OpenSwords - Longsword

Overview

OpenSwords is a project that aims to make historical fencing available to anyone!

Longswords were a staple for centuries in Europe, with their popularity stretching from the high middle ages well into the renaissance. Designed for two-handed use, they are most at home as cutting weapons, though their versatility has ensured their prominence within numerous schools of swordfighting.

The OpenSwords longsword allows you to produce a usable longsword trainer for under fifteen dollars, using only 3D-printed components and a couple of easy-to-source parts: With ~250 g filament printed using the below settings, a 3/4in dowel from the hardware store, and a handful of screws, you can expect to produce a 42.5" trainer weighing in at just over 450 g.

The model has undergone extensive durability and impact resistance testing. If printed using the recommended settings below, you can confidently expect these trainers to last you for a long while. However, please note that, as with all OpenSwords designs, the longsword trainer is intended for use in positional training and slow work only. It is not to be used for any fast work or sparring.

https://ko-fi.com/openswords

These files are released free to the public, but if my designs have helped you in any way, I'd really appreciate a donation! All proceeds go directly towards the development of further models and the distribution of trainers to the historical fencing community. I release all of my files under a non-commercial licence; if you're interested in producing and selling OpenSwords products as a vendor, please feel free to contact me via email at [email protected] so we can discuss licensing. If you have any feedback or suggestions, please also feel free to DM me on printables or reach out via email!

BoM/Hardware:

Blade:

Any 3/4” diameter wooden dowel from your local hardware store will do. You can expect the hilt to take up roughly 11" of length, with the rest of the dowel forming your usable blade (the 48” dowels from my hardware store result in a 37" blade, measured from the crossguard).

Guard:

The guard must be printed in PETG. PLA is not sufficient for the structural demands of the guard. Print in PLA at your own risk. Printing the guard using the recommended settings, you can expect to use roughly 200 g of PETG.

Handle:

The handle is printed in two pieces; as it is not subject to the same level of force as the guard, either PETG or PLA are acceptable, with matte PLA slightly favoured for the increased grip it offers with fuzzy skin settings. When printing the two pieces of the handle using the recommended settings below, you can expect to use a total of roughly 40 g of filament.

Pommel:

Like the handle, the pommel is not subject to the same high level of force as the guard, meaning that either PETG or PLA will work. When using the recommended settings below, you can expect to use roughly 15 g of filament.

Fasteners:

All the screw holes in the handle, guard, & pommel have been designed with #4 x 1/2" wood screws in mind.

Guard:
- x3 #4 x 1/2” wood screws
Handle:
- x2 #4 x 1/2" wood screws (one per piece)
Pommel:
- x1 #4 x 1/2" wood screw

Assembly Instructions:

Tools needed: Heat Gun, Screwdriver

• Print the parts to the specifications detailed below
• Heat form the guard
• Slide the guard onto the dowel
• Slide the handles onto the dowel, ensuring proper order & orientation
• Slide the pommel onto the bottom of the dowel
• Adjust position of printed pieces on dowel to ensure snugness/alignment
• Fasten guard to dowel with three #4 x 1/2" wood screws
• Fasten handle pieces to dowel with one #4 x 1/2" wood screw each
• Fasten pommel to end of dowel with one #4 x 1/2" wood screw

Print Settings:

For the Guard:

Please note: These settings may appear excessive, but the high amount of strain the guard is exposed to means that printing it with fewer perimeters or layers will not provide sufficient strength. Also, as mentioned in the BoM above, PLA cannot handle the strain. The guard must be printed in PETG. Print in PLA at your own risk.

For the Handle:

For both pieces, I recommend an 8 mm brim and 15% infill for all nozzle diameters.

Printing with fuzzy skin will add enough surface texture to let you easily grip the handle! The recommended settings for each part are:
- Fuzzy skin: Outside walls (paint-on fuzzy skin is a great option as well).
- Fuzzy skin thickness: 0.4mm.
- Fuzzy skin point distance: 0.3mm.

For the Pommel:

As the pommel does not need to withstand large amounts of strain or be textured for grip, its print settings are fairly standard, although a 5mm brim is recommended.

Update Log

Nothing yet, we're on version 1.0 baby!