Has anyone ever noticed how bent and bumpy the swords in Xena and Hercules are?
Posted by Key-Owl8957@reddit | xena | View on Reddit | 167 comments
They look they they were forged by a 4 year old? Seriously, go watch both shows, every sword is lumpy and some are banana shaped. Even someone that smiths for a hobby can make better. A common smith back then certainly could. A legendary jewel encrusted sword would be made by a master smith. If you know anything about smithing then you'll know these swords all look like they were half finished. This is the third to last step. After forming a sword, the second to last step would be for a smith to use a flat hammer and then a large gringing stone to shape the blades. The last step is then to grind the bevels on each side if the blade that hold the actual sharpened edge. Can anyone tell me why all the swords look like this? Why the producers did this? Was there a reason or was it just because they didn't know. And if they didn't know, why did they not use normal movie style swords? Why go out of your way to make every sword a peen marked lumpy sword that isn't even straight?!
ZvsGrgs@reddit
I'm not a sword expert like you appear to be. I didn't notice anything wrong with the swords, daggers, etc. These are supposed to be ancient times, so it's not like the swords the Three Musketeers would use. For me ancient weapons means they can get a bit crude looking. There were official replicas of Xena's sword sold that normally should be identical to the imperfections of the screen props. Also many of those appearing on screen are not even metal, they can be made of foam or resin, wood or other materials, safer, cheaper and quicker to produce. This was a TV series during the 1990s, no High Definition existed. People nowadays binge-watching Xena on big screens and being able to pause and rewind find all kinds of goofs and errors. They had over 20 episodes in a season to film, some things were left less than perfect since no one would notice them is what they must have probably thought.
HumbleHawk9@reddit
This is the answer. They are shows set in ancient times with weapons made from crude materials forged using ancient practices.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
I addressed this with another post, but, the things I'm talking about are smithing basics. Something smiths new from the beginning of smithing. All swords need a bevel to function. I'm a smith myself and I have worked with the same tools they had.
Dionne005@reddit
You should watch a show like Shogun. Ancient Japan 1700. Really good show. Shows like Xena was made for kids and teens with adults interest too but it’s a chill show. Very campy.
Formal_Command5996@reddit
1700 is not ancient times...
underratedonion@reddit
Xena was NOT made for kids and teens. Lmao it was like cutting edge tv when it came out. One of the first representations of a lesbian couple. Very NSFW at the time.
Dionne005@reddit
I highly disagree. And I also didn’t see lesbian aspects with the show either but there was definitely sexual themes all throughout. Idk I was 5 when it came out and watched every ep when it aired and watched every ep 8 times. It’s for kids to me. My parents def wasn’t interested nor was my other relatives that was older. But everyone my age watched it.
NSTPCast@reddit
Your experience does not dictate the design not function of the show. The first movie I ever watched as a child was Aliens, but this does not make the Alien franchise for kids, it just means I had inattentive parents (a mainstay in the early early 90s).
Dionne005@reddit
I looked up age group of who the show is made for and a lot of people are saying 6 and up. When I went to universal studios as a kid I was under 10 years. Maybe 7. They had Xena and Hercules show demonstrations for interaction. They chose me and other children to be part of the show demo. It was one of the best days of my life. We had to help control the 6 headed beast you see in Hercules intro.
NSTPCast@reddit
That sounds awesome!
And to be clear, I actually wasn't suggesting an age range for Xena one way or the other; I always thought it was too campy to be considered an 'adult' show, I was more just suggesting that how we engaged with media, especially in the 90s and before, does not always establish who the media was actually aimed at.
Not that that's completely different today; I certainly let my kids watch Jurassic Park far younger than I 'should' have, and I'd absolutely do it again.
Basically I was being a prat for the sake of being a prat.
Dionne005@reddit
That’s understandable! And Jurassic park is such a great classic. You did the right thing! Lol especially if you had surround sound. But I think the 90s movies and shows shaped me into who I am today. I was obsessed about the sound effects in the movie Jurassic park and the creation of how Xena was produced at a young age and little did I know I Wound being a sound tech in the industry. 😂
NSTPCast@reddit
They just turned me into a sci-fi nerd, not that I'm complaining. I made Alien my personality for a long time, and I still remember the first time I saw a late-night trailer announcing Alien: Resurrection. I was the only 4th grader interested as far as I could tell.
Dionne005@reddit
Lol yeah I bet you was the only kid interested! 😆 but I was probably the only kid interested in Star Trek.
Upbeat-Fondant9185@reddit
Very late to this party but I love that someone else is driven nuts by this detail. Even as a kid watching I couldn’t understand the swords issue.
You’re very much correct, any smith even in these times would be ashamed of the way these blades are finished. I don’t think people realize just how old swords and blades are and how long that skill set has been around.
It’s a very obvious miss by the set designers.
underratedonion@reddit
Idk how long has Xena been using her sword? Wouldn’t it have imperfections in the blade that wouldn’t cause any issue or need to be fixed as long as the edge was sharp and clean?
CorporateWarlock@reddit
Xena and Hercules were not shows where the target audience are smithing experts. They were mythic fantasy with 90's TV budgets. The hammered look was a stylistic choice to evoke the feeling of a time and place.
You get a focus group together of laypeople, show them pictures of the props from the show vs something like you're describing and ask "which of these gives more ancient Greek myth vibes?" The janky hammered stuff is going to win out every time.
SodaCan2043@reddit
And 90s internet.
PsychologicalHome239@reddit
You're watching Hercules and Xena...you mean to tell me, with all the "bad" CGI and three stooges style fight choreography, your suspension of belief line is drawn at the way the swords look?
jaythegreenling@reddit
that's just simply not true, and we know it isn't, cause we have museums. it's just an opinion to justify the terrible sword design. xena can be a great show and have terrible sword design. the two aren't mutually exclusive.
Available-Youth-1718@reddit
You know this show isn't historical fiction right? There's no Xena era we have records of when Ares roamed the lands.
DarkSparkleNymph@reddit
There is based off of Hercules though as they do cross over. She is not living in a castle either with access to a royal armory at all times. It’s safe to say a lot of weapons were hand made. Hammered. It’s called hammered. It’s supposed to look hammered like a real man stood at an anvil and bashed hot metal into the shape of a sword. They aren’t Dwarves haha they’re not even kings. They’re peasants were taking about.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
I've said this to someone else on here, but swords, iron, anvils, forges and such were incredibly expensive luxury items. Peasents couldn't just decide to make a sword and gain a forge. The only way to get a sword was with lots of money, becoming a soldier or killing one. Either way all swords were made by skilled blacksmiths. It was an art. This is even more true the farther back in time you go. That being said, even if you could just make swords randomly, there has never been a time in history when swords didn't have a bevel. They can't function without a bevel.
DarkSparkleNymph@reddit
Nooo now lmao. Dents are very likely as well. Also when I look up pictures of the weapons I don’t see dramatic dents I see abrasions.
DarkSparkleNymph@reddit
No, this is the correct answer. It’s supposed to appear hammered. I will go intensively analyze images of the swords to be sure it’s not just seriously bad work. I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say it’s intentional because I very clearly remember what a great quality the outfits and such had so I would assume the weapons would be of similar quality. But I will have to go look.
pants207@reddit
Because they had a relatively low budget and the show was pretty high camp. There is no reason for them to have master level swords in a show that doesn’t even use gravity consistently. They weren’t going for historical accuracy. It basically started out using a bunch of higher end cosplay props that eventually got better as the show was more successful. the focus wasn’t on the weapons it was on the story.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
Haha, hey, most of the cosplay props I've seen looked pretty good.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
I still say its easier and cheaper to make flat swords instead of bumpy ones.
Aggravating_Mix8959@reddit
I think it's just a live-in, inhabited look the show was going for.
godsibi@reddit
This is the right answer! ☝️
Also, I believe these shows went purposefully for a "rough-around-the-edges" look to create a visual identity. They were a very loose adaptation of ancient Greece. Myths and history get mixed here. Medieval meets Oriental meets Gothic meets Folk. This is supposed to be a colourful fantasy. In that sense, the swords always looked purposefully imperfect and rusted. If you pay closer attention, not only do they look bumped but also painted green sometimes to have the rusty look. This is why, well polished blades like the ying yang chakram later on, really do stand out.
ZvsGrgs@reddit
I think the chakram was always perfect in shape. Even the early designs of the original chakram had a perfect disc shape when viewed sideways but a crude pattern, and then in later seasons the pattern became totally symmetrical. It was like the chakram was not man-made like the swords. I’m not a sword person but I really love the chakram, all versions of it.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
It did magically teleport.
ZvsGrgs@reddit
What do you mean teleport?
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
I missed the green, but that would mean bronze swords. Haha. That means they meant the swords to be bronze but colored them like iron. Of coarse its just a show. But I was hoping for a big breakthrough reason, haha.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
The main picture I posted shows the lumpy sword. But as far as what they are actually made out of isn't my point. I'm not expecting prop swords to be real. Im talking about the in universe look of the swords. They are made to look real, or at least like metal swords. Why they choose the look they chose is my question. They could have made the fake swords look like actual swords. Not pieces of hammer beaten metal.
I made my first forge out of a propane tank and my first anvil from mild steel plates. Even in ancient times they had foot powered grind stones. Im talking about basic smithing. Something a smith in the iron age would know.
pants207@reddit
because it was a campy fantasy show in the 90s
ZvsGrgs@reddit
Sword in photo looks fine to me. Metal, etc. looks like actual sword. To me.
Substantial-Ad-1840@reddit
I was just guessing because of their time frame
xichary@reddit
It's supposed to be battle worn. It's not a freshly forged sword.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
Aaaaa, your the 7th person to say that! They were not fighting guys with ball peen hammers! It would have been nicks and scratches, not dents.
xichary@reddit
Well, that's how they styled it. They used a similar weathering on many other weapons throughout the series, not just in season 1. If you check out costume and prop design closely, they take many artistic licenses. Most things are not very accurate.
AdrielBast@reddit
Because this is an old show and the props are likely made out of plastic or foam. It’s not going to be perfect. If anything I think it makes the swords look more battle-worn. Too many times in modern media the swords are always shiny and new like they’ve never been used before.
Dionne005@reddit
They still make them with the foam depending on the budget. (I work on sets)
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
The medium used to create the sword isn't the issue. Its what they make them look like, and why they go out of the way to make them look weird.
Dionne005@reddit
If you slow down some episodes you can literally see a rubber version of these swords being tossed and used. I own the dvds and it looks mega fake and wobbly.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
I would completely agree, but battle worn would be knicks and scratches. They weren't fighting guys with a bunch of hammers!
antealtares@reddit
It's like when you hang a picture, it's better to hang it to the visual center rather than the actual center of a wall. Maybe it's 10 or even 25 inches off the technical center, but it LOOKS centered. The battered weapons LOOK better than a perfectly smithed, unused jewel encrusted sword would look, even if maybe they aren't more accurate.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
So it was supposed to make them look cool? Thats been the only hypothesis that keeps coming up that makes any sense so far.
antealtares@reddit
Absolutely. Look at the Xena marto sword. It's technically perfect but boring
Nightfaucon@reddit
I don't think that's what Xena fans were looking at in every episode.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
Ha. Ha. Hahahaha! I was just telling someone about the massive amount of cleavage. I don't think there was one female character without it. Talk about prejudices. Did not one producer like flat chested girls? Not everyone has to have two f★cking ballons.
Nightfaucon@reddit
Right! This was the same reason I didn't watch "Baywatch," either (despite having one flat-chested lifeguard).
Cleavage on female comic and video game characters were more inhumanly grotesque at the time. Their balloons were larger than their heads, with hips as slender as pencils. How did Lara Croft run around or leap across surfaces with two gigantic balloons smacking her face every time? No bustier or bra could restrain those paperweights.
throwaway798319@reddit
Two options: either the props dept were being cheap & rushed, so the swords were badly made, or they were trying too hard to be clever/nerdy and they goofed up.
The lumpiness makes them look like Mycenaean era bronze swords, which is about the right time period for Hercules in Greek mythology. So you could argue that they were trying to be historically accurate. The stupid thing is, the swords they dug up are pitted because it's been close to 4000 years since those swords were made. They wouldn't have been pitted like that in 1800BC, when they were first made and used, otherwise they'd be useless as weapons.
Basically I think someone was a huge Classics nerd and got overexcited, made replicas of archaeology artefacts, and forgot that metal degrades over time LOL
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
OMG!!!! THANK YOU!!!! FINALLY! Someone who put some thought into it! I've been waiting for someone to tell me old bronze swords were actually pitted like that. So I could then say exactly what you just said! It is so refreshing to be beaten to the punch. I know theres not a lot of blacksmiths on here, but a person can figure out something they aren't familiar with if they just put their mind to it.
throwaway798319@reddit
I had fun thinking it through!
I used to work installing gas lines, so I've seen the build-up and pitting cast iron gets after just a couple of decades.
reticulatinglogic@reddit
I was busy watching the show
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
Then why didn't you see it? A bet you saw all the tits!
reticulatinglogic@reddit
Because I was watching the show
I feel like I said that before....
It's a trees and forest scenario, you were to busy looking at tits and swords to see the show and I was like 7 when I watched it with my Grandma one summer.
9pinnotap@reddit
You are paying attention to the sword rather than…….?
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
Of coarse not! Hercules is when I first noticed it.
ThornTintMyWorld@reddit
I noticed Zena's bumps more.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
Ha! I definitely paused that show thousands of times during my last rewatch.
MalevolentNight@reddit
I'm pretty sure it's because of what time period it is from, which was during a time when metal work was still being worked out and things weren't as smooth, they had to use different tools to, again just working it out.
Blacksmithing began millennia ago, when the Hittites began to forge and temper iron around 1500 B.C. It was crude, as all they had were basic tools and fire, but it sufficed for creating weapons such as spearheads and arrows. They were hampered by their scientific understanding of the properties of iron, however.
https://dragonfiretools.com/tools-of-the-trade-a-history-of-blacksmithing/
And actually given this time, when you look up when xena takes place is around 1000bce so it's actually even b4 real metal work had begun. So the work would've been crappy for the most part. It would've mostly been spears and arrows apparently. I think they were going for realism for the times since metal was a new medium to work in for the times and it wasn't that well done for many years.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
Just like you pointed out though, swords were never made like that. Your talking about basic metalworking before smithing. The knowledge of sword making from its very start never involved making a sword like that. I say this a few times, but the basic construction of a sword involves a bevel. A sword can't function without a bevel.
DarkSparkleNymph@reddit
Actually the correct reason that they appear bumpy is because of the time period the lore is set. The swords are supposed to appear hand made by men not a perfect machine cut Dwarfen made sword.
It’s supposed to appear “hammered”.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
All swords are hand made. The forging process involved hammers, yes, but they were flat. Rounded hammers only shape the metal in the beginning, they are never used to leave dents in the sword. There was never a period in history when swords looked that way.
Moat importantly, swords need bevels to function.
And I keep saying this, but, the wear and tear thing would be nicks and scratches. They didn't fight guys with hammers.
DarkSparkleNymph@reddit
After looking at some images I conclude this is just a really bad photo and they don’t look this poor in most images. Also the bumps I see in HD photos appear to be damage. She uses the sword all the time. It’s gotta have nicks and scratches or it would look too “perfect” to be real.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
Nicks and scratches! Exactly! Not bumps.
DoctorEnn@reddit
They’re crudely manufactured ancient swords that get a lot of use.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
That could be there excuse, yeah, but they didn't actually make them that way. A sword was the only thing between you and death. They were a thing of great pride and normally status. Swords were expensive as shit. No one would pay that much for a crude sword.
DoctorEnn@reddit
TBF it is also from a fairly cheaply made 90s action-fantasy series. It’s not like it’s an actual window into Ancient Greece. They didn’t exactly have the Game of Thrones budget and there’s a limit to how good they could make the props and how good they’ll look in the harsh light of 4K HD television screens.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
That's been brought up a few times. But its cheaper to make simple flat, straight swords! They are all over TV. They could have borrowed them from somewhere. Its more effort to make weird looking custom prop swords than standard prop swords.
DoctorEnn@reddit
This was also made in New Zealand in the 90s. They didn’t have the same kind of filmmaking infrastructure back then — hence, less access to the kind of prop houses that a Europe or US based production would have. Also, I don’t know the exact number of sword manufacturers in New Zealand, but I have to suppose they were probably pretty thin on the ground as well.
Look, they’re not that great, you’re not exactly wrong there, but at some point “it was almost certainly the best they had access to given the budget and resources available” is the only real answer anyone can give you. If they had access to the kind of better swords you’re complaining they didn’t use, they probably would have used them.
Doright36@reddit
Zena used her sword. It was a tool, not a decorative item.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
All swords are tools. They never looked like that. Regardless of how much they were used. She never fought guys with ball peen hammers. Where did the dents come from? It should be nicks and scratches.
KingKaos420-@reddit
No, I never noticed that at all.
I probably never would have if you didn’t point it out.
But it seems like it’s really not a big deal, and was just a limit that the props department had to deal with back then. Awesome that it never affected the quality of the show or anything
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
A few other said that, but, It takes more effort to make a prop sword look like that than it does to make it look normal. Adding the dents is an extra step.
25Bam_vixx@reddit
Look leave my warrior princess alone. You can dump on the other one but leave my princess alone. My favorite episodes were when they didn’t take anything seriously lol
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
Haha, was it Xena or Lucy Lawless herself you liked more?
25Bam_vixx@reddit
Both … what did I said.. leave my warrior princesses alone. How dare you make me choose lol
jaythegreenling@reddit
yup, definitely noticed it back when i was a kid. never understood why the chakram looked fine and the swords looked like they were trampled by a herd of horses. made zero sense to me then, makes zero sense to me now.
people downvoting you and making up weird excuses like "swords looked like that back then" is legit sending me. have y'all never been to a museum or what?
"xena's one of my favourite shows to this day" and "the swords look like a toddler made them" are two sentiments that can coexist just fine.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
Haha, Thank you, good sir!
I will say it again for anyone who missed it. Swords never looked like that. Not finished swords anyways. If I stole a sword in the middle of the forging process, sure.
Substantial-Ad-1840@reddit
Perhaps they are going for the look of Damascus steel
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
Damascus? How did it look like Damascus? Regardless of the type of Damascus your talking about. Neither had anything to do with dents and a lack of bevel.
remykixxx@reddit
Same reason there was never any blood shown. The violence couldn’t be TOO realistic for the time slot.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
That was mentioned ounce before. That might be it.
elusivesanity25@reddit
I always just assumed it was because Xena actually used her sword… a lot. 💁🏼♀️
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
Second person. But! That would mean nicks and scratches. Not dents. She wasn't fighting guys with ball peen hammers.
IseQween@reddit
To me, most weapons -- even Xena's --didn't visually compete with the actors but were treated as "extras," throwaways, unless important to the story. The special sword in S1 PROMETHEUS, King Arthur's in season 3 and the katana stood out and showed they could do great-looking weapons when necessary. I always laughed when they showed someone looking at their reflection in a beat up sword, which sometimes became suddenly shiny for that moment, and the "You need to polish your sword" comment when Xena used hers to send signals. I agree with those who said it was done on purpose within production limitations as well as for the "look" and "feel" they wanted.
Now that you mention it, the toy-like aspect does make them look less lethal -- not to be taken too seriously by either kids or adults. Heck, frying pans, candy canes and fists were just as effective against helmets or armor. It was a fantasy action show that emphasized the acrobatics and human abilities.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
If it was done because of production limits then they would have made the standard copy and paste, simple, straight, flat swords. The kind of sword the prop guys are used to making. It takes more effort to make them look all bumpy.
freyalorelei@reddit
To quote another '90s series: "Just repeat to yourself 'It's just a show, you should really just relax'."
But seriously, it was a stylistic choice for a low-budget fantasy series. Ancient Greeks also didn't wear leather bustiers and miniskirts to battle. I get Watsonian analysis, but sometimes Doyleist solutions are the only answer.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
Haha, why am I focused just on the swords? I'm not really concerned about time periods being right. I'm okay with mixing stuff for a fantasy show. Its just when they do something like this, with the swords, that never happened anywhere in history.
I will say the laws of gravity in the show really annoy me, but there is still a reason they choose to ignore them. I just want to know the reason for the swords! It takes more effort to make non functional prop swords than it does to use the existing "made to look real" swords from another show.
faerymoon@reddit
I always thought they were just supposed to have a beaten bronze, ancient look to them. It worked for me.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
That answers my question of how many people were bothered by it. But, also, its iron! I don't even think I saw any bronze swords.
faerymoon@reddit
Haha true! And I just meant the "look" of it by that description not that it necessarily was made of bronze.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
Even if the sword are supposed to be battle worn, my main problem is really the bevel! There has never been a time in history when swords didn't have a bevel. They can't function without a bevel.
citizencamembert@reddit
I always thought it was because she only had one sword and it just got beaten up lol
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
But what about every other sword?
citizencamembert@reddit
I guess she just has a lot of sword fights lol
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
I was also talking about every other sword used by other characters in Xena and Hercules. I did just find the sword of veracity though! It has bevels!
Good_Nyborg@reddit
You really wouldn't notice on the televisions available at the time.
TrixieVanSickle@reddit
Exactly. I'm a huge Star Trek fan and there are things on all of the shows that don't stand up in HD (TOS being the worst in that area).
There's a really funny story about Yvonne Craig's reaction when she heard TOS was being remastered.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
How dare you blaspheme Start Trek! Shakes fist
TrixieVanSickle@reddit
LOL! The first time I watched TOS on an HD TV I was just staring at Spock's ears. Mind you, I'd been watching since 1982 and had seen every episode a zillion times, but HD does TOS no favors.
nworkz@reddit
The phasers also look comically bad in tos
TrixieVanSickle@reddit
They didn't in 1966 though. It's all perspective.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
Hey, at least they weren't based of off established technology like the damn swords! I think Star Trek did a pretty good job of sticking to theoretical science though.
ClassieLadyk@reddit
This made me laugh so much, because it so true.
IAintDeceasedYet@reddit
I definitely noticed, and I was a child to boot. My personal opinion, this was more of a deliberate design choice with an eye to keeping costs down. It's distinctive texture and flavor that was replicable in all the different props they needed, especially the rubber versions.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
I like this answer!
Away-Living5278@reddit
This.
Also reminds me of a Futurama joke. "You couldn't even make out my obscene tattoo on TVs back then". (Approximately lol)
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
I love that episode!
You said "this"? Was there supposed to be a picture?
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
You can see it right in the picture I posted. I watched this show when I was a kid and it was very noticable.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
Hey guy, I forgot about this!
https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/hercxena/images/c/cd/Sword_of_veracity_02.jpg/revision/latest?cb=2010082514162
The sword of veracity! Look at that beautiful bevel!
BertyPelham@reddit
That’s SD tv. I’m pretty sure it’s a prop sword that was created to use for the promo so not much work was put into it
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
The swords don't even have a bevel! They just sharpened the sides of a hammered piece of metal!
livia-did-it@reddit
I don’t know why you’re getting downvoted. They are really bad in the early seasons! And “rustic and ancient” is no excuse! The Bronze Age artifacts we have are exquisite, and a sword that looks like Xena’s S1 is so bad at being a sword it doesn’t even work! The craftsmanship is necessary for the sword to slice and pierce!
But! The S4-6 stuff is so much better! It’s really cool to watch all of Xena with a focus on the props and sets because you’re watching the production team get good. After Xena finished, the same group of people who made that shitty sword did Lord of the Rings and made Narsil and Sting!
Aggravating_Mix8959@reddit
I think the downvoting is because the post sounds unhinged at this point. But then I have to remind myself that if this was a TV show with rock climbing in it, I'd take exception to mistakes and probably sound too involved in it too.
jaythegreenling@reddit
apart from the first and last sentence which sound dismissive and facetious, op makes good points, so i don't see what's unhinged about the post.
xena's one of my favourite shows and was a huge part of my childhood. that doesn't mean i as an adult can't look at things objectively. people really need to stop being so defensive every time there's the tiniest hint of criticism.
op is right. and the people who mentioned the glare of the camera or the stunt sword material being an issue are likely correct. why that requires people to claim folks in "ancient times" didn't take care of their weapons is beyond me.
imported@reddit
op is ending everything with an !. seems a bit unhinged to me.
Designer_Cycle_5083@reddit
Love that pic!!
JaysNewDay@reddit
Bro, this was when we were watching it on old school CRT TVs. You couldn't see that much detail back then
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
Your the 3rd person to say that, but her sword was on the promo art! It annoyed the hell out of me and I wasn't even a smith then.
Dionne005@reddit
Man I agree! I was watching Star Trek enterprise from the 80s and those phasers didn’t even look like real phasers I’m creating for space X military today. They could do better.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
Actually, it just occured to me that streaming the show on a bad connection with everything all blocky and low res is way worse than a CRT back in the day. I can see it on the slow streaming in some close ups.
silverbatwing@reddit
If you are looking for historical accuracy in xena and Hercules, you’ve come to the wrong place
CromulentChuckle@reddit
Xena was the shit. Hercules became shit.
Chuy_Casillas@reddit
A wizard did it.
v3gas21@reddit
A wizard did it.
Time-to-Dine@reddit
Ok, but what about-
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
Best answer yet!
yrucrem81@reddit
The only correct answer!
Pokojni@reddit
They are not made from metal for safety
Technical_Activity78@reddit
It was a 90s show. There were steel swords and rubber prop swords they used. To me I just think they are battle worn when warped or bumpy like that.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
I should have clarified in the original post, but I'm not talking about what the fake prop swords are made of. I'm talking about what they are made to look like.
blueavole@reddit
This was also before digital tv. You wouldn’t have seen this detail in broadcast static.
Overall_Sandwich_671@reddit
I always assumed it was to make the swords look less lethal on camera, since both shows were intended for family viewing, and kids were going to be watching the sword fights. The more fake the swords look, then the less violent the battle scenes look.
The only time we really see polished, sharp looking blades is if it's a special weapon used for a decorative purposes, or a mythical relic, such as the Sword of veracity, Dagger of Helios, or Excalibur.
1111joey1111@reddit
Google bronzed age swords and view the images. A lot of them are bumpy and not that straight.
I would like to see someone actually tell Xena that her sword is bent and bumpy. I'd like to see how that would go over 😂
CWSmith1701@reddit
Probably an object demonstration of how it still stabs just fine.
Yndrid@reddit
90s tv approximation of Bronze Age sword craft I guess
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
But its iron! Noooooooo! They just wanted to piss me off.
multiplecats@reddit
Iron was used long before bronze in that part of the world. /🤓
Eaglemoon7@reddit
Part of the reason they made them look dull and not shiny is because of the reflections with the camera lights.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
Thats the second good answer along with "iaintdeceasedyet" and his answer.
Agent8699@reddit
I mean, didn’t Xena sometimes cut down trees with her sword - no wonder it looks so worn and shoddy given the punishment she dishes out with it!
The magical chakram eventually became very smooth and refined. And from vague memory, the swords used by the gods (Ares and Athena) were a bit more polished.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
I new before I posted this it was probably a "just because it looked" type of scenario but I was really hoping someone had. Some inside knowledge I didn't.
But wait! How do you explain the bent swords?! Noone ever decided to straighten their swords?
Agent8699@reddit
Not that I’m aware of. You could try:
https://www.whenheartscollide.net/
And
http://www.whoosh.org/
And
http://xenaproptreasures.blogspot.com/?m=1
To see if any of them have interviews with the prop masters who may have touched upon their design principles.
Icy-Sir-8414@reddit
The enforcer episode
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
Oh, yeah. I forgot about that.
Icy-Sir-8414@reddit
Because in that Hercules episode some the swords weren't perfect some of them were pretty good well designed but the rest not so much then I noticed the same thing in the Xena episodes to in both of my favorite TV series the quality and quantity of the sword designs didn't improve until the middle of season two and three to be honest with you
Voyager5555@reddit
Every sword in Xena looks dull af.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
Thats 2!
Icy-Sir-8414@reddit
I agree with you there especially in one of the Hercules episode he had a sword that wasn't very well designed
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
Thats 1 person! I'm starting from the top and working down
Necessary_Cow_1152@reddit
It is historical fantasy science fiction made for TV. I may have noticed it after seeing all of the episodes multiple times -how toy-like some of the weapons appear at times. I however did not notice when seriously watching the show the first couple of times because that was not my focus.
I am Also not a trained blacksmith;
I feel like its not surprising bc its a tv show not motion picture; hiring real blacksmiths to make real detailed custom swords would be really expensive and real swords would be much heavier making it a lot more difficult to film the action scenes i assume
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
That makes sense. But, they still could have made foam swords that didn't look lumpy. I think it takes MORE effort to make them lumpy.
TrixieVanSickle@reddit
As someone mentioned, watch it on a 90s tube TV and see if you notice it.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
The cover art of the 90s had the sword right there for everyone to see. It was as a kid in the 90's when I first saw it!
surlysir@reddit
Forged by a four year old in the heat of battle against bedtime
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
Exactly!
TangledUpPuppeteer@reddit
I spit. Thanks for that
SnooSuggestions9830@reddit
I always thought they were more accurate to the time it's meant to take place in?
Like a bit rustic looking.
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
I'm starting to think that was there goal. Its just not how they ever looked and swords always at least had bevels.
Own-Ambassador-3537@reddit
Considering Xena lived kinda of hard life and how much she was on the road I think she didn’t have time to go to a proper swordsmith.( my theory )
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
Someone else mentioned that, but I'm also talking about every other sword in both shows.
WyldHart@reddit
I’m pretty sure it was an aesthetic choice to look “ancient” (even though her chakram is perfectly smooth). It was very much a product of the time though, so I’m not surprised
Key-Owl8957@reddit (OP)
I didn't even think about the chakram until you said it. Its got to be the only weapon in both shows that doesn't look like it was half forged. And, I could completely get behind the ancient look idea, but- What about literally every other sword in both shows? Even the ones in that Hercules episode in the first season with the child soldiers came fresh of the forge like that. The ones that the half naked muscle girl forged. What do you mean by a product of the time?
SaintBallista@reddit
It does give some additional charm to the whole thing