As I noted in the Phase IV entry, since the swords--and their scale-thin blades--are cast en-suite with the respective arms, I decided to remove the blades. . .
So much for the introduction. . . I will say at the outset that I am completely empathetic with any manufacturer that attempts to produce near-scale thickness blades in a relatively heat-unstable medium such as PUR. In this figure, the results are overly wide blades and warpage. Few, if any, of the build-ups I have seen have meaningfully addressed the former; and most have what can only be described as "wobbly" blades. Finally, the blades are longer than the scabbards.
Since the blades are fragile and obstructive, I decided to remove them. I can now reduce the width of the blades, re-size and reshape them, and make them "true" without having to work around the figure. Or, I can make entirely new blades from plastic or brass!
To date, I have removed the blades; slotted the tsuba; resized the scabbards; and, I have also replaced the tsuka on both swords. The tsuka were too short: technically, if not visually, ade- quate for a short-ish [ko-]wakizashi, but not for anything longer.
More to follow. . .
So much for the introduction. . . I will say at the outset that I am completely empathetic with any manufacturer that attempts to produce near-scale thickness blades in a relatively heat-unstable medium such as PUR. In this figure, the results are overly wide blades and warpage. Few, if any, of the build-ups I have seen have meaningfully addressed the former; and most have what can only be described as "wobbly" blades. Finally, the blades are longer than the scabbards.
Since the blades are fragile and obstructive, I decided to remove them. I can now reduce the width of the blades, re-size and reshape them, and make them "true" without having to work around the figure. Or, I can make entirely new blades from plastic or brass!
To date, I have removed the blades; slotted the tsuba; resized the scabbards; and, I have also replaced the tsuka on both swords. The tsuka were too short: technically, if not visually, ade- quate for a short-ish [ko-]wakizashi, but not for anything longer.
More to follow. . .
“When the cost of a hobby exceeds the fun and doesn't attract new people, the game is over.” -
Oscar Koveleski, August 2003
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