#1 – Showpiece
Character
A modern Bat’Leth following a standard pattern with little adornment. recently forged and has not seen any action.
Build
10mm HD foam sandwiched in Worbla Black Art.
Handles / grips wrapped in brown leather
The WBA did not uniformly stick to the EVA underneath giving a surface which was not 100% smooth, for the most part this wasn’t an issue but the bumps did show up under the light
A combination of wood filler and knifing putty was used to smooth voids and crinkles where the WBA was crimped / folded. The initial finish could have been better with improved handling / shaping of the WBA but this was my first time using it.
Spray putty and primer were used as a base for WRX Aluminium top coat. I tried Gunmetal but unless viewed in the correct lighting conditions it simply looked grey and boring.
Edge finish was added using silver Rub’n’Buff.
#2 – Heritage / antique
Character
This Bat’Leth will have seen some significant action and has survived generations of warriors and action with customisations and additions made over the years.
The look is aged, weathered and scarred.
Build
5mm plywood core between 2 x 4mm eva foam outers. Core provides stability and the EVA provides the ability to carve damage and wear.
The core is cut to fit inside the blade bevel lines providing a clean delineation and shape template and removing the need to work the wooden edges.
Grips, formed from foam clay, have the appearance of old bone, split and placed on each side of the Bat’Leth, shaped to fit and bound with leather at the ends. Perhaps this one was the weapon of a hermit, or a warrior lost after his ship crashed, only to be recovered from a cave still clutched in his dead, skeletal hands…
Finish
Some deep carving with a rotary tool is then sealed using PVA. Hammered enamel is applied as a base with a heavy dirt wash (raw umber and black), corrosion red and yellows and finally dust (fullers earth and red bole pigment powders) give a final ‘used and less cared for’ look.
#3 – Sword of Kahless replica
Character
Of course not the original, but a very good likeness from one of the top bladesmiths on the home-world. Never designed to be used in battle, this blade still carries an edge but is primarily for ceremonial and display purposes.
Build
5mm plywood core between 2 x 4mm eva foam outers. Core provide stability – especially as the Sword of Kahless has a single, long slot over the grip, rather than the 3 of modern Bat’eth – and the EVA provides the ability to carve the details which make this unique.
As with the Ancient Bat’Leth, the core will be cut to fit inside the blade bevel lines.
Finish
Finish has look of Damascus steel. This pattern was free-handed into the EVA foam using a mini-router. The Klingon sigil was formed in the same way, removing the negative space.
Raised Klingon lettering is cut from 4mm EVA and inlaid into blades into spaces also cut with mini-router.
After shaping and carving the foam was sealed with PVA and metallic gunmetal spray was used to provide the overall colour. The routed area were then filled with silver pouring acrylic, this was a milky-grey when wet but dried back to a bright silver finish. Lettering was given a brushed and slightly worn finish in gold.
Grip is wrapped leather in crossed pattern, weathered with raw umber and dusted with fullers earth.
Materials
- HD EVA Foam from Tyges Supplies
- Worbla Black Art
- 5mm plywood (the cheap sort) from B&Q
- Everbuild Wood filler – Amazon link
- Body Filler – Amazon link
- PVA Floor sealant
- Grey filler-Primer
- Paint Factory Silver Hammered Enamel paint – Amazon link
- Rustoleum Metallic Gunmetal spray – Amazon link
- Arteza Silver acrylic pouring paint – Amazon link
- Brown leather off-cuts – eBay item
- Raw Umber, Burnt Umber, Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna water mixable oil paint
- Process Black Acrylic paint
- Fuller Earth powder
- Red Bole pigment powder