Nerd project time: The Scabbard.

My blog has been rotting away for a while. It's time to put a stop to that! I'm back, baby, with a project series!

It's September, which means October is a month away. That means now is the time to get on top of all of those elaborate Halloween costume projects I have rattling around in my brain. Last year I told myself I would go all out this year, so I'm going to do just that. I also said I was going to make it way nerdier than ever. Probably the nerdiest ever!

This year, I decided I would dress up as one of my all time favorite video game characters, and arguably one of the greatest heroes of our time: Link. I grew up playing the original Legend of Zelda for the NES, so Link is like the first hero I ever got to know.


This isn't the first Nerdy, Zelda project I've done though. Actually, it's the 3rd. Before this, I made my good buddy Paddy his own Master Sword and Shield. (pics later.)

I plan to put way more time into this project though. Not to make a mockery of my other work, but because I have nothing better to do.

Here's the first Master Sword I started working on. I really didn't like how this one was coming out, so I bought a new one and painted that one, which I gave to Kevin. Depending on how this project turns out, I may have to redo Kevin's. For now, I'll be working with this failed attempt here.


I didn't feel like painting tonight, so I decided I'd make the scabbard. I need to carry the Master Sword in style, right? so here's what I did.

First I outlined my Sword's blade on some cheap cardboard generously donated to me by a school teacher friend.


I cut out two of those and lined them up.


Next I attached them via some painter's tape.


From here it's tricky because I had to figure out how tight I wanted the fit, then I had to wrap the ends. In retrospect, I didn't really need to cut out two halves, I could've just rolled it up in one sheet. The benefit to the two halves though, was it wasn't as difficult in forming the tip of the scabbard, so I guess it worked out.


Not as easy as I thought. In any case, I decided I ought to make another scabbard for the other Master Sword.


I'm happy with them so far, but I'm not done. I plan on experimenting with Paper mache to smooth them out so they don't get that ugly texture. That'd just look dumb, and I'd rather be a respectable looking geek on Halloween night.