"Do your old cavalry go into battle with brass knuckles?" Topic

In other words, has the sword snapped off?

I have a lot that need repair. Where do you go for nice sturdy durable swords to replace them with?
Note that I don't consider plastic swords either sturdy or durable. I'm looking for recommendations for spare parts in 28mm.
Have pin vise, will drill.

I don't got to the grocery store without them, why shouldn't my cavalry?

I grind my replacements swords down from cheap hair clips (bobby pins) – the cheaper they are usually the slimmer they are and the less grinding required. A hole is then drilled into the empty fist and the pin inserted and secured with super glue and the fist closed on the pin with plyers.

I've replaced a good few swords on my 28mm Vikings.
Gripping Beast sells bags of swords 12 for 2 GBP. The metal is soft and bends and you end up replacing them in a couple years. They cater to ancients and medievals, not black powder era weapons. link
Reaper sells beautifully sculpted swords made of a harder metal for $7.00 USD for a pack of 16 or so weapons. All 16 are different, so you might well spend $140 USD refitting your 20 figure cavalry regiment. Their weapons tend to be fantasy, so I need to trim down the sword guard, make the sword shorter, or generally try to do a bit of reshaping. Given the price, in my service, these tend to be given to leaders and heroes, and sometimes even are named weapons. link
Essex also makes weapons, eight swords, all the same, for 2.60 GBP. I don't know what the metal is like. link

So, yeah, I have noted problems. And sometimes the Vikings go into battle carrying a miserable little T-shaped thing because the blade has snapped off the sword.

Grelber

Flatten a brad/nail with a hammer, grind with Dremel or file to desired shape (including a narrower end to insert and glue into the brass knuckles hilt). Very durable. Make multiples and keep in soared box.

What Gray Bear said, any thin nail or suitable gauge of wire can be hammered flat and filed to make a replacement blade far stronger than the original and capable of inflicting a painful stab on anyone who mishandles your figures.

Robert

No, we fix that when it happens. Plus most of my cavalry use spears (piano wire), javelins or lances if you really want to quibble and I use a lot of poses where their swords are sheathed which eliminates that issue.

What Gray Bear wrote but I use either copper or aluminum wire, softer, easier to work with

I have used Grelber's approach for a few of my Foundry Cossacks who didn't survive a move so well – worked pretty well

Forget replacing the swords. Give'em pistols… ;-)

Well, the 3rd Continental Dragoons did not have lances, so…
I've gone the "hammering out steel rods" bit. They don't look right, and I keep stabbing my fingers.

Drill the hilt for wire. Bend curved or straighten depending on the desired blade. Apply epoxy putty on top. Shape to look like the other blades.

If you don't want to go to all that work, find some twist ties that are paper not plastic. Drill hilt as above, insert the wire. Trim the paper to resemble the sword you want. Apply white glue and let dry to stiffen it.

Does ANYONE sell individual swords?
That's all I want.

Lots of people sell individual swords. Usually for Ancients, but that's probably better than nothing.

I try to catch them just before they break, reinforcing them with superglue on the outside.

If they are broken, I replace them with squashed florist wire cut to size and with a shaped point, quite easy to do. And yes, I stab myself all the time, especially since I make all my own spears and javelins these days (same technique but shorter squashed bits), but they don't draw blood very often …

I've had success with flat brass of suitable sizes. Drill a hole in the hand, cut brass at an angle for the point, insert in hole and Superglue. It is a bit tedious but it has worked in both 15 and 25mm.

If you want to go low budget, cut off their hand, buy some Fimo. Make a hand holding a sword, bake and glue on.

Sheet styrene cut to fit. Epoxy to glue.

Hammer wire flat, drill and glue.

Attaching more lead swords just means more breakage.

If they don't look right, do a better job – Not a criticism, but you can add putty to shape the sword, or use a better size of wire, etc. There's no reason they won't look as good as the original if you take the trouble.

"If they don't look right, do a better job".

That is a great quote

Old gamer time. Anyone else remember the old 20mm K&L American Civil War figures. The swords and flag staffs were just steel pins. They could cause gamer casualties.

Bought most of mine at Gilbert's hobby shop in Gettysburg.