So…back in the day, I used to create ooak pirates.  I have been feeling the itch to do so again, and to that end, I’ve been on another quest.  This one is for proper weaponry of the sword variety.

I used plastic in the past as that was what was readily (and I use that word loosely) available in 1:6 scale.  Swords in the proper scale, even in plastic, were not easy to find as loose pieces, and they were usually not of the proper period as most were pirated (pun intentional) from action figures from much more recent time periods such as the Civil War.  I even used Asian swords when I could find them.  There were and probably still are a few, a very few, makers of 1:6 scale weaponry who do sell online.  Usually, I cannot afford to purchase these little gems.  I know the time and effort that go into these creations, and they are indeed miniature masterpieces, but for my purposes, I cannot justify the cost.  And so…I have been searching “the interwebs” as my sister and I jokingly call it for something more in my price range.

During my lengthy searches on Ebay and Etsy for 1:6 scale items, I found another exciting item I never knew existed in the “vintage” or “retro” categories.  I had been searching not for swords but for miniature swizzle sticks and, I might add, to no avail.  You can envision how small a 1:6 scale swizzle stick with a pink flamingo on the end would be.  For some reason, they are impossible to find.  Imagine that.  However, during the swizzle stick search, I discovered some human hors d’oeuvres picks that will work perfectly (in my opinion) for 1:6 scale pirate swords.  Okay, well, they aren’t perfect as they are a tad (What exactly is a tad?) short if you do the dolly math.  But for pirates of the female persuasion, I think they would definitely work.  A manly pirate would most likely prefer a much longer weapon.  Why does that sound a bit naughty?  As artists and collectors, however, we are aware that the perfect item in perfect scale rarely exists.

So, if you are in need of swords for your diminutive peeps, check out the hors d’oeuvres section on Ebay!  The swords are metal and come loose or with amazing holders/stands.  Each sword is approximately 3.25 inches long.  The stands and sword hilt guards are often beautifully enameled, and since these vintage items were used only occasionally, many are still in excellent condition.  And now, I must return to searching for miniature swizzle sticks!