Shaman King Help

[Tequila]

Hi there!

I'm a newbie to cosplay and therefore I need some help. I'm planning to wear a Asakura Yoh Cosplay (from Shaman King). It's not too hard to make, since he wears just ordinary clothes, but he carries a katana.
It's just a normal katana of average length but I need help with it, though, cause I don't have the slightest idea how to make a sword for a cosplay :thumbsup:
It would be very kind of you, if you could give me some help.
Thanks!

Bye,
Teq

[Hikaru Tsuki]

Woo, another Shaman King cosplayer. ^^

For most prop weapons, the best thing to do is buy one. You can get plastic katanas in dollar stores and places like Wal-Mart. But since their colors are usually off, you'll probably have to repaint them. Halloween is the best time to stock up on prop weapons, since the katanas around then are usually the proper colors.

[Tequila]

Yeah, I thought about that idea, too, but cheap sword toys always look, well, cheap. I saw guys wandering around with gunblades or the sword of Cloud...how did they make their swords look so real?

Bye,
Teq

[Takuma-san]

They often make them out of wood (considerable time and effort required), and give them a metalic paint finish, or something like that.

You can also consider taking a bokken and modifying that to look like a sheathed sword (bokken blades are really thick, so they won't pass for an unsheathed blade). Just don't carry a plain bokken around, people will think you stole Ryu's.

The important thing about cosplaying Yoh is not actually his weapon, but his hair style, demeanor, and the headphones. Get those right, and people won't even notice the sword.

[SethPharos]

Takuma is right.. the hair and the headphones are most likely gonna be the center of attention, so I suggest a wig for the hair,, since its like almost impossible to replicate O.o'''

[Tequila]

Originally posted by Takuma-san

The important thing about cosplaying Yoh is not actually his weapon, but his hair style, demeanor, and the headphones. Get those right, and people won't even notice the sword.

Speaking of which, how would you commend to do the hair? I have some ideas, but I'd like to take your advice. :thumbsup:

Peace,
Teq

[Takuma-san]

Well, SephPharos is right, the hair's very difficult to replicate with real hair, so you might want to consider styling a wig (for once, it's not the bloody color that'd be stopping people).

For something more difficult and risky, yet potentially better, you could try foam or fabric hair or a mix. Foam hair is typically used for characters with gravity-defying hair, which might not be exactly be Yoh, except for the part around the back. But fabric hair might suit the way his hair hangs in the front. I don't know though, hair isn't really my thing. I'm going to do a SK cosplay myself, but I'm staying far away from human characters.