Fake Obsidian Blades by NefariousDrO

Photography • Objects • posted on Jul 30, 2016

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Description

Tackling a re-working of a costume-prop I made a year ago. I wanted a weapon based loosely on the Aztec macuahuitl, but it can't be sharp as I'll be carrying it around large crowds, children and some people's pets. My previous one was okay, but lacked the "punch" I wanted, partly because I couldn't get a decent Obsidian-Look, and settled for a fake flint-look instead. This new material is a clear resin, but it can also take pigments. So I added a very small amount of black in hopes of getting that dark translucent quality that makes Obsidian so captivating. The result of this new material is far better than I dared hope. It's a fairly shiny-surface, which really makes the contours show in a nice, high-contrast look, and when I keep the pigment in a small enough dose, light can still pass through the final piece! Best of all it's surprisingly soft and flexible, making it even safer than I expected. I'll post more photos once I get the "weapon" completed, but for now I'm elated with the results of this test.

Comments (6)

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Cyve

5:13PM | Sat, 30 July 2016

Fantastically well captured !!!

NefariousDrO

4:47PM | Sun, 31 July 2016

Thanks. Getting a shot that had both the details of the shape, and the translucence was tricky, but the lack of direct sunlight actually made it easier than I expected.

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Faemike55

5:35PM | Sat, 30 July 2016

You did a great job! I collect obsidian and this looks just like it.

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Ancel_Alexandre

6:42PM | Sat, 30 July 2016

Truly impressive ! I am fond of obsidian too, so I would like to know: what kind of resin did you use ? And how did you create this wonderful obsidian blade ?

NefariousDrO

4:46PM | Sun, 31 July 2016

A couple of people have asked what type of resin, and I apologize for not including that info. The resin is "Smooth-Cast Color Match Liquid Plastic 325" that I got from a Dick Blick art supply store. You can also buy it from them online. I would imagine you can also find that at other art and craft stores. As for how I created the blade design? Short version is that I "carved" the shape and contours from a lump of modeling clay. I posted a picture of the stages here: https://www.renderosity.com/mod/gallery/i-keep-getting-more-ideas-/2559423/

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Richardphotos

10:29PM | Sat, 30 July 2016

some ingenious results

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T.Rex

6:38AM | Sun, 31 July 2016

When I saw the thumb nail my immediate thought was soft resin. Nice job on the "obsidian", but also getting a good photo of the parts. Just a minor point - you don't mention what type of resin. This can be of help to such artists who would like to have a semi-soft resin to work with. Keep up the good work! :-)

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RodS

11:04PM | Sun, 31 July 2016

You really did an amazing job on this, Mike. I must confess, when I first saw the image I thought they were real. I was going to ask how you managed to chip the stones so perfectly!

And thanks for the info on the resin, too! I may have to play with some of that stuff.