How to tighten a loose hilt

Sometimes, Del Tin swords (and other swords with peened pommels) can get a bit loose in the hilt. It may be due to differences in air humidity (dry indoor air = the wood in the grip dries = the hilt becomes loose) or through use. This is something natural that happened to swords in olden days. It is easy to make the hilt nice and tight again, given you have access to the right tools.

Picture #1: Take a couple of pieces of wood plank or a folded newspaper and place around the blade. This protects the blade from marks. Put the whole lot in a vise and tighten firmly. Note: make sure no part of the cross is in contact with the vise or plank pieces; leave a margin of an inch or so.

Picture #2: Take a wooden block and drill a hole through it. The hole should be slightly wider than the tang end. Center it over the tang end and rap a few times with a wooden or rubber mallet. Check the cross if it feels firm.

Picture #3: Then take a ball peen hammer and give the tang end a few determined raps (peen the tang end), first in the center of it and then around the edges (see picture #4). Do not strike too hard, or there's a risk that the grip might crack. Control the result by releasing the sword and tap it on the blade. You should hear "the ring of steel" - if you don't, it's still a bit loose and you'll have to repeat the procedure.

Picture #1	Picture #2
Picture #3	Picture #4