Tutorial: Making Urahara's Benihime from Bleach

So I am amazed to see many different benihime's on deviantART. However they are mostly all made much differently when compared with others. So I thought to help people out I shall lend a hand and make a tutorial on how to make a benihime, so people can join in with these different versions of benihime. Now Benihime is a sword of elegance and beauty so it must be made with the same aspects. So now let us begin shall we? Oh yeah feel free to ask any questions I might be an idiout trying to explain things incorrectly sometimes.

Step 1: Right first get a piece of strip pine where the width acorss is the same width of the blade. Then draw out the outline of the blade, forget about the curved hilt for now. You dont need a tutorial for that it's easy. Then you must cut the sword out using a coping saw again, you dont have much to cut out only corners. Then sharpen the blade of the sword, again since the blade is straight this should be easy. Look at this tutorial for help: [link]

Step 2: Next, clear the sword of dust and grab some white primer spray paint. Spray several coats and wait to dry. Then spray some silver spray paint over the blade. Now grab masking tape, and apply a strip directly center down the blade, make sure to do the spine of the sword and the other side. Then get black spray paint and carefully, gently spray onto the other side of the blade. Then peel off the masking tape. If it bleeds, handpaint with a brush the paint that bled. Heres a tutorial for you: [link]

Step 3: Get some left over strip pine and draw out the tsuba's. Here use this to help: [link] Remember draw 2 of these. Now cut them out using a coping saw. Use this to help you: [link] Then spray it with white primer spray paint, then afterwards gold spray paint. Use this aswell: [link] Then grab a black marker and draw on the details.

Step 4: Right here is where it gets difficult. handles 1 and 2 are straight, handles 3 and 4 are what makes the curved hilt. Handle 5 is what will attach onto the end of the tang of the blade. If you see on the diagram you will make a "jigaw" fit for handle 5 and the Tang of the blade. When it is in position glue it, then use woodfiller to keep it in place. Dont forget also to round the handles. All these handle pieces will form the complete handle for benihime. Here use this tutorial: [link] and this one aswell: [link]

Step 5: Next, now handle 5 should be attached to the tang of the blade. Then put handles 1 and 3 together and put them on top of the handle. Then get handles 2 and 4 and do the same. Then screw the handles into position ONLY on the straight handle parts. You must use woodglue for the curved hilt parts. This might seem really confusing, but it will start to take shape when you put the pieces together. Here is a tutorial to help you: [link]

Step 6: Now your handle must be looking a mess? if so get some woodfiller and apply it across all the seams and holes you made. When no seams are showing, then get sandpaper and sand like crazy until the handle of benihime is perfectly smooth without any marks. Sorry I dont have a tutorial for this.

Step 7: Right now once the handle is set grab your 2 tsuba's. Using woodglue, stick them into position on both sides of the blade. Make sure the line of the blade matches up with the arrow point in the tsuba so one side of the blade is black and the other silver. There should be a trench becuase the width of the tsuba is larger then the width of the blade.

Step 8: Once the glue is dry the tsuba's should be set in place. Then grab some woodfiller and apply some in the trench of the sides of the tsuba. Use a scraper to scrape off the excess woodfiller then sandpaper. You just messed up your paintwork!! dont worry grab a brush and gold paint and hand paint it again, dont worry it will be okey if you are carefull.

Step 9: Right now you must turn your attentiion to the hilt of benihime. Spray the hilt of benihime with white primer spraypaint then use gold spray paint. Then afterwards when it has dried use a black marker again. Oh I forgot to say paint the handles aswell with the same process with white primer then gold spray paint. Here use this tutorial to help: [link]

Step 10: Right once the paint has dried you must wrap the handle of benihime using tsukamaki. I dont have any other tutorial for that except this one: [link]

Step 11: We are almost done, get some string and some electrical tape. Stick a strip of tape across the string then put another stip on the other side. Then get scissors and cut the corners off. If you did this correctly you should be left with a triangle. Then make a lot of these then spray paint the entire thing with gold spray paint. Now you must do benihime's knot, heres a tutorial for it: [link] When the knot is in place get the triangle lace and tie it around the top of the handle. Then cut off the excess string.

Step 12: The final step is get a gold hook screw and screw it into the hilt of benihime. Then grab a red tassle somewhere, I stole mine off a chinese lantern *shush* and tie off the end of the tassle onto the hook screw. With that completed the sword should be 100% finished have fun.