Constructing a Stabbing Tip

Materials Required

This tutorial assumes you have a completed sword to begin with. If you need instructions on how to build one, visit the flat bladed sword construction page.
Begin by taking a strip of carpet tape approximately four and a half to five (4.5 - 5) inches long. Place it on top of the blade like such:
Now you'll need to cut a piece of marine foam (more specifically "Ensolite" foam) to function as the stabbing tip. You'll want a piece that is approximately four and a half to five (4.5 - 5) inches long, just like the carpet tape. Center it on the carpet tape and apply pressure to secure.
Next, apply small pieces of grip tape to each end to hold them down. Each piece should be roughly one-and-a-half (1.5) inches long.
Take a piece of strapping tape one half inch (1/2) wide and place it on the flat on the flat of the blade, perpendicular to the striking surface, going from the flat up over the marine foam and down to the other side. Make sure not to compress the marine foam too much; it should still be able to absorb impact and return to its original shape.
Next, take two identical strips of strapping tape and place them in the same manner, except at approximately a forty-five degree angle to the first strip.
Finally, take a two to three (2 - 3) inch piece of duct tape and apply it centered over where the strapping tape meets. Do this on both sides.

Dap can be used instead or carpet tape. Both dap and carpet tape adhere to ensolite well, but carpet tape does not adhere to blue foam as well as dap.
Putting pieces of supporting cloth tape on the striking surface has fallen out of style, due to it causing tears in the foam. You can forgo this step altogether.

A sample tip (on a red sword, using a slightly different taping method):

Sword and picture courtesy Arrakis.