Prop Broken Sword

[G.W.Wolflord]

Not sure if I found the correct category but this seems like general discussion. This may be a painful question...

I have what’s supposed to me a prop sword, like play/film acting. It’s supposed to be blunted high carbon steel. This is unconfirmed.

I need to turn it into a broken sword not too different from the one in LOTR.

What would be the best and safest way to achieve this?

My only thought right how was to use a torch to heat part of of the middle. Then water quench and smack it with a hammer. 

[Steve Sells]

Swords dont shatter that way, its hollywood, if you want it to look that way, get a saw and cut it up that way

[George N. M.]

I agree with Steve.  The "Shards of Narsil" as shown in the LOTR movies do not accurately depict how steel breaks.  If a sword has a flaw in the metal or is brittle it is likely that it will break straight or at an angle across the blade.  It will likely not break into multiple pieces.  Metal does not fail in the same way as a brittle material like glass or ceramic.

Also, in my experience many theatrical swords, even ones that are well made, are of low carbon steel.  So, it would be difficult to harden the metal to a point where it would actually break.  Yours may be an exception but you have only been told that it is high carbon steel.  You have not done any diagnostic tests such as a spark or file test on it.  Even if it is high carbon steel you don't know if has been hardened and tempered.

As Steve says, if you need it to be "broken" for a particular visual effect cut it in the manner you need.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[G.W.Wolflord]

Sounds good to me. Only time I seen a sword break it was Man at Arms on YouTube doing a replica of Andúril, they made Narsil and broke it to demo what happens if you don’t temper a blade. 

I have no skill with swords and I’ve never even broken a knife. So a natural break would be pretty straight? Either horizontal or angled. I can just use an abrasive cutoff then and try to minimize the sharp spots.

Thanks for the advice gentleman. Hopefully the next time I’m on this forum I’m making something vs breaking it. This fall I was hoping to practice forge welding. 

[George N. M.]

GW:  You might post your location in the world in your profile.  A lot of times our answers will be dependent on your location.  There may be different answers of suggestions in Finland, Australia, Bosnia,UK, or the US of A.  

Good luck on your progress in the craft.  I have been doing it for 42 years and am still learning.

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

[G.W.Wolflord]

Good idea, I hadn’t even looked to see what the profile had. 

[Frosty]

I've seen a large wedge shaped chip about 1/3 the way across the blade knocked out and then the blade snapped straight from the chip's apex to the spine. 

A guy at work gave it to me to repair. I told him I couldn't do anything with it, there wasn't even enough blade to regrind into something useful. So he gave it to me. Boy THANKS. I did reuse the sheath though, so . . .

Frosty The Lucky. 

[ThomasPowers]

I'd have it laser or plasma cut to meet the customer's wants.

Back in the 1970's when I was in Spain for a summer I was greatly impressed at how the swords on display at the Royal Palace included ones that *had* been used in battle---semi lunar chips on edges, wedge cuts, tips broken.  Most places only display the ones in perfect shape that never were brutally abused in battle.

[G.W.Wolflord]

I’m fortunately my own customer on this project. So I get to use creative license on it and I like to make things realistic. I wish I had access to a laser or plasma cutter though. One day I’ll at least add the plasma cutter  

I’d love to visit a place like that displaying the relics from battles. I usually only see replicas in pristine condition. 

[Steve Sells]

there are a few museums that dont display the real items they are in the vault, repros are on display, much safer this way

[ThomasPowers]

Many Museums have them; they are just not put on display.  Just like where you are researching a time period you see the same dozen pictures in book after book. It gets so you buy a book just because it has *1* different picture in it!

If you go to Spain; the main collection of swords was at the Army Museum when I was there. The museum has moved to Toledo, and I don't know if the displays are the same.

As for museums; they tend to think that *BLING* pulls in the tourists---and are probably right.  Often times it's small local museums that may have more of the everyday stuff around; I remember one in Germany that had a copy of a contract for an order of something like 160 zweihanders (large swords) on display and then had the 150 or so that were still extant mounted on the walls behind it! Fascinating to see the subtle variations in them!