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Swords... fun fun hit people they go boom!
sorry, got a little carried away, I only JUST woke up and got into class after a Darkon Campout! Anyway.... A sword is a very basic weapon. Everyone should have one or two. And they come in all shapes, sizes, and types.
For starters, you have swords, and great swords. A sword has a blade length from 16" to 36", while a Great sword is 36" or longer with at least a 12" long. The construction for either is relatively the same. though methods are different.

• First off, you'll need a core. Fiberglass poles from Home Depot are excellent. They are not heavy, have good flexibility, are inexpensive, and easy to work with. One should run you about $1.98, but for a longer white sword, you'll probally want two.
  
  
• Select your foam. There's several different types of foam to choose from. The method I prefer is grey and blue camping matt foam layered together.
  
  
• Using dap, or a strong adhesive, layer the foam over the core, making sure it is secure to the core itself. Make sure that the core does not extend all the way through the foam. Leave a good space between the core and end of weapon to help ensure the core doesn't poke through. You can even insert a nickle or quarter perpendicular to the core end to act as a stop for it.
  
  
• One method is making a slit in the center of the first piece of foam, and fitting it around the core, placing duct tape in alternating directions around the core and attached to both sides of the foam.(see a-1)
  
  
• Take the next piece of foam, and using a knife edge or scissors, lightly scrape the surface of the foam to be glued. This roughs up the surface leaving a more porous surface to glue. Layer the foam to the wanted width, generally either a 3 layer (good for short swords) or 5 layer( good for longer swords).
  
  
• Tape the top, middle, and bottom to help hold the layers together. You want to tape the bottom tight to help taper the foam, and also tape the foam block to the core. (If you are not edgeing the sword, then use as little tape as possible on the top and middle, and do not extend the tape on the bottom too high onto the striking surface) Make sure the core isn't twisting, and the whole unit is nice and secure.
  
  
• Next, take fabric, and sew a sleeve for the blade edge. You can use any appriopriate colour for your game, though black seems to be the most common colour used. You can hem the bottom of the sleeve and insert a drawstring if you wish. Slip the sleeve onto the sword, making sure there's a nice tight fit. Apply a little tape to the bottom to hold it in place if you don't use a drawsting.
  
  
• Time to add a hilt. The easiest way, is to use a circular hilt. It doesn't have to be attached, and can rotate freely. Take some more foam, (preferably two layers) and glue them together. Cut a circular piece out, makign sure it is large enough to cover your hand. Cover completely with duct tape. Cut a small hole in the center and slip over the edge of the core, pushing snugly against the bottom of the blade. Or, if you wish a rectangular hilt, same concept, different shape, and you must fix the hilt to the sword to make sure it does not rotate. ( tape the hilt to both the blade, and the remaining core) This also reinforces the blade to the core to minimize the chances of it twisting.
  
  
• Handle time! There's many many many ways of making a handle. You can wrap the handle in rope, foam, leather, tape, or fabric. You can slip a small piece of PVC pipe over the core and wrap that. Also, you can add weights to the handle if the sword is too light. You need to decide how long the handle is to be. One or two hands? How wide should the handle be to allow a good grip? experiment a little, and find out what works best. I currently have one sword with a leather wrapped PVC handle,(very very nice!) and another with a foam wrapped handle that was later tightly wrapped with rope and secured with grip tape on the pommel. Be careful with whatever you do though... It's advised to keep it simple, to allow you easy access to the sword blade in case of repairs.
  
  
  • Rope Handle - Secure the start of the rope to the core with tape right beneath the blade. Wrap tightly an inch or so more then desired, and secure the end of the rope to the core with a little tape. Attach hilt after wrapping for a nice, smooth finished look.
  • Weighted Handle - For weighted handle with coins, make a square shape with coins, (see A-5) and wrap repeatedly for a soft shape, and good tight grip)
• Now it's time for the Pommel. Several ways of doing this as well, But here's a simple method. Cut the core down to length, maybe 1.5 inches past the end of the handle. Take a piece of foam about 1.5 inches wide, and wrap around the core. Tape and repeat. Do not let the edges of the foam lie on top if each other. Place a coin on top of the end of the core. Tape down. This helps keep the core from ripping through the foam. Place a round piece of foam over this, and tape it down. Now take a long strip of foam, and place it over the end, taping it tightly. Place another piece perpendicular, and tape down as well. Cover with fabric and secure the loose ends.
  
  
• Test out the weapon by beating upon someone. If they scream in pain, you've got a problem.