Dull or fake knife that looks real and is cheap?

J

Jackson Miller

Well-known member
Hi guys. I am doing a fight scene and a knife is drawn at the end. We have a real knife that looks great but... it is real. I have tried to no avail to find a prop knife or a dull/nonsharpened knife online at ANY price let alone in the 15 dollar range. It can't be plastic as there will be closeups... I am trying to think if I can cover the blade in something like tape. Just the sharp part but that would stand out... Maybe clear glue! Or wax. That may be the answer. To be clear, no actual fighting takes place with the knife. It comes out at the end of a fight after one guy is pinning down another guy and screaming "where is it!?!?!?!"

Any other ideas? What do they do in real films?
 
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Just find a real knife on ebay, and dull it. That's what I did on my first feature. Yes, it still had a point you had to be careful of, but it couldn't cut anyone. I spent $20 on it.
 
Option B, make your own. Find an effects guy, have them make a mold of your knife, and get them to cast it in rubber. Then you can use silver spraypaint for the blade
 
Both choices above were really good. In STRICKEN we used two real knives. The metallic luster and random reflections of the knife in the room light are hard to fake. As the weapons armorer on set I dulled our knives with a grinder and then sanded the edge smooth and round so they are actually not in the least sharp. Even the tips are broadened as much as possible to still look sharp on camera but be dull. We then choreographed of the actors to move in the safest way possible, practicing each knife movement very slowly and then ramping up to actual speed for the takes. Quicker speeds can be done in post.

I am a trained martial artist and knife fighter, so if necessary, knife movements are begun with fat, wooden training knives or with rubber knives.

As our stunt actors ran, stabbed and fought against knives in the film, we had to teach them to move safely. I think this is the key to your use on knives on set... Training, Safety, practice and then for safety, immediately interrupting a scene if there is the least bit of unsafe movement on the part of the weapon carrier. Better to lose time and money than have someone hurt.

For the actual stab, you can cut and replace the knife with soft plastic or rubber, or even change camera angles and have NO knife on the stab.

Best to you! :Drogar-Happy(DBG):
 
I've only ever used real knives and swords, sharpened or dulled. And a lot of training for my talent. I would never give an actor I haven't sparred with a weapon. Nothing else is going to look as good, although you can get close. The reflectivity isn't the same with other materials.
 
So how would I dull a knife? Is this a straightforward process? I don't have a lot of tools but is there some sort of cheap knife duller? Also it looks like we won't be using the genuine Vietnam War knife my friend wanted to use haha. And thanks for the help guys. In this shoot no one gets stabbed just fyi.
 
It's pretty straightforward. Grind it down until it isn't sharp anymore. That video covers it. A file is a great tool. Anything similar. And don't forget the stabbing tip. If there isn't any contact, though, you can still use the original carefully. Dulled looks a little different, but it's a hell of a lot beter than fake.
 
Cassius said:
It's pretty straightforward. Grind it down until it isn't sharp anymore. That video covers it. A file is a great tool. Anything similar. And don't forget the stabbing tip. If there isn't any contact, though, you can still use the original carefully. Dulled looks a little different, but it's a hell of a lot beter than fake.
Click to expand...

Have done this with knives and straight razors. Works good.
 
Yep, my knives and swords a done this way. I have two live swords I'm waiting to dull now. Get drill with a grinder/sander tool and go along the edge until the edges are flat. Try to round the tip to ground it down. It should be flat enough to moves across flesh without knicking it.

Then go get a real mean looking knife. That always gets the girls to go "OMG! Is that real?". Then you say, "Don't worry hon, I'll show you what to do." Then you begin showing them how to use the knife which may impress them. Of course if you're using it in the scene, or it's another guy, then the last part of this info might not be helpful. LOL.

Be careful with knives with serrated blades. Get all of the blade dulled. Test it before you use it on anyone. If it feels anyway sharp, then file it some more. Do jab with the knife as it can still puncture. You may also want to buy two of the same knife and cut one in half for a stabbing knife. You can cheat the pull out in editing or do it in post.

-Nate
 
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