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About Fiocchi Sword

Welcome to Fiocchi Sword

My name is Tom Fiocchi and I am a sword cutler specializing in custom stage combat weapons. Fiocchi Sword was founded in the late 1980’s when I needed to arm myself for the stage combat classes I was taking at the Shakespeare Theater. I began taking orders from my classmates and built swords for clients in the Washington DC area.

I am a props artisan by trade and moved to Athens, Ohio in 1997 to teach props construction at Ohio University’s School of Theater. My sword business has steadily

increased since, mostly through word of mouth, a little advertising, and attending the Society of American Fight directors’ workshops to peddle my wares. I don’t have a printed catalogue but would send out color Xeroxes of my work to interested customers.

This site is intended to eliminate this clumsy and expensive arrangement and give anyone interested an easy way to view my work. Topics discussed on this page:

For more information on the different types of weapons I make, see the Weapons Types page.

What I Do Next Topic

I am technically a sword cutler. This is an artisan who takes a finished blade and designs and constructs a hilt for it. (A hilt is the quillions/crossguard, handle and pommel/counterweight) I specialize in historically accurate weapons, built to withstand the rigors of stage combat. My niche in this business is building one of a kind weapons to my customer’s specifications, and thus having no two swords being exactly the same.

Differences Between Stage Combat and Real Weapons Next TopicPrevious TopicBack to the Top

There are several differences between my weapons and replicas, though they may look the same. First and most obvious is that mine are not sharp. No points and at least 1/16 of an inch flat on the edge. This keeps the blades from getting too chewed up with all the edge to edge striking. The second is that the pommels are threaded and screw on to the tang of the blade. This allows for easy disassembly for maintenance and to check for stresses or damage to the blade inside the handle and at the shoulders.

Stage combat stresses safety and the illusion of violence. My swords are engineered to have a balance point as close to the hilt as possible, making for a faster and safer sword, as the weight is not as far out towards the point. This can be achieved in several different ways: different types of blades, lengthening the handles slightly or upsizing the pommels. I also tend to beef up my bars and rings slightly for durability’s sake. In many ways, modern stage combat weapons take more abuse than their medieval and renaissance counterparts.

Design Next TopicPrevious TopicBack to the Top

There are several options to designing up your weapon. You may have as much input as you wish. If you see a sword in a museum or photograph, I can design from that. You may see a style in my portfolio that we can modify to make your own. You can also give me your basic ideas and let me design it up myself. (I tend to prefer to do historical weaponry and stay away from the fantasy types but if it is an interesting idea/design, on occasion I do them.) After I have your preferences, I do a full scale drawing that I submit for your approval, along with a quote of what the weapon will cost:

Rapier Sketch | Smallsword Sketch | Dagger Sketch | Cutlass Sketch

I then make any changes to your design that you wish and get a down payment to cover the price of the blade and materials, usually between $125 and $150 depending on the type of weapon and type of blade. Then construction begins. On completion, I will need payment of the balance due by check, then I ship UPS on your dime. (Usually $20 to $30 in the USA) Swords are shipped suspended in a cardboard box with plywood ends to prevent the weapon from coming loose in shipment. Designing by E mail can be nerve wracking because the customer can’t pick up and feel the sword till it is all done. My policy is to modify the sword until the customer is pleased or I’ll buy it back. (This does not include fantasy swords that I won’t be able to resell easily, sorry.

Research Next TopicPrevious TopicBack to the Top

I have a hand out of Xeroxed research materials and drawings from my book collection. I can send this if a customer wants to see more different styles than my portfolio contains. Beware internet research if you are looking for a sword design. There is a lot of crap and I don’t like replicating it. (I’ll politely tell you if it looks like a sword somebody just made up or is proportionally nutty) Look for primary sources, (museums, and specialized books) or just ask for my handout.

Delivery Time Next TopicPrevious TopicBack to the Top

Custom weapons have a reputation for being slow on delivery. Hey, fine craftsmanship takes time, but I try to battle the slowness in two ways. First, I have assumed a payment plan that is loaded at delivery time to help the motivation to finish. Second, I do frequent progress reports to keep you up to date on where I am in your sword’s construction. As I stated earlier, my day job is as the overseer of Ohio University’s prop shop and when our productions are in crunch time, less work gets done. Conversely, summer and breaks really increase the construction push. The line forms to the left - the first person to get me a down payment, first serve. If you have a desperate deadline, talk to me and I will see what I can do to meet it. My aim is to keep the customer apprised of the progress of their weapon and keep my delivery promises.

Deadlines Next TopicPrevious TopicBack to the Top

I’d love to help you meet your deadlines, it makes me feel heroic. But I am only human with a life and job outside of the sword business. I will be very straightforward with you about it if I think it is possible I won't make your deadline and will usually err to the side of caution. Your part in this is lead time. It is rare that a sword goes from conception to delivery in less than 2 months, though physically I can do a full swept hilted rapier in 25-30 hours, it is a rare sword that I can bash through in 3 days. (It has been done though) The sooner you can hit me with your order, the better, and that means putting a down payment in my sweaty hands.

Breakage Next TopicPrevious TopicBack to the Top

There is no such thing as an unbreakable sword. They will by their nature take an incredible amount of abuse. I am purchasing blades from reputable makers but they do have a finite life and will eventually have to be replaced. I stand behind my work. On occasion, I will get a bad weld and will cheerfully repair any of my mistakes. These swords will hold up well in normal usage, but are not meant to survive nightly two story drops.

Price Next TopicPrevious TopicBack to the Top

Price depends totally on choice of blade and complexity of hilt design. Ball park figures are as follows: Swept hilt Rapiers: simple half hilts start at $350, Full hilts $450 and up. Broadswords: $350 and up Smallswords: $350 and up. Daggers: $135 and up. Single handed axes: $150 and up. Bucklers: $150 and up. These prices are subject to change at my whim….. Sorry, I don’t take credit cards yet…. Personal checks are ok so start saving.

Sword Construction Next TopicPrevious TopicBack to the Top

All of my swords are produced with blades from reputable blade smiths: AFS, Triplette Comp. Arms, Del Tin, and Atlanta Cutlery. They are high carbon steel with a spring temper. I modify the blades when they arrive, evening the shoulders, changing the tang length and threading. Blades can be tapered, fullered, and cut down.

Hilts are made of mild steel, ground, filed and sanded and polished. They are MIG or oxy acetylene welded together. See the sketch below for terms for the parts of the hilt.

Parts of Hilt Sketch

Handles are of hard maple, lathed, carved, wrapped in thin leather and wire wrapped with brass, stainless or black anodized steel wire or a combination of the three. Unless of course, you want plain leather, in which case I sew up the seam to prevent the leather from ever coming undone.

Handles can also be plain wood of any kind and elaborately carved but this can get pricey. All pommels are threaded, usually 6 mm metric unless otherwise requested. Swords can be finished to a satin, high-polish or blackened with gun metal bluing or heat. I can also do chisel work with my little titanium cutter but the designs tend to have to be relatively simple because the tool is hard to handle.

Modifying/ Refurbishing Next TopicPrevious TopicBack to the Top

So you have an old friend which has seen better days, yet you can’t stand to part……I can reblade, remake parts, upgrade, modify, or hilt any existing blade you have. Call for a quote.

Armorer's Mark Previous TopicBack to the Top

If I remember, I apply my whippet head to your weapon somewhere unobtrusive. This is my signature as the builder of your weapon. (And a salute to a much loved, much missed, goofy old dog) Each armorer has his own mark and the custom of this type of signing dates back to at least the Vikings.

Copyright 2003 - Fiocchi Sword

 

www.fiocchisword.com

 

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