Adjusting a broadsword's hilt?

[Anti-Theory]

I got my broadsword last week (after a very long wait) and the hilt has become very loose for some reason.

Somebody told me that the little pommel nut at the end of the sword could be adjusted to tighten or loosen the hilt. I tried making it tighter with a pair of needlenose pliars but that only seemed to make things worse. :confused:

Does anybody have good care tips for Chinese Broadswords? I want to make sure this one lasts me all the way to black sash.

Heres a picture of what it looks like (not the exact one I have, but same model):

http://www.martialartsmart.net/45-66wu26.html

[CLFNole]

This happens a lot with those types of swords as they aren't exactly of premier craftsmanship. You can weld it with some soder or use a liquid cement type product.

[brothernumber9]

I went to a thrift store and bought a $5 leather bag. I cut a few swatches out of the back and used them like washers between the various loose parts on the sword. It has held pretty well for about 10yrs. I am about to do it again as the old pieces have deteriorated a bit, I assume from oils and sweat and temp changes. Some of my classmates actually use rubber washers/bushings, and that seems to work well too and can be purchased super cheap at Home Depot.

In addition, I soildered a weight into the butt piece to give it better balance.

[fawlung]

Anti-Theory, I'm not 100% on this but it might be worth a try. If you take the pommel nut off and take that brassy piece off the end, there is another nut that actually keeps everything taut. I've heard of people placing an additional nut over that to "lock" it into place.

[Anti-Theory]

Thanks for the help guys.

I managed to fully dissasemble the sword and put it back together so the hilt was straight and taut again. For some reason the nut unscrews backwards (Right = Looser, Left = Tighter) so I was actualy loosening it the entire time. :rolleyes:

[syn]

Thanks for the help guys.

I managed to fully dissasemble the sword and put it back together so the hilt was straight and taut again. For some reason the nut unscrews backwards (Right = Looser, Left = Tighter) so I was actualy loosening it the entire time. :rolleyes:

Those crazy southern hemisphere people.

[GeneChing]

I've always been hesitant to glue the whole thing together because it makes it harder to disassemble in the future. Locktite and/or lockwashers are helpful since they will seal, but not so tightly.

The tricky part is that most swords have a wood handle. When you over-tighten your pommel nut, it's metal versus wood; the wood handle gets compromised. Once the structure of the wood collapses, that piece needs to be remade. If you're handy with a wood rasp, it's easy to make a new handle. If not, all might be lost. Another problem is that most fittings are braised brass over a wood core. If a wood core collapses, it's a lot of work to pull out the wood and replace it with something else. Sometimes you can save it with a well-positioned washer. Fortunately, the makers are moving away from wood core fittings.