By WarAngel. Click on pictures to enlarge them.

It was indeed an tremendous honor for me, when knifemaker Jose de Braga contacted me through the HSG's SWORD FORUM. I had wanted to write an HSG Sword Maker article of this famous gentleman. At first I believed the e-mail was forged as some strange prank. But when I called him, it was indeed the living legend himself.

Jose was the sword maker for the film Highlander 3: The Final Dimension.

Based in Quebec, Canada, Jose de Braga's skill and reknown preceeded Highlander 3's propelling his name to fame among fan circles. His knives command four to five figures in price, and his artistry astounds even some of the masters. Yet beneath his joyful and humorous demeanor, the man is humble and approachable, and unsure of how to accept his status among Highlander fans as a legend.

"Legend?! Boy, I wish my own kids had the same point of view - I'm sure it would be a lot more easier for me to shoo them to bed!"

Making the Swords for Highlander 3

Fans will recall that the sword used by the lead character - Connor MacLeod (portrayed by Christopher Lambert) - used an ivory hilted dragon-headed Japanese katana, inhereted from his mentor, Ramirez (portrayed by Sean Connery in the first film). Jose de Braga was approached by the Art Director of Highlander 3 to produce three Ramirez-style swords. (Featured to the right is Jose's photograph of Christopher Lambert, autographed by the actor himself!)

The first katana prop Jose de Braga made was telescopic. The requirements were that the blade had to retract 18 inches when placed against an intended target.

The second was a "beauty blade" that would reveal beautiful details for close-up shots. A sharp edge was required for scenes that involved cutting - such as the sorcerer Nakano (portrayed by Mako) tossing large fruit at Connor for cutting practice. And finally, one prop was made such that the blade would come off easily. Ultimately, this sword was used in the fight scene when Kane smashed Connor's sword on Holy Ground. (After the sword fight, the handle was seen on the piano in Connor's home.)

For stunt purposes, the prop department made casts of one of the swords and reproduced them in small quantities for a variety of interesting uses. One sword prop was made of rubber - almost indestinguishable from a metal one!

Jose was also responsible for the Clan MacLeod claymore as it appeared in the third film. As fans may recall, it appeared at the end of the film, when Connor returned to the Scottish Highlands to light a candle to commemorate Heather's birthday - his first wife of 400 years in the past. The sword stood over her burial mound with a weathered and rusted look.

Featured here is the one-handed opening folder of Alex Johnson (portrayed by actress Deborah Unger) which appeared in the scene when the detective questioned Alex about her business with Connor MacLeod in a restaurant where she pierced the coffee creamer - and out pourred blood. This attractive folder was designed with a feminine touch that reflects Alex's personality.

"Dark Magic"

The sword - "Dark Magic" - was the sword of Kane (portrayed by Mario Van Peebles), the mortal enemy of Connor MacLeod. Through special licencing and arrangement with United Cutlery, a commercial version of Dark Magic is available on the mass market, made by Art Gladius. Featured left is an original handle made by Jose de Braga for the film.

Words of Wisdom

On knife-making, Jose has these words to share with those who dream of devoting their lives to this craft: "As for your dream, love, determination and persistance will get you there. If you approach the subject with the viewpoint that time and patience will bring it to you, you've already failled because when there is love there is no patience (you need patience when you don't like something). You'll notice that you'll need a lots of time when you're not determined. Then you say, "What if it take a lot of time to get there?" Well, that's were persistence is needed!"

In the End

When asked about what he thinks of the HSG, Jose responded, "It's a very beautiful site. A great site! I've learned many things from it." Among those things are technical information on Japanese swords, as well as news on Highlander 4. His involvement with Highlander 3 came about by his relationships with people who served in the props and special effects department who work out of Montreal. Highlander 4, however, may be filmed elsewhere.

We are honored to have Jose de Braga as a frequent guest to SWORD FORUM! Be sure, however, to read all other articles that we cover here on the HSG so that we don't inundate poor Jose with questions we keep repeating! Regarding the HSG, Jose relates, "It's a blessing to have the HSG, for here you can find a respectable source of information, continuously growing in precision, humor and friendliness!"

Other Articles

A Customized "Connoresque" Sword - Probably the most famous sword of all time made by Masamune in 593 B.C. and given to one Spaniard/Egyptian. Here is how you can have one customized. An HSG Exclusive!

Kane's Sword - and Nakano's Cave at Niri - Some rare information provided by Jose de Braga about Nakano's cave and formerly unknown details about Kane's sword!