The title pretty much says it all. Where can I get a quality prop knife that won't do any harm? Like a dagger/pocket knife sort of deal. Every time I google it I just get gag stores and halloween supply stores that sell cheap stuff from China and there's really no way to verify the quality of the products.
Best place to get prop knives?
- Thread starter Acooljt
- Start date
Question... are these for a stabbing, or for a more in depth fight scene... slashes and thrusts as well as stabbing.
Depending on what you're doing, you might get away with showing the knife, then having the actual stab off screen. If your going for a life knife fight, or what have you, you might look into martial arts weapons places on line for their practice knives... though I can't guarantee how those would photo either.
If you know someone crafty, you might get a real knife, then get them to make you a wood or dense foam copy. Then the real knife is available for close ups or can be used to stab an object like a couch, but the fake knife is what actually is used when there's even a reasonable risk of injury.
I know that for most fight scenes involving swords/knives they generally have a bunch of different versions of the weapon. A sharp "Hero" blade, a dulled metal blade for if the two meet (Choreograph VERY carefully), with wooden and foam versions for actual "Hits".
Keep in mind, though, that Hugh Jackman has, apparently, stabbed himself in the legs multiple times with Wolverines "Sharp" claws...
Depending on what you're doing, you might get away with showing the knife, then having the actual stab off screen. If your going for a life knife fight, or what have you, you might look into martial arts weapons places on line for their practice knives... though I can't guarantee how those would photo either.
If you know someone crafty, you might get a real knife, then get them to make you a wood or dense foam copy. Then the real knife is available for close ups or can be used to stab an object like a couch, but the fake knife is what actually is used when there's even a reasonable risk of injury.
I know that for most fight scenes involving swords/knives they generally have a bunch of different versions of the weapon. A sharp "Hero" blade, a dulled metal blade for if the two meet (Choreograph VERY carefully), with wooden and foam versions for actual "Hits".
Keep in mind, though, that Hugh Jackman has, apparently, stabbed himself in the legs multiple times with Wolverines "Sharp" claws...
I couldn't fine a realistic looking fake knife, so I bought three real daggers, that were all the same. One of the daggers I sawed off and there was just the handle half. This is for shots of the knife sticking out of the body and being turned and what not. The second one, I dulled with a wheel grinder and it looks the same, but just dull. Use this for your slashing and thrusting. The third dagger, just leave it the way it is, for close up shots, where the audience needs to see that sharp end to be convinced. Hope this helps, if you can't find any props. This might actually be cheaper as real daggers are easier to get.
Also, if you want to be very careful (And you do) with slashing, even with dull blades, make darn sure to choreograph anything (Even if it's "Simple...") at half speed first, and maybe practice full speed with a plastic toy first as well.
With blades, caution is a good idea. I"m sure you know that, but it NEVER hurts to remind yourself... I know from experience (And bleeding).
With blades, caution is a good idea. I"m sure you know that, but it NEVER hurts to remind yourself... I know from experience (And bleeding).
You can always mold and reproduce a real knife in plastic and paint it to match the original.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Two-Part-Silicone-Casting/
http://www.instructables.com/id/Two-Part-Silicone-Casting/
Ohh...that's actually a really good idea. Still wouldn't use it for close ups, but it'd be fairly easy.
Oh, fair warning... if you DO break off a knife, keep in mind that some steel (Stainless being a really good example) doesn't just snap, but can outright shatter. You might actually look into finding a type of knife that you can unscrew the pommel and handle from. Then you could either A: Glue them together or B: Find a long bolt with the same basic threading and screw them together for the "Burried in the body" look. The second option even has the advantage of you can use fewer knives, since you can put them back together again (Could with A too, depending on how strong the glue is.)
I would use the real thing for close ups/hero work and just use the imitation for shots where the object won't be still for long. You can also cast the replica out of poly foam rubber for more safety. The better you paint the replica, the more convincing it will look. This works for guns too.