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Post by feralis on Oct 28, 2018 18:26:31 GMT
Ive been looking at purchasing the Darksword armory crusader sword for myself with the link below
I was drawn to it by its supposed forged in canada touting as Im from canada myself, and heard they were decent blades all around, however I have been reading up online on various things about darksword these past few days and of course now hearing of issues and concerns.
Ive heard that some have claimed that their blades arent actually forged in canada but india/somewhere else and the blades are merely assembled here, has there been any truth to this or just a hearsay rumor?
Of course the other issue ive read about is some concerned with the thickness of the tang in the sword, seeing as this is a newer blade of theirs Im hoping the supposed tang concerns would be addressed, unfortunately I was unable to find any pictures of tangs with this particular model so theres no guarantee either. Does anyone else have a crusader sword that could chime in on this topic?
Lastly if most seem to think I should be spending my money elsewhere, what would they recommend instead that would be in a similar style/handling?
Thanks in advance, and I appreciate all replies, just want to make the best purchase I can.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2018 18:35:13 GMT
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Post by Jordan Williams on Oct 29, 2018 4:18:35 GMT
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Post by feralis on Oct 29, 2018 14:34:01 GMT
Interesting choices I'll have to check them out, the big thing that was appealing to me about darksword is the claim that they were Forged on this continent, and ideally would be something I'd keep in my criteria so that leaves windlass out for now.
looking for a sort of one and done purchase as I already have a windlass piece. Hence looking at darksword, but it seems most swear by Albion, are they made solely in North America and are there any more alternatives?
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Post by tdiamante on Oct 29, 2018 14:40:59 GMT
Yes, Albions are milled, heat treated and ground at their workshop in Wisconsin.(there's an old video on how Albions are made floating around.) their guards and pommels are typically cast at a foundry in California I believe, then finished at Albion's workshop. So yes to being made here, but not actually hand forged if that's a detail you're really concerned with.
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Post by tdiamante on Oct 29, 2018 14:43:25 GMT
In a similar price range to Albion, ATrims and real Tinker Pearce(not the Hanwei Tinker production line) are also made entirely in America. Same goes if you find one of my swords floating around. Valiant Armoury has a Craftsman line that is also all American made.
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Post by Jordan Williams on Oct 29, 2018 18:52:57 GMT
If being forged on the continent is a major factor for you then I would stay away from DSA. Albion, Arms and Armor, Valiant Armoury hand made line, or custom. Albion seems to have the cheapest sword in these option with the squire line swords.
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Post by feralis on Oct 29, 2018 23:39:19 GMT
I love the look of some of the albion swords but they seem to be constantly out of stock in most places, arms and armor looks promising with this piece which seems close to the crusader kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=AA244&name=Arms+%26+Armor+%2D+Malaspina+Arming+SwordDo they stand up to the same level of quality and would most consider this a solid equal at least in handling wise to the crusader? Interestingly enough I got into contact with DSA's customer service and they sent me a couple photos of an exposed tang, I must say it looks decently thick at least to my amateur eyes.
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stormmaster
Member
I like viking/migration era swords
Posts: 7,647
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Post by stormmaster on Oct 29, 2018 23:57:49 GMT
In the production market albion is pretty much on top, just under them is arms and armor who have supurb quality as well and are made in the usa, then 3rd is like valiant armory. Arms and armor also do custom work which is great
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Post by tdiamante on Oct 30, 2018 1:45:37 GMT
Anything by Arms and Armor will have good handling. Better than that DSA most likely. In the past DSA has not been great about handling; usually due to a lack of distal taper.
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Post by feralis on Oct 30, 2018 5:01:09 GMT
In case anyone was wondering about the tang picture I received.
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Post by tdiamante on Oct 30, 2018 14:36:43 GMT
That's a decent tang. Assuming it doesn't get ground down or something during assembly, it should hold up fine.
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Post by Jordan Williams on Oct 30, 2018 14:50:35 GMT
I love the look of some of the albion swords but they seem to be constantly out of stock in most places, arms and armor looks promising with this piece which seems close to the crusader kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=AA244&name=Arms+%26+Armor+%2D+Malaspina+Arming+SwordDo they stand up to the same level of quality and would most consider this a solid equal at least in handling wise to the crusader? Interestingly enough I got into contact with DSA's customer service and they sent me a couple photos of an exposed tang, I must say it looks decently thick at least to my amateur eyes. You can order the Albion direct from their website. They always have a wait time though. Arms and Armor, Valiant Armoury, Albion, all will handle better than the DSA.
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Post by Faldarin on Oct 30, 2018 15:18:45 GMT
Also - one option I don't see listed here, feralis - if you don't mind 'made in the USA':
There's a bit of a wait time on this guy - but I've heard nothing but good reviews about his product. They all look impressive and clean as well.
I'll also second another:
His craftsman line is made in the USA - it's a fairly new line though, so he has some work to do making sure it is up to quality - but this man does amazing work. Again, a long wait.
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stormmaster
Member
I like viking/migration era swords
Posts: 7,647
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Post by stormmaster on Oct 30, 2018 15:19:22 GMT
Basically anyone good has a wait time lol
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Post by rjodorizzi on Oct 30, 2018 15:25:13 GMT
I own 3 pieces from DS, they are all fine. That being said if the only draw to you is the where it's made, I'd go with the recommendations listed above.
I like my pieces from DS, but I pretty much just buy them for the unique styles, the crusader style you could find from another maker and likely be happy with it. Valiant is nice, even in their non in house produced blades, for the cost and the "total package."
As Storm and others said almost all of these makers come with a wait time, but it's very much worth it.
Happy hunting!
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Post by Faldarin on Oct 30, 2018 15:32:53 GMT
I like my pieces from DS, but I pretty much just buy them for the unique styles, the crusader style you could find from another maker and likely be happy with it. Valiant is nice, even in their non in house produced blades, for the cost and the "total package." If you're not tied to where something is made... the non-Craftsman lines from Valiant are competitive with DSA pricing, blades made in China and the finishing/fitting done by Sonny here in the US. His leatherwork is second to none - and I'd highly recommend them. I believe the wait time is shorter too.
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Post by dchisenh on Oct 30, 2018 15:43:55 GMT
Tdiamante does amazing work. If I had the cash, I'd commission a sword from him in a heartbeat!
As for DSA, I'm not sure how the most current batch of swords are made, but my very first sword was from them and was very heavy, poorly balanced and a pain to sharpen. It looked cool, but having handled well-balanced swords since then, I'm glad I sold it and wouldn't recommend it.
One thing I didn't see in your posts is whether or not this will be your first sword or whether you already have a few. I've seen quite a few people show up here looking for the "perfect" first sword and once they get it, they find it doesn't fit them well or decide later they like a different style altogether and then sell that "perfect" sword at a loss.
I'd recommend buying a few well reviewed budget examples of sword types you like to get a better feel for what fits you. For example, I've always liked rapiers, but of the examples I've bought over the years, I've sold them all because at the end of the day they don't fit me well and when I've needed the money they rise to the top of the chopping block. Oddly enough, I originally had no interest in Viking swords but as soon as I held a Hanwei Cawood, I instantly knew I'll never sell it and it's one of my all-time favorites. That one sword has led me to look at wide-fullered dark age blades in a whole different light.
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Post by feralis on Nov 2, 2018 1:46:49 GMT
I do have some swords around, I have a sword of altair knockoff, a united cutlery sting replica, and a windlass oakeshott variant, the windlass is decent but I really do like the idea of an all north american sword and something with a slightly shorter blade for something more nimble, seeing as the windlass is about 33 inches long. The arms and armor malaspina looks like a goood compromise between the crusader from darksword for me
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Post by dchisenh on Nov 2, 2018 13:43:26 GMT
I do have some swords around, I have a sword of altair knockoff, a united cutlery sting replica, and a windlass oakeshott variant, the windlass is decent but I really do like the idea of an all north american sword and something with a slightly shorter blade for something more nimble, seeing as the windlass is about 33 inches long. The arms and armor malaspina looks like a goood compromise between the crusader from darksword for me Good, it sounds like you know what you're looking for! Since you mentioned wanting something nimble, I really enjoy my Kingston Arms XIV. I have one of the first run "mistakes" with the mirror polished blade and I've had Steven Huerta rewrap the grip and dye it and the scabbard a nice chocolate brown. It handles like a dream and it looks great because of the INCREDIBLE work Steven did, he's amazing! I know it's not quite what you're looking for, but I've had really good luck with everything I've gotten from the Kingston Arms line, and Hanwei in general, if you're on a budget. Otherwise, if you ask around here, there are some VERY talented bladesmiths on this board who I'm sure can make you the sword of your dreams! Good luck on your search and be sure to let us know what you decide on and what you think of it!
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