This was posted after a discussion of whether assassins' questions about deadly weapons would be on-topic here.

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If I wanted to make a sword, say as a prop for a theatrical production, what would be the best material to use that satisfies the following criteria?

1. It must be **relatively easy to make**:

	* can be made at home
	* requiring only materials and tools which are relatively easy to procure
	* shouldn't take too long to make
2. It should also be **realistic**:

	* rigid, not bending or flopping about even when it strikes a solid object
	* the same colour and appearance as a real sword would be
	* preferably reasonably heavy, so that it feels as well as looks realistic

How would I go about making such a 'weapon'?

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**Edit for clarification:** the type of sword I'm imagining would probably be classed as a broadsword: not thin and pin-shaped like a rapier, but not a massive greatsword either. Example pictures (randomly picked off the internet - it doesn't have to look exactly like either of these):

[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZYzTXm.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/ZYzTXm.jpg)
[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/0hmbN.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/0hmbN.jpg)