Hello,

I have been using Dante's "Sword Through Neck" for many, many years now in my professional show. I have actually worn out a number of the gaffed swords with so much use over time. They did eventually reach the point that I felt like they had to be replaced. So I have replaced the original gaffed swords with new ones in the last few years (purchased from the same makers).
Is it me, or do they seem to be allot less durable than they used to be? The metal tips keep breaking and falling off, and the swords start to split as a result. I have now gone through 4 extra blades and as many of you know, this gets really expensive. I have done everything I can think of to prevent this, and I am VERY careful in the use and care of this prop. After the metal tips fall off, I have used clear "packaging tape" to keep the two halves together. Yes, I use lubricant WD-40) as well. As a result of so much trial and error I have tried to "glue" the two halves back together. I have tried "e-6000" and "e-1700" which is a super strong type of glue that dries clear and is flexible. It only seemed to make it stiffer and tougher to travel through the Neck Shackle. Then after a few attempts, the sword splits back apart. I have tried silicone as well, which seems to be flexible, but doesn't hold together as well. I have recently ran into Aquarium sealer/silicone, but have not yet tried it. Can anyone here please give me some insight and direct me to something that works? I would GREATLY appreciate it. Thanks.

Have you tried Silver mylar stripping kits sold at the auto store. This is a tape product, not a decal. Abbott's sells it for their sword thru neck. They sell 3 pieces. One for each edge and then one down the middle over the tip and up the other side. Your may only need on each side as your tip is different then Abbott's model.

Not the slick surface moves through the appratus smoothly.

It also looks like you may not be getting blades that are correctly lined up to begin with. If your blades have a bulge at any point, your alignment is messed up.

There was also a model that did not use tape at all when it had a pointed tip. This spring steel is very tricky, and hard to get it together properly.

I really think you are getting not properly made replacement blades.

Can you post a photo of the metal tips that keep falling off? I have several Dante swords, but I can't imagine exactly what is happening to yours.

Thanks for your replies wmhegbli, and ClintonMagus.

I have not tried Silver mylar tape, as I was hoping to make the repairs with a similar method as in the original construction. The original blades don't have any mylar or tape anywhere on them or in their construction. There is nothing wrapped around the outside of the blades at all. They too have a "silicone" type substance holding the two halves together. I have made this observation when the blades are split apart, and it does have the same look and feel as silicone. The metal tip is very small and is soldered in place between the two halves, only being visible and protruding from around the outside edge of the sword tip.

wmhegbli mentioned a possible alignment problem. I would hope that wouldn't be the case coming directly from the manufacturer, and being that it is similar on all four blades. However, I'm starting to wonder the exact same thing. When I look closely at the blades, it appears that one side of the blade is actually (very slightly) longer than the other side that it is glued to. It almost looks like the "tension" is different on each side, like one side is "pulling" while the other side is "pushing". I hope that makes since.

I'm not real savvy when it comes to taking and posting photos, but I will see what I can do. I'm not near the prop at the moment, but when I am, I will try to post a picture at that time.

Any other ideas and/or advice is greatly appreciated, and thanks again for your time.


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There cannot be anything with any kind of thickness between the blades. You mention silicon, is that a tape? I did see a set that had the, what looked like Scotch Tape on the inside of the blades. I said to myself, I would not want to try to replace that.

I am a stickler for being original as well, but when it comes to using it or not, I go for the method that permits me to use it.

Yes, it sound like you have an alignment problem. That little separation is the problem, and why your blades are wearing out quickly. The blades should lie flat against each other when curved. That means the tip is soldered sleightly off or canted. It could be too much solder as well. When I say too much, I mean a little bit that prevent it going flat.

I know this because I tried to solder my sword blades, and it did not work, have to use a very low temp solder, otherwise the blades burn.

The silver mylar tape was the solution for me, and noone notices any difference plus you have the benefit of a very shiney blade flickering in the light.

Good luck at repairing your sword.

Silicon is the gooey substance that is used to seal windows, bathtubs, showers, etc.. It is usually available in tubes from a hardware store.

I actually remember seeing a gaffed sword that was held together with double sided foam tape. I think it might have been the very first gaffed blade that I owned, which was a long time ago and is long gone by now. If I remember correctly I was actually surprised when receiving the new blades as they didn't have the foam tape (although they came from the same source). So, I believe that the blades have changed over the years. It's been several years now, but my memory is starting to come back on this.

Has anyone else experienced the metal tip falling off of your blades? Can anyone tell me if your blades are held together with foam tape or a silicon type glue?

Thanks.

I am confused as there should not be any thickness in the working area of the blades. If you are speaking the area near the handle. Yes, I used silicon glue in that area, with a piece of wood to fill in the gap between the blades.

This is an interesting "project"! I just looked at one of my blades that is slightly damaged, and it looks like the two sides are held together with something resembling clear Liquid Nails, applied sparingly. (I always thought it was probably soldered or brazed.) The blade is soldered/brazed into the "hilt piece". What you think is a separate piece at the tip might just be solder.

What's interesting is when I run the blade through my hand, simulating the journey through the neck stock, the two sides of the blade will separate slightly, but they do not come apart.

Applying mylar tape to the outside will probably make it too thick to slide smoothly through the neck stock. It would also be tough to clean tape gunk out of the "channel".

Honestly, if you can solder the tips back together perfectly aligned, and you can run a small bead of clear Liquid Nails or silicone along the inside edge, I am pretty sure it should work. There is enough of the straight part of the neck stock channel that I think it should stay aligned with no problem.

Please keep me posted on your progress...

BTW, I would still like to see a photo of the tip of the sword, if you have or can take one...

Just a note, the mylar tape does not leave sticky junk on anything, this is for cars and that it is not like package tape. It works and make your sword blade look very good.