Stage Combat Blades — The Everest Forge Standard
Any blade in the Everest Forge catalogue can be built for stage combat. You do not need to browse a separate range, and there is no special product to find — you add one line to your order note and we forge that piece to stage combat specification instead of cutting specification. Three things change: the edge is rebated rather than sharpened, the tip is rounded rather than pointed, and the balance is set for controlled stopping rather than cutting power. Everything else — the 5160 high-carbon spring steel, the hand forging, the full tang, the peened fittings — stays exactly as it is on every other blade we make. This page explains what a stage combat build is, what changes and why, how to order one, and what your fight director needs to tell us before we start.
Everest Forge — Stage Combat Builds
Any Blade, Built for the Stage
Swords, spears, machetes, kukris, knives and daggers — every piece we forge can be built to stage combat specification. Add the order note, or send us your fight director's spec and we will quote the build.
How to Order a Stage Combat Blade
Choose any blade in our catalogue, add it to your cart, and put this line in the order note at checkout:
"Stage combat build — rebated edge, rounded tip."
That single line is enough. It tells our smiths to finish the blade to stage specification rather than to a cutting edge, and it travels with the order through to the bench in Kathmandu. If your fight director has issued a written specification, paste it into the same note or email it to us after ordering and we will build to that instead. If you want a piece we do not currently make, or a matched pair, or spares, use the Custom Forge request form and describe the production — we will confirm every dimension in writing before a hammer touches steel.
Stage combat specification is a change to how the blade is finished, not a different product. You order the blade you actually want to appear on stage, and we build it safe.
What Changes on a Stage Combat Blade
The edge is rebated. A rebated edge is deliberately blunted and rolled — not simply left unsharpened. There is a real difference. An unsharpened blade straight off the grinder still carries a thin, hard edge and it still carries burrs, and a burr raised by an edge-on-edge parry is what cuts an actor's hand. A properly rebated edge is taken back to a rounded, even profile along the full length of the blade and then dressed smooth so there is nothing to catch skin. We finish rebated edges by hand and check them by running a bare hand along the blade, because that is the only test that matters.
The tip is rounded. No point, ever, on a stage blade. Thrusts in choreographed combat land close to the body and the margin for error is small enough that a point is simply not acceptable. We finish stage tips as a rounded spatulate profile with the same dressed, burr-free surface as the edges. If your fight director requires a ball or button termination rather than a rounded profile, tell us and we will build it that way.
The balance and the temper are set for control. This is the part almost nobody explains. A blade balanced for cutting wants mass forward of the hand, because that is what drives an edge through a target. A stage blade wants the opposite emphasis — it needs to start, stop and change direction precisely on a mark, at speed, repeatedly, for the length of a run. We move the point of balance back toward the hand and we temper the steel a little softer than we would for a cutter, so the blade absorbs percussive contact and takes a set rather than chipping or snapping. 5160 spring steel is unusually well suited to this, which is why the same steel we use for battle ready blades is the right steel for stage work.
An Honest Note — Why a Sharp Blade Is the Wrong Answer
Every blade we sell is battle ready by default, and for cutting practice, test cutting, and collecting that is exactly right. For stage combat it is wrong, and we would rather say so plainly than sell you the wrong thing.
A sharpened, cutting-balanced 5160 blade in a choreographed fight with another performer at arm's length is a serious hazard, and no amount of rehearsal makes it safe. It is also very likely to fail a venue safety inspection and to sit outside what your production insurance will cover. If you have found this page because you were about to buy one of our sharp blades for a show, do not — order the same blade with the stage combat note instead. It costs you nothing in appearance. On camera and from the third row a properly finished rebated blade is indistinguishable from a sharp one.
The reverse is also true and worth saying: a stage combat blade is not a cutting blade. It will not cut tatami, it should not be used for test cutting, and it is not a training blade for full-contact steel sparring in any system that has its own certified equipment standards. It is built for one job.
The Hilt Is Where Cheap Stage Blades Fail
Most people worry about the blade. In practice, the failure everyone in theatre has actually seen is a pommel coming off mid-fight and travelling into the wings, the pit, or the audience.
It happens because a threaded pommel backs off under percussive work. Every impact in a fight is a small rotational shock, and over a run of performances a threaded assembly walks itself loose. Our fittings are peened, not threaded, and the tang runs the full length of the grip on every blade we make, riveted through. There is no glued stick tang anywhere in our catalogue, which is the other common failure point in imported stage props.
We also finish quillon terminals blunt and rounded on a stage build, and we avoid rings or finger loops that could trap a hand during a disarm. Grips for stage work should be run slightly generous and wrapped in leather rather than cord, because hands sweat badly under stage lighting and a grip that is perfect in rehearsal can become slick under a lantern rig. Tell us the performer's hand size and we will size it accordingly.
Stage Combat by Category
Swords. The largest part of what we build for productions. Every sword we forge — medieval, Viking, Roman, Renaissance, fantasy or movie-inspired — can be built rebated with a rounded tip and stage balance. Longer blades need particular attention to flex, because a long blade tempered too hard is the one most likely to fail catastrophically.
Spears and polearms. A spear is a different risk profile from a sword entirely. The reach means a performer can strike something they cannot see, the butt end is as dangerous as the head, and shaft length has to be set against your actual set and sightlines rather than to a historical standard. Send us the stage dimensions along with the spec.
Machetes. Increasingly requested for contemporary and post-apocalyptic productions. A machete reads as a working tool on stage, which is exactly why it needs to be visibly and genuinely blunt — audiences and inspectors both scrutinise them more than they scrutinise a fantasy sword.
Knives and daggers. The highest-risk category, because the working distance is the shortest. Every dagger and forged knife we make can be built rebated with a rounded tip. For choreography involving apparent stabs to the body, discuss it with your fight director before ordering — that sequence may call for a retractable prop rather than steel, and we would rather tell you that than sell you a blade.
Kukris. The kukri is forward-weighted by design, which is the whole point of the blade and also the thing that makes a stage build demanding. We can rebalance it substantially for stage use, but a kukri will never handle like a rebated arming sword and choreography should be set with that in mind.
Matched Pairs, Understudies and Spares
If two performers fight with the same weapon type, the blades need to match. Choreography set on one blade does not transfer cleanly to another with a different weight or point of balance, and a performer who has rehearsed for six weeks with one piece will feel the difference immediately in a piece that is fifty grams heavier. Because every blade we make is hand-forged, some variation between individual pieces is normal — so if you need matched weight and balance across two or more blades, say so when you order and we will forge and weigh them as a set rather than pulling them from separate batches.
Order spares. A run breaks things, and a blade with a nick deep enough to need retiring will always announce itself on a Friday night with a Saturday matinee to follow. Productions with understudies or alternating casts should budget for a spare of each principal weapon.
What We Need From You
A stage combat order goes much faster and comes out much better if you send these with the request. Most of it comes from your fight director rather than from you.
> The fight director's written specification, if one exists. This governs everything else on this page.
> The production, the period and the character — what the blade needs to read as from the audience.
> Blade type and overall length, or the piece from our catalogue you want built to stage spec.
> Number of blades, whether any need to be matched as a set, and how many spares.
> Performer hand size, and whether the same weapon is shared between cast members.
> Your first rehearsal date, not your opening night. Choreography is set weeks before the audience arrives and the performers need the actual weapons in hand for that work.
> Any venue, school or insurer requirement you have been given in writing.
Governing Body Standards
Stage combat is a trained discipline with organised professional bodies behind it, and several of them publish equipment standards — the Society of American Fight Directors in the United States, the British Academy of Dramatic Combat and the British Academy of Stage and Screen Combat in the United Kingdom, and Fight Directors Canada. Drama schools, venues and insurers frequently write these standards into their own requirements.
We build to the specification you give us. We do not certify blades against any of these standards ourselves, and we will not tell you that a blade is compliant with a body we are not accredited by. Published specifications also change. Get the current requirement from your fight director or the relevant organisation, send it to us, and we will build to it — that is the honest and the safe way round.
Inspection and Care During a Run
A stage blade is a piece of equipment in service, not an object on a wall, and it needs checking on a schedule. The routine is short.
Before every call, not just before opening. Run a bare hand along both edges and the tip. Anything that catches is a burr and needs dressing before the blade goes back on stage.
Check the hilt for movement. Grip the blade and the grip separately and try to twist them against each other. Any play at all means the blade comes out of service until it is looked at.
Watch for nicks. A nick is a stress riser — it is where a blade will eventually crack. Small ones should be dressed out with a file and smoothed. A deep nick, or a blade that has taken a permanent bend, is retired.
Keep it oiled and keep it dry. 5160 is high-carbon steel and it will rust in a damp dressing room. A light wipe of oil after each performance is enough.
Every blade we make is covered by the Everest Forge warranty against failure under normal use. Fair warning on scope: normal use for a stage blade means choreographed performance and rehearsal. It does not cover blades used for cutting practice, full-contact sparring, or striking metal outside the choreography.
Everest Forge — Hand-Forged in Kathmandu
Building for a Production?
Send us your fight director's specification, your cast numbers and your first rehearsal date. We will confirm every dimension in writing before forging, and ship worldwide via FedEx Express.
Explore More About Everest Forge
> The Everest Forge Battle Ready Standard
> Training Blades | Blunt Swords, Kukris & Machetes
> Why 5160 Carbon Steel is Ideal for Hand-Forged Blades
> Commissioning Custom Forged Weapons for Faires, Cosplay & LARP
> The Truth About Battle Ready Swords | A Forge's Honest Guide
> Our Craftsmanship | The Art of Hand-Forged Blades
> Meet the Maker | The Blacksmiths of Everest Forge
> Request Custom Forge | Build Your Stage Combat Blade
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I order a stage combat version of a blade on your site?
Add the blade to your cart and put this line in the order note at checkout: "Stage combat build — rebated edge, rounded tip." That is all we need. If your fight director has issued a written specification, include it in the note or email it to us after ordering and we will build to that instead.
Which of your blades can be built for stage combat?
All of them. Swords, spears, machetes, kukris, daggers and forged knives can all be built to stage combat specification. It is a change to how the blade is finished and balanced, not a separate product range, so you order the piece you actually want to appear on stage.
What is the difference between a rebated edge and an unsharpened blade?
An unsharpened blade still carries a thin, hard edge and burrs from grinding, and a burr raised by an edge-on-edge parry is what cuts hands. A rebated edge is deliberately taken back to a rounded, even profile along the full blade and then dressed smooth by hand so there is nothing to catch skin. We check every rebated edge by running a bare hand along it.
Does a stage combat blade look different from a sharp one?
Not from the audience or on camera. The blade profile, finish, fittings and scabbard are identical to our standard build. The differences are in the edge, the tip and the balance, none of which read from the third row or through a lens.
Can you match two blades for weight and balance?
Yes, if you ask for it when you order. Because every blade is hand-forged there is normal variation between individual pieces, so matched sets are forged and weighed together rather than pulled from separate batches. Tell us how many blades need to match and we will build them as a set.
Are your stage combat blades certified to SAFD or BADC standards?
No. We build to the specification you give us, and we do not certify blades against standards we are not accredited by. Get the current requirement from your fight director or the relevant organisation, send it to us, and we will build to it.
Can a stage combat blade be used for cutting practice or HEMA sparring?
No. A stage build is rebated, round-tipped and tempered for percussive contact rather than cutting, so it will not cut and it is not intended for full-contact steel sparring in systems that have their own certified equipment standards. If you want a blade for cutting, order our standard build instead.
What steel do you use for stage combat blades?
The same 5160 high-carbon spring steel we use for every blade, tempered a little softer for stage work so it absorbs percussive contact and takes a set rather than chipping or snapping. 5160 is the steel used in vehicle leaf springs precisely because it flexes under repeated stress without breaking.
Will the pommel come loose during a run?
Our fittings are peened rather than threaded, and the tang runs the full length of the grip and is riveted through. A threaded pommel backs off under percussive work over a run of performances, which is the most common failure in imported stage props. We do not use them, and we have no glued stick tangs anywhere in our catalogue.
How long does a stage combat order take?
Typical custom orders take 3 to 6 weeks from approval to shipping, depending on complexity and the number of pieces. Send us your first rehearsal date rather than your opening night, since the cast needs the actual weapons in hand while choreography is being set.
Do you supply blades for productions, drama schools and film?
Yes. Send your fight director's specification, cast numbers, spares required and first rehearsal date through the Custom Forge form and we will confirm every dimension in writing before forging. We ship worldwide via FedEx Express.
How should a stage blade be checked during a run?
Before every call, run a bare hand along both edges and the tip and dress out anything that catches. Check for any movement between blade and grip, and take the blade out of service if there is play. Dress small nicks with a file and retire any blade with a deep nick or a permanent bend. Keep it lightly oiled, since high-carbon steel will rust in a damp dressing room.