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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2009 20:28:31 GMT
Dark Sword Armoury, Medieval Knight Dagger.
Reviewed by King Rat AKA Tom Wood
Introduction I have been looking for a good medieval dagger for some time and really like the look of the DSA Medieval Knight Dagger. I also wanted an inexpensive peice that I could use as a customisation project. Historical overviewI have no idea how historically accurate it is, so I shan’t comment further. Initial Impressions I ordered the knife via DSA’s website. I clicked the order button which took me through to PayPal, paid for the item and then realised that I had not been charged for postage. I contacted DSA immediately to ask about postage, it took them a couple of days to come back to me, and then a few more days to post. It was shipped from Canada to the UK by TNT. Apart from being delayed in customs it arrived without incident. It arrived well packed in a good solid cardboard box and wrapped in several further layers of card. My only complaint about the wrapping was that DSA stuck a business card on the outside of the packaging. It might be just me but I don’t like everyone knowing what I am having delivered. I would prefer it if they just shipped it in an unmarked box.
StatisticsTotal length: 17.5" Blade : 12" weight: 1 lb 2 oz The BladeThe Blade tapers along its length with a fuller along the first three quarters. I ordered a sharpened version, which is sharpened with a very noticeable secondary bevel. The bevel is at a very steep angle which leaves the blade feeling blunt and looking ugly. The bevel is uneven and in some places its considerably wider then in others. The blade has been stamped with Darksword Armouries makers mark. The finish of the blade is ok, there are no obvious blemishes and it is an even finish throughout. I don’t know what metal is used in the blade but whatever it is it rusts very easily it is the kind of blade that needs to be kept oiled at all times.   The Handle The handle is leather wrapped with a textured finish. The leather is stitched together. It feels a little small in hand, I have average size hands and the fit is a little snug, if you had large hands you may feel that the handle is too small for you.    The Guardthe guard The Guard is C shaped with quillions that flare towards octagonal ends. There is a slight gap of approximately 1mm between the blade and the guard. It is however solidly mounted with no rattle or movement. It is finished to matt brushed effect. There were one or two scuff marks on the guard  
The Pommel The pommel is solidly mounted with no movement or rattling. It has been peened, which has left a few hammer marks on the pommel, these are however relatively minor. There are a few scuff marks on the pommel but these should polish out.   The ScabbardThe Scabbard is leather wrapped with a wood core, with a steel chappe and throat The dagger fits very poorly in to the scabbard. When worn the blade rattles horribly and will fall out if the scabbard is held at anything greater the 90 degrees. This makes it completely impractical to wear unless you are very careful.       Handling Characteristics and Test Cutting I have only carried out limited cutting with it. As you would expect from a dagger it feels light and well balanced. Attempts at cutting came to a swift end when I realised that the blade was so poorly sharpened that it simply did not cut. Stabbing however proved more fruitful. It is clear when using this dagger that it is designed with stabbing in mind ConclusionsIf you want a relatively cheep nice looking, solid well built dagger, then this may be for you. The sharpening was poorly done and I would suggest that if you are getting this as a decorative item then you would probably be better of getting it unsharpened. If you want it for anything else then you would be better sharpening it yourself. The scabbard is a real let down. it is such a horrible fit that it is useless for all but decorative us(and its so ugly it will not even serve for this). I can’t help feeling that if DSA had just gone that extra mile, sharpened this dagger properly and produced a nice scabbard it would be an excellent peace. In summary, nice looking solid dagger, which is let down by the sharpening and the scabbard. Pros- reasonable price - generally a nice finish - feels solid
Cons- terrible sharpening - scabbard isn’t very good - the metal used is rust prone
The Bottom LineIt has its pros and cons, if you can accept the bad sharpening and throw away the scabbard it is a nice dagger and was worth the money. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2009 20:52:43 GMT
I feel the same way about mine. Funny about the rust tho- I live 6 miles from the Atlantic and mine doesn't show any tendency to rust at all.
I fixed the scabbard by gluing some sheet rubber shims into the throat and shoving a tiny piece of foam into the bottom so the tip wouldn't rattle. I carry "peace tied" so no worries about it falling out.
Nice review by the way.
HTH, K
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2009 21:12:19 GMT
Am I the only one that dislikes peened pommels? I know they're more traditional and supposedly more secure than threaded pommels or recessed nuts, but to me they always make me wonder if there is a rat-tail tang hiding under my grip just waiting to snap at a moment's notice. Plus I like the option to break down my sword/dagger for cleaning, travel, etc.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 16, 2009 2:17:54 GMT
Thank you for the review KingRat! This is the first thread I have come across concerning a dagger. I am sorry to hear about the scabbard, and the rust. It's a shame they didn't put more effort into it. I really like the dagger itself, though  . The only other thing is the maker's stamp. Their logo looks neat...but it just seems like it should have been placed somewhere else (like pommel's center, maybe?). The whole piece is balanced (from an aesthetic viewpoint) and then, bam, there's that little circle on the blade. All in all, beautiful blade!
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Post by shadowhowler on Sept 16, 2009 2:22:50 GMT
Am I the only one that dislikes peened pommels? I know they're more traditional and supposedly more secure than threaded pommels or recessed nuts, but to me they always make me wonder if there is a rat-tail tang hiding under my grip just waiting to snap at a moment's notice. Plus I like the option to break down my sword/dagger for cleaning, travel, etc. I make sure to buy swords from makers I trust so I don't worry about the tang... I like peened and recessed nut pommels, I don't care much for screw on pommels. |
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SlayerofDarkness
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Post by SlayerofDarkness on Sept 16, 2009 2:25:03 GMT
Thank you for the review KingRat! This is the first thread I have come across concerning a dagger. I am sorry to hear about the scabbard, and the rust. It's a shame they didn't put more effort into it. I really like the dagger itself, though . The only other thing is the maker's stamp. Their logo looks neat...but it just seems like it should have been placed somewhere else (like pommel's center, maybe?). The whole piece is balanced (from an aesthetic viewpoint) and then, bam, there's that little circle on the blade. All in all, beautiful blade! Eyal (the owner of DSA) is a VERY friendly and helpful sort of guy, and since DSA makes everything by hand, they may be able to help you with that if you want to buy one of their weapons. If you ask Eyal to place the stamp somewhere else, I'm sure that he'd be happy to. On a seperate note, great review man! I love this dagger... I may be getting a chance to handle GreyPilgrim's sometime soon, so who knows? I may just fall in love with this little beast and get one myself. ;D +1! -Slayer |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 16, 2009 12:56:40 GMT
I have the Elf Dagger, which I got as a bonus for backordering my Squire sword. I haven't noticed any particular tendency for rusting. The blade has some spots on it now, but I'm terrible and maintaining it so it's actually in pretty good shape, all things considered. My dagger didn't come with a scabbard but my Squire did and I recognize the complaints. The blade really doesn't fit well at all and it's more or less useless for its intend purpose. Of course, it's a bonus that doesn't cost anything extra, but it kinda makes you wonder why they even bother with those things in the first place. Am I the only one that dislikes peened pommels? I know they're more traditional and supposedly more secure than threaded pommels or recessed nuts, but to me they always make me wonder if there is a rat-tail tang hiding under my grip just waiting to snap at a moment's notice. Plus I like the option to break down my sword/dagger for cleaning, travel, etc. Both my Squire and my Elf Dagger are currently disassembled (which took some work, incidentally, since they used some strange kind of glue to keep it all together) and they both have decent enough tangs. Barring improper heat treating and hidden cracks, etc, I think they are trustworthy. Actually, my impression of DSA is that they make okay blades but cut some corners in, well, pretty much everything else. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 16, 2009 18:34:30 GMT
Regarding the scabbard. I think that Valiant Armouries signature has really set the bar for the consumer level scabbard. If I compare the DSA scabbard with a VA scabbard, they are not in the same ball park.
In regard to the DSA makers mark on the blade, my Albion swords have a makers mark stamped on the blade, but its subtle and quite attractive mark, the DSA one just looks like a horrible blemish.
Overall I think the dagger could be excellent if DSA took a bit more care in sharpening and produced a better scabbard.
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Post by Dave(utilityslave) on Sept 17, 2009 8:43:50 GMT
I think your right KingRat, VA has gone and spoiled us when it comes to production stuff and our expectations for a given price point....................that's a great thing.
I like for my blades to be marked by the maker...........on custumes, I request it of the smith if its not already done. However, I agree with you on the aesthetics of this makers mark. It could be a more attractive mark or a better location..............or both.
Thanks for the good review KingRat!
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Post by shadowhowler on Sept 17, 2009 9:04:10 GMT
On a seperate note, great review man! I love this dagger... I may be getting a chance to handle GreyPilgrim's sometime soon, so who knows? I may just fall in love with this little beast and get one myself. ;D I've handled these daggers before... they have some heft to em, like small short swords! |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2009 12:14:09 GMT
Yup, absolutely a manly man's sort of dagger.
P.S. I like the maker's mark, and it's location. Tells the mundanes that it IS NOT a DLO, but is a real hand forged blade you are proud to own.
YIS, K
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SlayerofDarkness
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Post by SlayerofDarkness on Sept 17, 2009 15:17:19 GMT
DLO?  As usual... I'm lost.  ;D -Slayer |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2009 16:02:28 GMT
DLO = Dagger Like Object
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2009 16:22:16 GMT
DLO = dagger like object
got ninja'd lol
Still early for you, Brog? Why aren't you in school, anyways? lol
I love the look of that dagger (sorry to hear about the issues you're having tho) - nice review. I'm skeptical of DSA having gotten something from them a couple years back and I remember being decidedly unhappy with it. I'll give them an A in customer service though, Eyal had no problems with the return. I really do like that dagger...if you don't mind, how much did it set you back? I can't see their site anymore.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2009 19:51:56 GMT
Our boy Slayer is homeschooled so you never know when he might pop up...
Mine was free when I bought the matching sword on the DSA inventory reduction sale. Had the sword sharpened so they did the dagger for free too. IIRC they sell in the $150-$175 range.
HTH, K
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2009 20:17:38 GMT
The Ebon Paladin, it was $160 plus postage.
utilityslave I agree with you about having makers marks on the blade, but I prefer this to be a subtle mark rather then a big blemish.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2009 20:47:55 GMT
That's not too bad; although for less than a $100 more you can have a full-on sword. Decisions, decisions...I carry my Qama as my dagger for now, but its rather...how do I say it, unlovely? At least for a Templar. lol
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Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2009 21:21:02 GMT
That's not too bad; although for less than a $100 more you can have a full-on sword. Decisions, decisions...I carry my Qama as my dagger for now, but its rather...how do I say it, unlovely? At least for a Templar. lol its not a small dagger, it is virtually a mini sword. It’s a good quality solid piece. If you can put up with the sharpening and the rubbish scabbard its worth getting. |
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Post by Dave(utilityslave) on Sept 18, 2009 3:15:38 GMT
The Ebon Paladin, it was $160 plus postage. utilityslave I agree with you about having makers marks on the blade, but I prefer this to be a subtle mark rather then a big blemish. My thoughts as well. This mark is visible from a long way off. A simple DSA inscription that blends unless looked for would be more to my preference. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2009 12:39:50 GMT
Thing is they have one hallmark that they use on all their blades, stamped in the same place on all their blades. Not as noticeable on the swords, does rather stand out on the daggers.
Would you say the same thing if it was Jody Sampson's hallmark? or Brenno's?
YIS, K
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. The only other thing is the maker's stamp. Their logo looks neat...but it just seems like it should have been placed somewhere else (like pommel's center, maybe?). The whole piece is balanced (from an aesthetic viewpoint) and then, bam, there's that little circle on the blade. All in all, beautiful blade! 
