have been waiting to do this Roman sword craft since my brother was in first grade. In case you are wondering that is over 20 years. When my brother was in first grade his school did a “Knights and Princesses” themed day and all the boys (or anyone who chose to be a knight) got wooden swords made from yard sticks. Ever since then I’ve been looking for an excuse to make one.
Roman craft sword supplies:
yardstick, sandpaper, gray acrylic paint, hack saw, hot glue gun, and duct tape
It’s pretty simple craft, so let’s get making it.
How to make a Roman Sword
First, cut your yard stick at the 18-inch mark. Roman swords were about a foot and a half long. If you are making several, then take another yardstick and cut it into 6-inch segments.
Sand the ends of your cut pieces to get rid of any splinters.
Paint your Roman sword pieces gray. We mixed in some silver paint to make it a bit sparkly.
Plug in your hot glue gun, and when it is ready, glue the two sword pieces together to form a “T.” I found gluing the cross-guard between 4-6 inches up to be the best hand grip.
Cut a piece of duct tape about 12 inches long, then tear or cut that piece in half. Then, wind the two pieces of tape around the cross-guard to provide a bit of extra stability. This step is not necessary, but if your kids are going to play with these swords much you need to do it.
Some history behind the Roman short sword
A real Roman sword has a leaf shape and tapers at the front. The design ensures it can slice a person open, and the sword will not be pulled in by the suction of the human body (I know, gross, but these are the details boys love).
The Roman sword got its length because that’s the longest they had the technology to make. It takes a much higher grade of metal to make a long sword, and if the Roman sword were longer, it would be prone to breaking.
Als,o the length of the Roman sword is ideal for infantry carrying a sword all day long. It’s less tiring to carry a short sword; it will not get tangled in supplies as you march from place to place.
The downside of a Roman sword is also its length. Roman infantry had to engage in very close combat to effectively fight. While an infantryman usually also carried two short spears, they were intended to be thrown and either down an enemy soldier or hit their shield, making the shield useless. They were not intended for melee combat.
As a side note I will warn you these Roman swords will not stand up to extensive play. They will break, but they look good for the short term, and my kids loved playing with them.
For the rest of our Roman posts, head over to Hands on Roman History.
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