How to Make: RAZOR SWORDS (Aztec Maquahuitl and Hawaiian Leiomano Inspired)

About this video

ZNA Productions designs and builds two historical weapon replicas—a Hawaiian-style sidearm and an Aztec-style main weapon—both embedded with razor blades to study durability and damage mechanics. The video showcases materials selection, tool work, and design iteration, including experimenting with decorative techniques like heat-forming metal bands and wood burning. ZNA explores two different blade-attachment methods: epoxy-gluing for the Aztec weapon versus hand-tying with fishing line for the Hawaiian weapon, intentionally testing which approach allows blades to detach on impact as the original designs intended.

Key takeaways

• Material properties matter in execution: ZNA discovers that hard woods like hickory require adjusted cutting technique to avoid blade deflection, demonstrating how understanding material behavior improves results
• Experimentation and iteration drive design: ZNA tries decorative techniques like torch-heating metal and wood burning, recognizing that attempting novel approaches—even when results are uncertain—reveals what works
• Method selection involves trade-offs: ZNA deliberately chooses time-consuming hand-tying over faster epoxy gluing to enable comparative testing, showing how process choices align with specific goals
• Problem-solving through observation: After discovering the hand-tying process was slow, ZNA invents a faster technique by folding fishing line in half, cutting work time roughly in half while maintaining tension

Episode details: published January 17, 2016 · 2.7M views · 15:45 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. ZNA’s builds are his designs and experiments, covered here as commentary on the engineering ideas — Self Growth Videos does not publish build instructions, and his weapon-style projects should not be replicated.

← Previous: How to Make: PSYCHO TOMAHAWK (UPGRADED Wasteland Tomahawk) · Next: RAZOR BLADE SWORD DAMAGE TEST (Maquahuitl/Leiomano: Scariest Weapons Ever) →

All ZNA Productions videos · ZNA Productions profile · ZNA Productions on YouTube