Best Blade for Kids (weight vs durability)

[biojim]

I am building 4 LUXIII sabers for my kids and nephew for X-mas (ages 5-12). I am weighing (literally) my blade options. I want to keep them light, especially for the five year old but my boys do tend to "whack the crap out of each other". Does anyone have an oppinion on this or know how much a 36-40" blade weighs? I did hear that it might be best to stick with one thickness if they will be dueling eachother.
Thanks

[Lord Maul]

1" thin walled are the best for kid sabers in my opinion. They're light but really strong.

[Sairon]

3/4 or 1inch thin or pex pipe, I'm using pex for my cousin for the price (7 bucks for a ten foot pice) and the duribilty is good.

[Alcfalath]

Do you really need 36-40? I run a 36 from mine (down to 34 with the blade holder) and still they are a little long for me by an inch or 2... For a kid id drastically reduce the length of the blade...

Thickness wise, just to be safe, id go thickwalled.. that way it most likely wont break (remember kids have no energy limit and wont hold back sensibly) where as a thin wall may if they hit the tip end and glance it off... that it the main weakspot on the blades.

Hope that helps

[Eandori]

Dude, if you are building for kids make the blades thin walled and like 25" long. Blades are MUCH MUCH MUCH stronger when you make them shorter. Because it's shorter the tip will not carry as much momentum on impact.

Also, a shorter blade with a luxeon saber will be more evenly lit, and brighter. Pretty darn nice tradeoff.

Also, a shorter blade will look proportionally better on a kid. A 40" blade on a 4' tall kid? Not right man. Not right.

Also, the shorter saber will be lighter. Easier for small hands to swing around.

Also padawan will not be breaking as much stuff in their homes... since they will not get the same tip-speed on swings and have less reach.

I would shoot for 8" hilts, and 25" blades.

[Novastar]

Eandori is right on the money! As usual, heheh

I personally don't like to use any blades that are 34" or > (that means "seen" blades, not necessarily counting the 2" in the hilt or whatever it might be).

Certainly blades of the "just right" length tend to break less, and are quite naturally more evenly lit.