Kids' creativity, as measured by the most recent Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking scores, has been sliding since 1990, most noticeably among our younger students. Reduced music and arts education is cited as a key factor.
I like to use the 'demolition grade' blades. They ll cut wood, metal, plaster, wire, or pretty much anything you d care to throw at them. They're made from decent carbon steel that will take and hold an edge rather well. When bought in packs of a dozen, they can be had for about a buck each.
The basic components of a typical European sword or. dagger from the early Middle Ages onward consist of a. blade with an integral tang (a narrow, unsharpened iron. shank that extends from the base, or shoulders, of the blade. and is made in one piece with it), a guard, a grip, and a. pommel.