Dragons Breath Forge Custom Sword
Jun 19, 2015 4:56:56 GMT
Post by Alec.M on Jun 19, 2015 4:56:56 GMT
Introduction
I had long been fascinated with Scottish warfare as well as fantasy movies since I was a very young child. The power of the Scottish weapons such as the claymore and the beauty and creativity of the fantasy designs which were in all matters still completely functional swords. So when I stumbled across Game of Thrones, a bit of a late start as it was already in season 2 when I watched the first episode, I couldn’t help but fall in love with Ice the sword of Eddard Stark. With its staunch features and massive size I became infatuated. However, I did not want that sword as I wanted something of my own. So for the next few months I came up with different designs which morphed into the final drawing and ultimately the sword I would commission. It needed to be big I knew but what style and the actual size I was unsure of. So last year I spent month researching and designing until I knew what I wanted exactly. Changes were made later on of course but it stayed true to the concept and became, in my humble opinion, one of the prettiest swords I have ever had the chance to hold much less own; which was created excellently by the fellas at Dragons Breath Forge LLC. The following picture are the evolution in design.
Full Disclosure
This was a sword I custom commissioned and therefore love the design but have no affiliation with the artisans who created it.
Historical Overview
The only thing that truly seems historical on this sword is the blade which is a Oakeshott Type XIIIa and is around the larger size for that type but seen very often in Germany and Scotland throughout the medieval and renaissance period.
Initial Impressions
I had been waiting all day for the sword to be delivered by UPS and when it showed up it was very nicely packed inside a plywood box made specifically for it with much cushion and protection. When I unwrapped the sword my expression was a loss for words. I was in awe of not only the size and the exemplary attention to detail of design but the amazing handling of the sword as it is, as it was called on Matthew Parkinson’s Instagram ie, the smith who made it, a “big pocking sword”. It felt light in the hand, agile, but with a blade presence which could chop through a charging mounted soldier with very little ease. Duly impressed.
Statistics
Overall Length: 58 inches
Blade Length: 42 inches
Handle Length: 16 inches
Blade Material: Hand forged L6 Tool Steel renowned for its toughness and hardness characteristics.
Blade Width at Guard: 2.25 inches
Sword Weight: 5 pounds 13 ounces, but my scales are not always the most accurate.
Center of gravity: 4 inches from the Guard
Components
The Blade
The Blade is, aforementioned, an Oakeshott Type XIIIa. It has a good even profile taper with very nearly parallel edges and an even distal taper going from roughly 3/8” at the guard to 1/8” at the tip. The sword has no secondary bevel and could be slightly sharper but I wanted it battle sharp not paper cutting sharp. It has an appleseed edge all the way. The fuller was hand sanded to become so even and crisp and an excellent job Matthew did to make it so flawless. One big blade.
The Handle
Because it is a custom design I have nothing but good to say about the execution of the design of the handle I gave to Peter and Matt at Dragons Breath Forge.
The Grip
The Grip is once again, and sorry for the overuse of positive adjectives, stunning. The Basket weave grip is sturdy and strong with no movement whatsoever and a good even pattern. It brings a little eastern influence to the staunch grey fittings. Excellently executed.
The Guard
As mentioned I came up with the design myself and the guard is the centerpiece of this sword. Matthew made it perfectly and it is large enough to match the blade but still elegant. The guard is overall around a foot from end to end and is blued to a good smoky grey. The finials are cylindrical with aged brass in the upmost raised section which gives another nice contrast. The section which extends onto the sword is ground symmetrically to each side and the reverse twist is simpler than the original design but in my opinion more clean which is good with the complex handle as discussed above.
The Pommel
The pommel is once again aged to that smoky grey with a band of aged brass at the highest point which matches the finials on the guard. It is a threaded nut construction made to look like a peen but I have yet to take it off as it has held sturdy against cutting tests and seems to be very stout and strong.
The Scabbard
I did not order a scabbard from the guys as I have not yet decided what kind of scabbard would match this sword. The Starks have a wolf pelt and Narsil has a pedestal for its pieces to lie upon so any suggestions are appreciated.
Handling Characteristics
Though this sword is big it does not feel heavy. When holding it with one hand far up near the guard the sword feel really rather agile. It does however, have a serious blade presence but not unwieldly so. It feels like it can cut through any target put in its path. Edge alignment is fairly easy due to the very oval grip and allows for clean and powerful cuts.
Test Cutting
The sword took on tatami mat as well as a ZGB Ivan head and countless plastic bottles with hardly any effort. Unfortunately I was so excited I forgot to record any footage and both my tatami mat and Ivan head are beyond destroyed. Excellent though with no issues whatsoever in the handling or structure of the sword.
Conclusions
In conclusion I would not hesitate bring this sword to a battle or even a duel as it is not unwieldy or even particularly heavy. It is however solidly built and able to take on what you put in front of it. A wonderful chopper, the blade is big and bold and perfect for a cut. The handle is made flawlessly. The guys at Dragons Breath Forge are really helpful and give you advice upon what would be the most practical for your piece. They have excellent customer service as I am sure I was a bother to them with countless emails on more than one occasion. Matthew Parkinson whom created the sword is an excellent artisan and smith who I would highly recommend for any custom swords you would like done. I am planning on getting a set of armor from another one of their smiths as well and could not recommend them enough from my experience with them. If they read this thanks guys.
Pros
Excellent artistry
Blade geometry appears to be spot on
Constructed very solidly
Came ready to use in a safe shipping container
Excellent customer service
Cons
Due to many projects the guys at DBF have it took quite a bit longer to be completed than the original timeline allowed but was well worth it and for good reason as stated below.
Fun Fact
Monday the 22nd a new show comes on the History channel called Forged in Fire. It is a gameshow where bladesmiths come together and compete to make bladed weapons. Three of the partners at Dragons Breath forge will be competing in it. Matthew Parkinson, the smith who I believe did the majority work on my sword, will be on the first episode. Peter Swarz-Burt will be on the July 13th episode and Jamie Lundell will be on the August 3rd episode. Can’t wait to see what they can do.
The Bottom Line
In the end I would highly recommend their business to anyone looking for a custom weapon and have nothing but positive experiences to relay to anyone curious. I have not seen a review on this site for any of their products or craftsmanship and thus hope that this review helps anyone looking for a good custom maker in the United States. Hope you enjoyed the review.
Ps. This is an original design with an agreement that this design cannot be recreated. I know I'm putting this on the vast and mysterious internet but if you could I worked hard coming up with the design and would appreciate if it is not copied. Thanks.
I had long been fascinated with Scottish warfare as well as fantasy movies since I was a very young child. The power of the Scottish weapons such as the claymore and the beauty and creativity of the fantasy designs which were in all matters still completely functional swords. So when I stumbled across Game of Thrones, a bit of a late start as it was already in season 2 when I watched the first episode, I couldn’t help but fall in love with Ice the sword of Eddard Stark. With its staunch features and massive size I became infatuated. However, I did not want that sword as I wanted something of my own. So for the next few months I came up with different designs which morphed into the final drawing and ultimately the sword I would commission. It needed to be big I knew but what style and the actual size I was unsure of. So last year I spent month researching and designing until I knew what I wanted exactly. Changes were made later on of course but it stayed true to the concept and became, in my humble opinion, one of the prettiest swords I have ever had the chance to hold much less own; which was created excellently by the fellas at Dragons Breath Forge LLC. The following picture are the evolution in design.
Full Disclosure
This was a sword I custom commissioned and therefore love the design but have no affiliation with the artisans who created it.
Historical Overview
The only thing that truly seems historical on this sword is the blade which is a Oakeshott Type XIIIa and is around the larger size for that type but seen very often in Germany and Scotland throughout the medieval and renaissance period.
Initial Impressions
I had been waiting all day for the sword to be delivered by UPS and when it showed up it was very nicely packed inside a plywood box made specifically for it with much cushion and protection. When I unwrapped the sword my expression was a loss for words. I was in awe of not only the size and the exemplary attention to detail of design but the amazing handling of the sword as it is, as it was called on Matthew Parkinson’s Instagram ie, the smith who made it, a “big pocking sword”. It felt light in the hand, agile, but with a blade presence which could chop through a charging mounted soldier with very little ease. Duly impressed.
Statistics
Overall Length: 58 inches
Blade Length: 42 inches
Handle Length: 16 inches
Blade Material: Hand forged L6 Tool Steel renowned for its toughness and hardness characteristics.
Blade Width at Guard: 2.25 inches
Sword Weight: 5 pounds 13 ounces, but my scales are not always the most accurate.
Center of gravity: 4 inches from the Guard
Components
The Blade
The Blade is, aforementioned, an Oakeshott Type XIIIa. It has a good even profile taper with very nearly parallel edges and an even distal taper going from roughly 3/8” at the guard to 1/8” at the tip. The sword has no secondary bevel and could be slightly sharper but I wanted it battle sharp not paper cutting sharp. It has an appleseed edge all the way. The fuller was hand sanded to become so even and crisp and an excellent job Matthew did to make it so flawless. One big blade.
The Handle
Because it is a custom design I have nothing but good to say about the execution of the design of the handle I gave to Peter and Matt at Dragons Breath Forge.
The Grip
The Grip is once again, and sorry for the overuse of positive adjectives, stunning. The Basket weave grip is sturdy and strong with no movement whatsoever and a good even pattern. It brings a little eastern influence to the staunch grey fittings. Excellently executed.
The Guard
As mentioned I came up with the design myself and the guard is the centerpiece of this sword. Matthew made it perfectly and it is large enough to match the blade but still elegant. The guard is overall around a foot from end to end and is blued to a good smoky grey. The finials are cylindrical with aged brass in the upmost raised section which gives another nice contrast. The section which extends onto the sword is ground symmetrically to each side and the reverse twist is simpler than the original design but in my opinion more clean which is good with the complex handle as discussed above.
The Pommel
The pommel is once again aged to that smoky grey with a band of aged brass at the highest point which matches the finials on the guard. It is a threaded nut construction made to look like a peen but I have yet to take it off as it has held sturdy against cutting tests and seems to be very stout and strong.
The Scabbard
I did not order a scabbard from the guys as I have not yet decided what kind of scabbard would match this sword. The Starks have a wolf pelt and Narsil has a pedestal for its pieces to lie upon so any suggestions are appreciated.
Handling Characteristics
Though this sword is big it does not feel heavy. When holding it with one hand far up near the guard the sword feel really rather agile. It does however, have a serious blade presence but not unwieldly so. It feels like it can cut through any target put in its path. Edge alignment is fairly easy due to the very oval grip and allows for clean and powerful cuts.
Test Cutting
The sword took on tatami mat as well as a ZGB Ivan head and countless plastic bottles with hardly any effort. Unfortunately I was so excited I forgot to record any footage and both my tatami mat and Ivan head are beyond destroyed. Excellent though with no issues whatsoever in the handling or structure of the sword.
Conclusions
In conclusion I would not hesitate bring this sword to a battle or even a duel as it is not unwieldy or even particularly heavy. It is however solidly built and able to take on what you put in front of it. A wonderful chopper, the blade is big and bold and perfect for a cut. The handle is made flawlessly. The guys at Dragons Breath Forge are really helpful and give you advice upon what would be the most practical for your piece. They have excellent customer service as I am sure I was a bother to them with countless emails on more than one occasion. Matthew Parkinson whom created the sword is an excellent artisan and smith who I would highly recommend for any custom swords you would like done. I am planning on getting a set of armor from another one of their smiths as well and could not recommend them enough from my experience with them. If they read this thanks guys.
Pros
Excellent artistry
Blade geometry appears to be spot on
Constructed very solidly
Came ready to use in a safe shipping container
Excellent customer service
- And more
Cons
Due to many projects the guys at DBF have it took quite a bit longer to be completed than the original timeline allowed but was well worth it and for good reason as stated below.
Fun Fact
Monday the 22nd a new show comes on the History channel called Forged in Fire. It is a gameshow where bladesmiths come together and compete to make bladed weapons. Three of the partners at Dragons Breath forge will be competing in it. Matthew Parkinson, the smith who I believe did the majority work on my sword, will be on the first episode. Peter Swarz-Burt will be on the July 13th episode and Jamie Lundell will be on the August 3rd episode. Can’t wait to see what they can do.
The Bottom Line
In the end I would highly recommend their business to anyone looking for a custom weapon and have nothing but positive experiences to relay to anyone curious. I have not seen a review on this site for any of their products or craftsmanship and thus hope that this review helps anyone looking for a good custom maker in the United States. Hope you enjoyed the review.
Ps. This is an original design with an agreement that this design cannot be recreated. I know I'm putting this on the vast and mysterious internet but if you could I worked hard coming up with the design and would appreciate if it is not copied. Thanks.