So, you've had Joe trade in his BDUs for a loin cloth and chainmail, but now he needs an appropriate weapon. A sword.

Your first option would be to look for an existing sword...

The Shrek Action Figure Sword.

Nice 1:6 Scale Sword. Rubbery-plastic blade, fake wood hilt. Rounded tip for safety.

Bruce Lee Action Figure, by Art Asylum, 1:6 Katana. A little on the long side,

but comes with a nice scabbard. Again, rubbery plastic blade.

Maybe Barbarian Joe has traveled around the world? Here's a nice Hasbro GI Joe Samurai Sword.

It's a little smaller than the Bruce Lee Katana, and the blade is even more rubbery.

For close in combat, you could opt for a machete.

Above is the 21st Vietnam Machete (nice, rigid plastic)

At the bottom of the picture is the Mummy's Tomb

Machete-Knife-thingy, also with rubbery blade.

Now, Obviously, Hasbro, nor 21st, nor any other company would want to include a sharp, dangerous sword with any action figure- some kid might poke their eye out. But let's face it- we're adults and we want our Action Figures to be wielding cold steel.

You could always make a sword- but that takes time, expensive tools, and a little talent.

There is an alternative. Miniature sword-letter openers.

I got the above set from the Smoky Mountain Knife Works, item DBD115G, for $4.99 (a friend went to the brick-and-mortar store in Gatlinburg, TN, on vacation, so I didn't have to pay for shipping.) Other sites have the same set for more.

Are the these metal swords 1:6 scale?

They sure look pretty close. And you get SIX swords for 5 bucks!

(Shown with Machete and Katana for size comparisons)

Close-ups of the Sword Hilts:

Adventure Joe decides to get into the swing of things and try the different blades out.

"Nice weight."

"Hilt's a bit unwieldy..."

"Shoulda spent more time honing, and less polishing!

This thing couldn't cut butter!"

"Good craftsmanship..."

"Bet this could really give someone a headache!"

"Ah! Mighty Excalibur!"

OVERALL RATING:

PRICE: Superb! At $.73 each, this was quite a catch! The hilts, handle and pommel might seem a bit shiny, but spray paint could always fix that.

SCALE? Pretty doggone close! The Blades average out to 5 1/4" inches long, making them 31 1/2" long scaled up. That might sound a little short for a two-handed sword, but for a simple, One-handed sword they should be fine.

QUALITY: I'm happy. Of course, a little work with a simple metal file should hone the edges down to something a little more dangerous, heh, heh.

I recently learned how to make swords from scratch and was planning on a few custom, sword-wielding figures, but this set was too good to pass on. Maybe Adventure Joe will find them in a tomb. Maybe I'll do a Vikings vs. Predator story. Grab 'em while you can! And don't forget, there are MANY different letter openers out there, and miniature knives for sale. Just check out a knife shop online, and search for "mini".