# Display "weapons"



## nark0sys (Jun 17, 2011)

Straight off the bat, what I'm not looking for is not an actual weapon, as such. What I'm looking for is a sheath and hilt stuck together, no blade but with artwork on sheath. I'm nowhere near competent enough to own an actual live weapon, but since most requests like this are looking for essentially display, I'd like to see if I can get "sword" sans the pointy bit you have a risk of hurting yourself. 

Wondering if such a thing exists.

Thanks


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## Nomad (Jun 17, 2011)

I'm not sure if that's around or not.

There are plenty of "unsharpened" swords sold for display purposes that are quite nice.  In fact, most swords for sale are intended solely for display purposes and would quickly (and dangerously to all involved) break if used for their originally intended purpose.

If these aren't safe enough (maybe around young children?), you could always wire or even solder the hilt to the sheath to make it more difficult to nearly impossible to draw the weapon.

Hope this helps!


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## jks9199 (Jun 18, 2011)

For PURE display and display only, buy whatever wallhanger catches your fancy.  Cheaper is better...  Place a liberal dose of JBWeld or an equivalent adhesive in the scabbard so that the blade cannot be removed short of destroying the scabbard...

You might find just a hilt/scabbard at a specialty costume shop/supplier or maybe a prop supplier.


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## Zenjael (Mar 7, 2012)

I wish people wouldn't put weapons on display they don't know how to use. It seems... petty for an art. Though I understand art is meant to be seen, a sword was not meant to lie still.


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## Sanke (Mar 8, 2012)

Zenjael said:


> I wish people wouldn't put weapons on display they don't know how to use. It seems... petty for an art. Though I understand art is meant to be seen, a sword was not meant to lie still.



Real weapons? Maybe. But what about historical ones, that couldn't handle consistent usage? And I've seen a few swords around that are quite nice to look at, but wouldn't pick it up if my life depended on it. 

I kinda agree, in that it's lamentable to allot of the best modern-made weapons in the world are locked away in safes and never see the light of day, or locked behind glass boxes, but hanging a semi-cheap or even half-decent sword/SLO on your wall to make it look more interesting? I still reckon it looks cool.


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## Instructor (Mar 8, 2012)

Any cheap sword will do.  All you have to do is pry the metal pommel off the butt of the handle (kashira).  The cheap ones nowadays have a little bar welded to the tang (nakago).  The bar is threaded and is held to the handle (tsuka) with an ordinary nut.  Remove the nut.  Then you have to push the dowel (mekugi) out, this is sometimes bamboo, sometimes wood, and sometimes metal.  A few taps should free it.  Now very carefully pull it apart.  Remember just because it's a cheap sword doesn't mean it isn't still dangerous.  I would take the blade to a local recycler and have them melt it down so it isn't an ongoing threat to anybody.

Here is a site that shows what all the bits look like and what they are called:

http://yakiba.com/Nomenclature.htm

Once the blade is safely removed and disposed of you just reassemble what is left and glue it back together forever.


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## lklawson (Mar 8, 2012)

Zenjael said:


> I wish people wouldn't put weapons on display they don't know how to use.


"Know how to use" is a pretty broad phrase.



> It seems... petty for an art.


It can be argued that all art is "petty."  There's always someone that objects to the "art."  Maybe it's offensive ("Piss Christ" anyone?), gauche, misunderstood, too expensive, the viewer disagrees with the "statement" being made, it glorifies something the viewer disagrees with or feels is offensive or unworthy (99% of Soviet public statuary, for instance), or any of a thousand different things.  At its most basic, art is meant to entertain and be a creative expression of the artist and the decorator selecting the art.



> Though I understand art is meant to be seen, a sword was not meant to lie still.


Historically, there's a metric crap-ton of examples of non-functional "art" and/or display weaponry.  There are loads of examples of captured "trophy" swords dating back to God-knows-when.  Who hasn't seen a set of military sabers crossed over a manor fireplace?  Castles are always littered with suits of armour and other displays, right?  It used to be dirt common to make decorative "Presentation Swords" which commemorated some important event for the receiver (battle won, heroic activity, etc.).  There are lots of examples of purely ceremonial swords.  The Chicago museum's militaria room has some 12" swords that could never be used and were only intended to be carried in special parades and be put on display all other times.  And, of course, every branch of the U.S. Military still has their own, completely non-functional, dress swords.

Nah.  Nothing wrong with "art" swords at all and they've got a really long history.  I don't particularly care for most of the Fantasy style wall-hangers.  I just hate the completely non-functional, counter-useful, often dangerous to the user, designs and shapes.  But that's just me.  There's plenty of historic precedent for them.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk


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## chinto (Mar 9, 2012)

eh you can get an aluminum bladed katana or what have you for display.... not sure why, I personally will not own a weapon that is not functional.


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## Instructor (Mar 10, 2012)

I could think of reasons such small children.


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## lklawson (Mar 10, 2012)

chinto said:


> eh you can get an aluminum bladed katana or what have you for display.... not sure why, I personally will not own a weapon that is not functional.


Aren't those aluminum blades for actual practice?

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk


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## Sanke (Mar 10, 2012)

lklawson said:


> Aren't those aluminum blades for actual practice?
> 
> Peace favor your sword,
> Kirk



They are, yes. Iaito are aluminum blades, and are the standard for most iai practice. 


Sanke on the move.


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## pgsmith (Mar 12, 2012)

> eh you can get an aluminum bladed katana or what have you for display.... not sure why, I personally will not own a weapon that is not functional.



Aluminum bladed katana *are* functional. Their function is to be a legal practice tool with proper weight and balance. As a practice tool, they are much more functional than the vast majority of sharpened carbon steel swords that are currently being made in China.​


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