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Make the Dark Souls Zweihander (Out of Wood)
This is a tutorial on how to make the Zweihander from Dark Souls out of wood. We use wood because it is a very big sword (7 feet) and the wood gives us the strength we need.
I give you the template which makes it very easy for you to put together.
I also have a video tutorial for this project at the bottom of the page.
Will has a youtube channel with over 1000 videos on projects you can make. Check it out right here
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Bonus in the template: I give you the miniature nine inch version of the sword. And you put it together the same way.
About this sword and this build - It ends up to be over seven feet in length so I didn't want to use foam board. I went with wood which means a little bit of a different skill set and tool set. But that is ok. If you haven't worked with wood very much you will be ok. This wood is similar to foam board in thickness and you can do all of the cuts with a small saw. And the wood is readily available at the home depot. It is one of those wood stocks that they keep on hand.
Learned a little bit: Funny how a real sword and a fake wooden sword can be learning experiences about each other. I learned something with this build. It is about the blade supports. In the game they seem like an ornament on the blade. A little dash of something to add detail to a very long blade. But once I built this wooden sword and applied the blade supports I noticed they served a useful function. They kept the blade straight. It is a very long blade and is prone to being floppy. But those supports keep it straight. Thus I gave them the name of Blade support.
Materials and Tools:
The template has all the relevant drawings and sizes
1 Sheet of Poplar that is 1/4 inch thick, 3 1/2 inches wide and 48 inches long (for the blade)
3 sheets of Oak that is 1/4 inch thick , 3 1/2 inches wide and 48 inches long (for the rest of it)
1 dowel that is 1 1/4 inches wide and 18 inches long , any type of wood (handle)
2 pieces of thin wood that are apprx 36 inches long and 2 inches wide (Blade braces - optional)
2 inches of 3/4 inch dowel for the tips of the guard
Wood glue
Optional for the handle: a piece of brown vinyl, some kind of material forunder the vinyl. I used something called batting
Some kind of wire to make the handle rings. I used network cable
Paints: Silver, Black, Gold
Tools: Drill and saw , some sand paper, hot glue gun
Here is a look at the various parts of the zweihander that we make. You can refer to this illustration as you are following the build instructions.
Our Two Handed Great Sword is the biggest sword we make. But don't let its size fool you, as there is nothing awkward or clumsy about this awesome sword. Sure it's big and meant to be carried over the shoulder in its scabbard, but it's extremely well balanced and easily wielded by people of larger stature and physical strength. Weighing 6 lbs. 13.5 oz. with a 39 7/8" high carbon steel blade, it will make short work of pikemen or swordsmen and will prove equally effective against modern rifle butts and bayonets. To protect the hands from opposing weapons, it features a large guard with side rings plus integral parrying hooks that allow the blade to be shortened for close range slashing and stabbing attacks. The handle is made of wood and covered with leather and is extra long to afford a full two handed grip. What's more, it's capped by a heavy steel pommel that helps counter balance its long blade and serves as an effective weapon in its own right. The Two Handed Great Sword is sturdy, strong and battle ready. If you're looking for the ultimate in big performance oriented swords, your search is over.
