Thread: balancing sword

okay, so I finally bought a sword. it's balanced but not notched. in the past i've played around with swords that were notched. i'm thinking that I do not want to cut the sword by notching it.

What other tricks are out there to assist in making the sword stay when you have silky hair?

In general, how is wearing a head-band perceived by other dancers? to audiences?

Surf board wax at balancing point. Rough the balancing point up a little with sand paper or a metal file. . .

{{{HUGS}}}

candle wax helps it stay on for me

I haven't tried this (because I don't use hairspray), but I often hear people say to put a lot of spray in your hair.

I also haven't notched my new sword, but it was so slippery that I had to do something. I roughed up the surface with a file or a few inches around where the balance point is, and that helps a bit to keep it from sliding right off my head.

glitter nail polish works for me!

many people are very anti notching. . .

I have straight, thin hair, and when it is freshly hennaed, it has as much grip as a hockey arena after the Turbo-Zamboni went through. So, I wear scarf when necessary - I don't see it as cheating, it's just that my hair is extremely slippery, esp. after dyeing it. I have an African-American friend who has joked that with her braided, thick hair, that sword stays in place as if it were glued in place. We all have to work with the body we have ;-)

I paint the center edge of the sword with rubber cement and let it dry (it dries very quickly) before performing. It will eventually rub off a bit at a time from friction, so you have to re-apply, but it will stay on long enough for a performance and it's invisible to your audience. I don't use it for practice, only performance, so it's giving me the extra help when I need it most.
Rosette

I've used a product called "Bowler's Grip" which you can purchase at the bowling alley. It seems to work fine as well. As a matter of fact, I read about it on here at one time!

Beeswax is what I use, great stuff. I scrape off the old wax and reapply new wax before each performance.

I use beeswax at the balance point.

I used to use a simple headwrap. I used a metallic glitter scarf tied as a fat headband for cabaret and 2 tassel scarves tied as a turban for fakelore. However, I read an interview with FCBD (this must have been almost 20 years ago!) in which it was revealed that they had turbans specially made with 'slots' to hold the swords. At which point I stopped using headgear 'lest anyone think i was cheating!

I've gone back to occasional use, though. I've decided that the costume aesthetic looks better with something up top.

I have the worlds cheapest, nastiest and least-balanced sword (due to legalities it can be tricky buying them over here).

However, my hair is very coarse indeed so I have a bit of extra grip there. The dancer in the UK who is known for her fabulous sword work usually advises the scarf/headwrap method using a relatively grippy cotton fabric.

A bump it, just slide the sword up against that sucker and you're fine.

Originally Posted by zfejzic

candle wax helps it stay on for me

Silly question, but do you mean on the sword or on the hair?

i use a tiny strip of skateboard grip tape. most skateshops have scraps laying around, so try to get some for free!

Originally Posted by ANA_bellydancer

Silly question, but do you mean on the sword or on the hair?

On the blade where you balance the sword.

{{{HUGS}}}

Originally Posted by shems

Beeswax is what I use, great stuff. I scrape off the old wax and reapply new wax before each performance.

Yep, this. I keep a cake of beeswax in my dance bag and "wax on, wax off" kind of like chalking your pool cue lol...,r:;

I have used beeswax since day one and it works great! In my opinion it's better than candle wax, because it's a bit stickier. I heard of surf-wax, but once I saw it on the dancers sword and it looked weird: it looked like a thick layer of white rubber.Maybe there are other types, but that just looked weird.

I am against notching, as well. Besides the other reasons, if you ever want to sell your sword, it would be easier if it wasn't notched.

Just put a light layer of beeswax at the balance point, it you just washed your hair or it is very silky, spray some hair spray on the top of your head.

I don't like headbands either - in my opinion it takes away from the performance. I know it makes it easier to balance the sword, but I also know you still have to balance it and it does take skill. However an audience member might see it as: "oh, that's the trick!" and completely sees you as a cheater...
just my opinion.

Originally Posted by Marianna

I don't like headbands either - in my opinion it takes away from the performance. I know it makes it easier to balance the sword, but I also know you still have to balance it and it does take skill. However an audience member might see it as: "oh, that's the trick!" and completely sees you as a cheater...
just my opinion.

yah on some youtube vids ive actually seen people comment on that exact thing haha i balance better knowing i can feel it on my head and know how the weight is distributed. i think headbands would just make it worse for me, or maybe im a klutz

beeswax on the balance point of the sword or hairspray on the hair (or a scarf if you are not worried about "cheating"

Please don't notch!! It can really ruin the sword - depending on the finish, when you notch or sand or otherwise damage the outer part of the sword, you end up allowing moisture through and this is when swords rust!

I use Pro Grip, which is the bowler's grip mentioned above. It's fabulous, descreet and very effective! You have to use a couple of layers of the stuff (silicone-based paste), and it needs to dry overnight between coats. I like the make the first couple of coats sort of textured by applying smoothly and then tapping my finger over the layer to make it sort of bumpy. The last layer I put on is then smooth. Once dry, it will last a good while - when the color gets icky after a lot of use, use your finger nail to chip it off and start with a fresh application.

Another idea - when in urgent need and no time to Pro Grip, use a thin strip of costume tape. Again, no permanent damage to the sword, quick fix, and barely noticeable.

I recently bought Azhia's super blinged out sword - she applied swarovski crystals to the blade along the edges, which actually ended up giving it enough grip on the balancing side without the need to Pro Grip or tape or anything.

A blingy remedy is always the best!!

I'll add a photo later from home...

Originally Posted by Khalilah

I recently bought Azhia's super blinged out sword - she applied swarovski crystals to the blade along the edges, which actually ended up giving it enough grip on the balancing side without the need to Pro Grip or tape or anything.

A blingy remedy is always the best!!

I'll add a photo later from home...

ooh, sounds pretty, please add pic if you have the time.

Thanks everyone. So, beeswax....I'm buying this where? I could be over-thinking this entirely (as I tend to do, esp when I'm tired ,r:;

Bees wax should be available at the grocery store, hardware store or craft store. It is used for cleaning and candle making as well as other things.

{{{HUGS}}}

I use thread wax. I apply it before I use the sword and clean it off when the gig is over. I don't want to do anything permanent to my sword. This has always worked for me. I don't like the tape because it can pull hair out of your head, which makes it more obvious you're using a "cheat" and makes it look less hard.

Originally Posted by kahaz

I use beeswax at the balance point.

I used to use a simple headwrap. I used a metallic glitter scarf tied as a fat headband for cabaret and 2 tassel scarves tied as a turban for fakelore. However, I read an interview with FCBD (this must have been almost 20 years ago!) in which it was revealed that they had turbans specially made with 'slots' to hold the swords. At which point I stopped using headgear 'lest anyone think i was cheating!

I've gone back to occasional use, though. I've decided that the costume aesthetic looks better with something up top.

Using a tiny fabric headband does look nice, but also keeps my hair from breaking. :Ahappy:

I never thought about the headband thing until yesterday. I have always worn a headband with my sword because of having slippery hair. I was dancing at the Renn Faire yesterday and mostly I was dancing with my sword. I had so many people come up to me and inspect my head to see if I was cheating or not. I definitely need to try some of the suggestions here because candle wax doesn't seem to work for my slippery hair.

careful with sticky stuff, other than collecting dirt it can make your hair stick to the sword when you lift it off your head which makes the audience think it's a trick.
if you make a deal about getting the balance right when you first put it on your head then the scarf works great (people don't think it's a trick if you make a show of getting it right, even if you know exactly where it goes) you can use that shelf grip stuff on the top of the scarf if you can make it blend with your costume.

I wear a scarf for comfort and to protect my hair. I can balance without a scarf. But it really hurts to do this with the heavier swords.

I often wear a headband or scarf when I perform period...when I dance with sword, always. If your audience is thinking that ANYTHING: a scarf, a notch in your sword or anything else is a 'trick' then perhaps the sword is becoming the focal point of your dance and not your dance itself.
I see NO valor in watching a dancer struggle to keep anything from slipping off too slippy hair or body parts...I'm interested in watching how she uses the prop to tell a story in addition to her beautiful dancing.