This is my version of the Sword of Narzissenkreuz, or the Holy Sword / Hero’s Blade, from the game Genshin Impact.
Order a finished or kit version of this prop soon!
Or, for a printable version of the .STL files, https://mkprops.storenvy.com/products/36709537-sword-of-narzissenkreuz-genshin-impact-3d-printable-stl-files
At default size, the blade measures approximately 69cm / 27″, with an overall length of 94cm / 37″. The blade is offered with swirls built in or flat for custom painting. The blade models are set up both in flat versions and with swirls inlaid, depending on how you want to print your version.
Flat blade segments without inlaid swirls
The model file set comes with the following parts:
Files:
Complete Sword
Complete Blade (for large scale printers/CNC)
Split Blade 1, 2, 3, 4
Blade Inlay x2
Blade Inlay Diamond x2
Grip Base
Grip Inlay 1 x2
Grip Inlay 2 x2
Grip Top
Guard Gem x2
Guard
Pommel Gem
Pommel Ring
Ricasso Base
Ricasso Gem x2
Ricasso Gold
Ricasso Gold Upper x2
The models are set to be printed with supports enabled. For assembly, you may want to include a 84cm or 33″ long, 3/16″ thick support rod.
Assembly Instructions
Stage 1: Dry Fitting
First things first, lay out all the parts to be sure all parts are included
Slide the blade segments onto the support rod
Followed by sliding the ricasso base into the ricasso gold, then slide that onto the base of the blade, followed by the guard
Next, slide on the grip upper onto the grip, add that unit onto the support rod, followed by the pommel ring
Finally, lay the inlay parts and gems onto the blade, guard, grip, and pommel. Once you’re sure everything fits, carefully disassemble the parts. In this photo, I have a 36″ support rod, so the pommel gem will not fit yet. I tend to cut down the support rods after finishing the blade assembly, but if you want to do a full test assembly, be sure to cut down the support rod to 33″ first.
Stage 2: Blade Setup
Similar to the dry fitting, start with the blade. Slide the support rod into the tip of the blade, followed by each additional part, but leave some space between them. When ready, apply some glue to the flat parts to match up the sections of the blade, ensuring the swirls line up.
Once the blade is fully glued, you may wish to ‘weld’ the sections together using a soldering iron or other heat element. This makes for a stronger blade, but will smell and can give off some bad fumes, so be sure to do it outside or in a well ventilated space.
At this point, add bondo to any gaps between the blade segments or formed during the ‘welding’ phase.
Finally, the blade is ready for sanding to prepare for the next stages.
Stage 3: Sanding
The individual parts in the kit are set up for ease of sanding and other finishing work. Here, we tend to use a detail power sander with 120 and 220 grit paper for most parts, moving to hand wet sanding up to 1500 grit for the blade and other parts that may need more shine.
For best results, after initial sanding apply 1-3 coats of spray primer or filler primer, followed by another sanding pass.
Stage 4: Painting
Before painting, be sure to wash all parts with a mild soap and/or low percentage rubbing alcohol to remove any oils which can interfere with paints, then let them completely dry.
For a spray primer, we use Rustoleum 2X Ultra Cover flat black or flat white, which dry quickly and sand well for additional cleanup passes.
Black parts just need a gloss coat after the black primer, unless you want to use a slightly off-black color, such as graphite or metallic black.
For any silver parts, we use flat black primer, followed by Rustoleum 2X Ultra Cover gloss clear, then Rustoleum Bright Coat Metallic Finish chrome.
When it comes to gold parts, the silver process is used, followed by Rustoleum Bright Coat Metallic Finish gold. For darker gold areas, a mix of gold and black acrylic paint is applied, then wiped off of any raised areas.
Gem parts are printed in a base translucent color, so should just need a few coats of gloss clear.
The blade can be the most complicated paint job for this item. Since we were using the dark version of the sword as the base, the blade was painted as silver, then airbrushed acrylics were used to tint the color and add the inlay swirls. To maintain the color gradient between the blade and ricasso base, we slide the base onto the blade during painting, but don’t glue it in place.
Finally, for any antiquing to bring out details, we used water-thinned black acrylic paint which was applied to desired areas, then wiped away.
Black Parts
Grip Base, Blade Inlay x2, Blade Inlay Diamond x2
Gold Parts
Pommel Ring, Grip Inlay 1 x2, Grip Inlay 2 x2, Grip Top, Guard, Ricasso Gold, Ricasso Gold Upper x2
Gem Parts
Pommel, Guard Gem x2, Ricasso Gem x2
Blade Parts
Blade, Ricasso Base
Stage 5: Assembly
When it comes to final assembly, we use a combination of super glue (Gorilla Super Glue Gel works great) to place small dots of glue near corners, with E6000 clear for larger flat areas. The super glue acts as a quick bond, clamping parts together as the E6000 cures. The combination usually makes for a stronger connection than either alone. Be sure to keep the glue away from areas where it might squeeze out during assembly, and be ready to wipe away any excess if squeeze out does happen.
If you haven’t yet, be sure to trim your support rod to 84cm / 33″ before continuing. It doesn’t need to be exact, but make sure it’s not longer.
The easiest way to assemble this sword is to start from the grip and work outwards. First, install the grip inlays with a small drop of glue in the indentations for them, then attach the grip top and pommel ring using a bit of glue around the top and bottom of the grip. These aren’t structurally important parts, so not a lot of glue is required. To ensure alignment of the parts, I put a short segment of the support rod inside while the glue sets, making sure it doesn’t bond to the grip.
After this, put a few small dots of glue near the bottom of the ricasso base, then slide the ricasso gold onto it.
Add some glue to the support rod and insert it into the blade. Then, slide the combined ricasso part onto the base of the blade, again with a few small dots of glue on the blade.
Next, apply a few more small dots of glue to the bottom of the combined unit and slide the guard onto the base area.
Finally, add some glue to the remainder of the support rod and slide the grip onto it, followed by a few dots of glue at the bottom and attach the pommel gem.
STORAGE
Be sure to store the prop in a dark place, such as a closet or drawer when not in use. Do not keep the prop in a car, as hot cars can cause warping or bubbling of the plastic over time. Depending on the paint(s) used, over time sunlight may cause fading or yellowing.
