Darksword Armory Wolfsbane
Oct 5, 2014 20:34:09 GMT
Post by Sir Alan Adale on Oct 5, 2014 20:34:09 GMT
Well here it is folks. The much awaited and anticipated Darksword Armory Wolfsbane review. Now like many of you here, I first saw this sword on the DSA website, and also on their facebook page. and it emmediatly caught my eye. Since it is a brand new production piece it is only available from DSA, so I ordered it directly from them. I ordered it on the 12 of Sept. and it arrived on sept 23. See viewtopic.php?f=10&t=23123. and per the previous entry it arrived damaged. I notified DSA but I did not request a return at that time. due to the fact that I repaired the small amount of damage myself. And as per the previous posting DSA contacted me and made an offer to repair or replace as needed under their warranty no problem.
Now to the sword. I purchased this sword from the manufacturer for the stated price of $700 . I did not order the additional sharpening service, and I did not order the extra price attached sword belt either. those two extra items would have increased the cost by $85 For Sharpening and $100 for the belt. and for that extra cost I felt it would be better to spend the money on the new Work Sharp belt sander Ken Onion addition. and a amount of leather to make my own belt with, since I have years of leatherworking experience. So the total cost was $700 plus $45 for shipping to MT.
isclosure I do not have any affiliation with DSA and did not receive any type of compensation for this review and I payed full retail price for this and all my other DSA"s. And also for the sake of this review I want all to know that I am fairly new to the sword collection world and this is my first review.
This sword is a phantasy based sword that is not modeled after any particular original in existence. although the blade is basically what I would describe as falling into the category of Oakshott XVIa.
As I stated in my previous thread about this sword. My first impressions were mixed. First the impression was "Wow now that is the blade everyone has been waiting for from DSA". and as for the bronze work at first it was a "wow not quite what I expected" but after having it for a week and after closer inspection of the Sales photos, and removal of what turned out to be polishing residue. I am now of the opinion that the bronze work is just as good as the blade work.
Statistics: these are taken from the DSA website except for the blade thickness, it was measured with a vernier caliper. so although close they are not perfect measurments of the thickness.
Total length 47"
Blade length 38"
Blade width at base 2"
Weight 3lbs 5oz.
POB:6 "
COP: Approx. 22 from cross or at the termination point of the fuller.
Blade steel is 5160 and differentially hardened.
Blade thickness: aprox:( Base .21") (10 inches from cross.17")(at the termination of fuller.15")(2 inches from tip .09") all measurements taken at the thickest point at the edge of the fuller.
The blade: Upon holding this sword one can feel that this blade has strong presence, but it in no way causes it to feel overly heavy or unbalanced. it handles extremely well. The blade is very lively and easy to maintain control. And although quite flexible, it does not flex under its own weight when held parallel to the floor, and is not at all what one would consider whippy, in fact one might think it too stiff if not for the fact that one can flex it quite easily between their hands . The edge of this blade although ordered unsharpened, is still quite sharp. although not universally so along the entirety of both edges. How ever it is sharp enough along most of the edges that one could easily cut them self, if one became careless. This blade is extremely uniform in all of its different dimensions. The overall finish is of a high polish, almost mirror like, but certainly not a brushed finish. I like it, but it will require more work to maintain than your average brushed 600 grit finish. The surface of the blade is smooth and and the wavy surface most people associate with hand forging, especially DSA's , is almost entirely absent. So much so that one could almost believe it was fashioned by stock removal as opposed to hand forging. The fullers start under the cross and extend approximately 2/3 of the blade length. They are tapered to follow the the blade profile, and are very smooth, extremely even, and come to a very nice finish that is even on both sides and end at the same place. I believe that if his is How DSA makes all of their new blades in the future. Then they have found the correct recipe.
Now to the Bronze. As I stated previously my first impression of the bronze work was less than stellar, but after removing some small amounts of residue from the cross and after closer inspections of the pictures from the DSA site. I have come to feel that this is a well executed version of a production sword and the bronze work is quite well done. It is quite appealing to the eye and the overall dimensions work very well together. The cross is 8 1/4 " wide and the pommel is just right in size and weight for this sword. So that the overall impression is it works well together. The detail on the pommel is very intricate, and calls out for someone to install Ruby gemstones into the eyes of Fenris the wolfshead. And also the wolfs eyes at the ends of the cross. Overall I feel that the level of intricate detail in the bronze of both the cross and pommel, are equall to the price point one pays for this sword.
Now we come to the most important portion of the sword and sword weilder's interface the grip. At first look the grip is pleasing to the eye. The grip is made of red oak per the details from the DSA website. It is not covered in anything except for a series of carvings made by cadcam if I'm not mistaken and then stained once they are glued in place. This grip is more than long enough for two hands, even large ones. However the grip although ample in length is rather blocky in shape, it also is quite rough on the surface and the overall feeling is that it will make a persons hands sore in only a short period of time. Not only that but the seems are uneven, rough and are quite evident to both the eyes and the hands. And on top of that the black dye used on the wood comes off on your hands almost emmediatly on contact.
Scabbard: As on all the DSA swords they included the standard wood core leather covered scabbard with steel chape. This is more than adequate, although as I stated previously I did not order it with the increased cost belt scabbard. Given the fact that their scabbards tend to be somewhat universal as apposed to fitted. I felt the additional cost could be better spent on other items.
Handling: As stated elsewhere I am rather inexperienced when it comes to swords, but in comparing this sword to others I own. I feel that its handling is definatly in the same category as the Valiant Armory Templar or Malatesta, or the Atrim XVIIIb that I own. And nothing like the other DSA's I own. It is nimble and easy to control. Although heavyer than those previously mentioned it tracks like them and is easy to change directions while still allowing good point control. As I said before if this is the way they make all their new blades from now on then I think they will find a whole new group of customers.
Cutting Test: At the present time I am not set up for doing any cutting. And as this sword is not yet sharpened so that portion of the reveiw will have to await an update.
Conclusions: Over all I am very happy with this sword. It does have some issues that I feel should have been eliminated during the quality control inspection. There was some small amount residue left on the bronze cross that should have been caught during final inspection. The final peen on the tang is not very nice and the wood grip is by far my biggest gripe. "Sorry no pun intended" other than the carving on the grip that looks nice, everything else about the grip is well below my expectations for this price point. It has sloppy and uneven seams. The wood is very rough and splinters are a likely hazard and the grip is uncomfortable during use. Although this is also the easiest problem to rectify. However at this price point it should not be neccasary. I think that this sword would be better served by having the more normal type of wood ovelayed by twine and leather as most are or perhaps something like Ernie does with his wood grips. My overall opinion is that I would buy this sword again even considering the negatives, and I will be buying the new Einor by DSA based on my like of this sword.
Pros.
1.The blade is by far the best I've seen from DSA proper distal taper combined with 5160 steel and a fantastic polish and proper temper producing a fantastic finished blade
2. Beautiful Bronze work with great detail and finish giving it a very nice contrast between the blade and the bronze.
3. Excellent handling combined with overall finish.
Con's.
1. Price point
2 Wooden grip is bulky, uncomfortable, poorly finished, rough and does not meet up with the rest of the quality.
3. Standard scabbard is not form fitted and does not provide any means to wear the sword. Higher cost option still is not a form fitted scabbard and extra cost far exceeds value gained from the choice in my opinion
4. Not a flaw of the sword persay but the tip damage during shipping caused by improper packaging was still a negative. DSA appears to be taking steps to rectify this issue.
Final Evaluation
Yes I would buy this sword again. It does have some flaws. But then anything man made does. I do not feel that the flaws exceed the value of the sword. To me it has a certain appeal that exceeds the monetary value that one places on the quality versus price equazion.
And not only that but I have swords that cost more than this one and they all came with flaws as well. But they also have that something that is not always easy to put into words that makes a person say I like it regardless of the flaws. I am sure that this sword is not for everyone. But I believe it is worth the cost.
As an aside to this reveiw all of my swords have been shipped through UPS and as mentioned in the previous thread about his sword. The last four or so have arrived with damaged tips even though there was no damage to the shipping boxes so it is a problem coming from the fact that the swords are in fact bouncing on the tips in the boxes causing tip damage. I have notified the sword makers involved and I hope they may change their practices to prevent this.
Now to the sword. I purchased this sword from the manufacturer for the stated price of $700 . I did not order the additional sharpening service, and I did not order the extra price attached sword belt either. those two extra items would have increased the cost by $85 For Sharpening and $100 for the belt. and for that extra cost I felt it would be better to spend the money on the new Work Sharp belt sander Ken Onion addition. and a amount of leather to make my own belt with, since I have years of leatherworking experience. So the total cost was $700 plus $45 for shipping to MT.
isclosure I do not have any affiliation with DSA and did not receive any type of compensation for this review and I payed full retail price for this and all my other DSA"s. And also for the sake of this review I want all to know that I am fairly new to the sword collection world and this is my first review.
This sword is a phantasy based sword that is not modeled after any particular original in existence. although the blade is basically what I would describe as falling into the category of Oakshott XVIa.
As I stated in my previous thread about this sword. My first impressions were mixed. First the impression was "Wow now that is the blade everyone has been waiting for from DSA". and as for the bronze work at first it was a "wow not quite what I expected" but after having it for a week and after closer inspection of the Sales photos, and removal of what turned out to be polishing residue. I am now of the opinion that the bronze work is just as good as the blade work.
Statistics: these are taken from the DSA website except for the blade thickness, it was measured with a vernier caliper. so although close they are not perfect measurments of the thickness.
Total length 47"
Blade length 38"
Blade width at base 2"
Weight 3lbs 5oz.
POB:6 "
COP: Approx. 22 from cross or at the termination point of the fuller.
Blade steel is 5160 and differentially hardened.
Blade thickness: aprox:( Base .21") (10 inches from cross.17")(at the termination of fuller.15")(2 inches from tip .09") all measurements taken at the thickest point at the edge of the fuller.
The blade: Upon holding this sword one can feel that this blade has strong presence, but it in no way causes it to feel overly heavy or unbalanced. it handles extremely well. The blade is very lively and easy to maintain control. And although quite flexible, it does not flex under its own weight when held parallel to the floor, and is not at all what one would consider whippy, in fact one might think it too stiff if not for the fact that one can flex it quite easily between their hands . The edge of this blade although ordered unsharpened, is still quite sharp. although not universally so along the entirety of both edges. How ever it is sharp enough along most of the edges that one could easily cut them self, if one became careless. This blade is extremely uniform in all of its different dimensions. The overall finish is of a high polish, almost mirror like, but certainly not a brushed finish. I like it, but it will require more work to maintain than your average brushed 600 grit finish. The surface of the blade is smooth and and the wavy surface most people associate with hand forging, especially DSA's , is almost entirely absent. So much so that one could almost believe it was fashioned by stock removal as opposed to hand forging. The fullers start under the cross and extend approximately 2/3 of the blade length. They are tapered to follow the the blade profile, and are very smooth, extremely even, and come to a very nice finish that is even on both sides and end at the same place. I believe that if his is How DSA makes all of their new blades in the future. Then they have found the correct recipe.
Now to the Bronze. As I stated previously my first impression of the bronze work was less than stellar, but after removing some small amounts of residue from the cross and after closer inspections of the pictures from the DSA site. I have come to feel that this is a well executed version of a production sword and the bronze work is quite well done. It is quite appealing to the eye and the overall dimensions work very well together. The cross is 8 1/4 " wide and the pommel is just right in size and weight for this sword. So that the overall impression is it works well together. The detail on the pommel is very intricate, and calls out for someone to install Ruby gemstones into the eyes of Fenris the wolfshead. And also the wolfs eyes at the ends of the cross. Overall I feel that the level of intricate detail in the bronze of both the cross and pommel, are equall to the price point one pays for this sword.
Now we come to the most important portion of the sword and sword weilder's interface the grip. At first look the grip is pleasing to the eye. The grip is made of red oak per the details from the DSA website. It is not covered in anything except for a series of carvings made by cadcam if I'm not mistaken and then stained once they are glued in place. This grip is more than long enough for two hands, even large ones. However the grip although ample in length is rather blocky in shape, it also is quite rough on the surface and the overall feeling is that it will make a persons hands sore in only a short period of time. Not only that but the seems are uneven, rough and are quite evident to both the eyes and the hands. And on top of that the black dye used on the wood comes off on your hands almost emmediatly on contact.
Scabbard: As on all the DSA swords they included the standard wood core leather covered scabbard with steel chape. This is more than adequate, although as I stated previously I did not order it with the increased cost belt scabbard. Given the fact that their scabbards tend to be somewhat universal as apposed to fitted. I felt the additional cost could be better spent on other items.
Handling: As stated elsewhere I am rather inexperienced when it comes to swords, but in comparing this sword to others I own. I feel that its handling is definatly in the same category as the Valiant Armory Templar or Malatesta, or the Atrim XVIIIb that I own. And nothing like the other DSA's I own. It is nimble and easy to control. Although heavyer than those previously mentioned it tracks like them and is easy to change directions while still allowing good point control. As I said before if this is the way they make all their new blades from now on then I think they will find a whole new group of customers.
Cutting Test: At the present time I am not set up for doing any cutting. And as this sword is not yet sharpened so that portion of the reveiw will have to await an update.
Conclusions: Over all I am very happy with this sword. It does have some issues that I feel should have been eliminated during the quality control inspection. There was some small amount residue left on the bronze cross that should have been caught during final inspection. The final peen on the tang is not very nice and the wood grip is by far my biggest gripe. "Sorry no pun intended" other than the carving on the grip that looks nice, everything else about the grip is well below my expectations for this price point. It has sloppy and uneven seams. The wood is very rough and splinters are a likely hazard and the grip is uncomfortable during use. Although this is also the easiest problem to rectify. However at this price point it should not be neccasary. I think that this sword would be better served by having the more normal type of wood ovelayed by twine and leather as most are or perhaps something like Ernie does with his wood grips. My overall opinion is that I would buy this sword again even considering the negatives, and I will be buying the new Einor by DSA based on my like of this sword.
Pros.
1.The blade is by far the best I've seen from DSA proper distal taper combined with 5160 steel and a fantastic polish and proper temper producing a fantastic finished blade
2. Beautiful Bronze work with great detail and finish giving it a very nice contrast between the blade and the bronze.
3. Excellent handling combined with overall finish.
Con's.
1. Price point
2 Wooden grip is bulky, uncomfortable, poorly finished, rough and does not meet up with the rest of the quality.
3. Standard scabbard is not form fitted and does not provide any means to wear the sword. Higher cost option still is not a form fitted scabbard and extra cost far exceeds value gained from the choice in my opinion
4. Not a flaw of the sword persay but the tip damage during shipping caused by improper packaging was still a negative. DSA appears to be taking steps to rectify this issue.
Final Evaluation
Yes I would buy this sword again. It does have some flaws. But then anything man made does. I do not feel that the flaws exceed the value of the sword. To me it has a certain appeal that exceeds the monetary value that one places on the quality versus price equazion.
And not only that but I have swords that cost more than this one and they all came with flaws as well. But they also have that something that is not always easy to put into words that makes a person say I like it regardless of the flaws. I am sure that this sword is not for everyone. But I believe it is worth the cost.
As an aside to this reveiw all of my swords have been shipped through UPS and as mentioned in the previous thread about his sword. The last four or so have arrived with damaged tips even though there was no damage to the shipping boxes so it is a problem coming from the fact that the swords are in fact bouncing on the tips in the boxes causing tip damage. I have notified the sword makers involved and I hope they may change their practices to prevent this.