprise one-third of the total length. The blade comprises the other two-thirds. Once sketched, I used a Dremel drill to cut it out. Pintail then whittled the sharp edges down with a pocket knife and sanded the entire sword.
Painting came next.
Voila! Ready for battle.
