DSA Danish XVIII longsword redesign Redux

DSA DANISH TYPE XVIII REDESIGN

INTRODUCTION:

Back in 2011 DSA held a competition for a forum submission of a creative design for DSA to realize and bring to market. SBG member Enkidu won with submission of a rethink of the Swedish type XVIIIe, best known from the Svante sword produced by Albion. The Svante is a beast of a war sword, weighing almost 5 lbs. The sword blade was is broad and strong, but short (33 ins). The ricasso is unusually long, to facilitate half swording. The grip is also overlong, providing different positioning for sword fighting or close combat as a percussive weapon.

Enkidu's design took the general features of the e-type and blended them down into something  more like a type c.

  

CHARACTERISTICS


The DSA has a rapieresque construction that brings to question it's use as a cutter. The sword is stiff and well balanced. The three pound weight is no problem in single hand use and recovery to defense is no problem. 

But I sold the sword after 15 mos. Two things bugged me. There was a time when DSA couldn't make a scabbard worth owning. Construction and materials were fine for the price, but, they were not made to secure the sword. If you tipped the scabbard over horizontal the sharpened sword came flying out of the scabbard. The excuse was that Quebec winters could distroy the scabbard before they were shipped out. 

 Secondly the sword came with badly cut fullers that wobbled back and forth from a straight line. Problem seemed to infect the whole first batch.




CONCLUSION

I've resurrected an old story because, after six years, I just picked up a replacement for the one I sold. Glory be, I have a functional DSA  scabbard that holds the sword in place. The fuller is also straight. 


William Swiger

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Oct 10, 2011 at 2:52am QuotePost Options Post by William Swiger on Oct 10, 2011 at 2:52am

Thanks for the review Dave. I sort of like the design but would pass on this one unless it came up drastically discounted in the For Sale section.

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Oct 11, 2011 at 6:48am QuotePost Options Post by serge021974 on Oct 11, 2011 at 6:48am

Nice sword, very good review! +1 from me!

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Oct 11, 2011 at 12:36pm QuotePost Options Post by Anders on Oct 11, 2011 at 12:36pm

So, is it just me, or is the hilt and blade are misaligned by 0,5 degrees? Or is that just a problem with the photo?

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Oct 11, 2011 at 4:34pm QuoteEditPost Options Post by Dave Kelly on Oct 11, 2011 at 4:34pm

So, is it just me, or is the hilt and blade are misaligned by 0,5 degrees? Or is that just a problem with the photo?





Optical illusion. It's not the sword; it's the fuller that isn't true.

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Oct 11, 2011 at 5:41pm QuotePost Options Post by chrisperoni on Oct 11, 2011 at 5:41pm

So the entire run of swords has the fuller off?

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Oct 11, 2011 at 5:51pm QuoteEditPost Options Post by Dave Kelly on Oct 11, 2011 at 5:51pm

So the entire run of swords has the fuller off?





That's one for DSA to answer; but their promo pic shows it, and several commentators have remarked on having this same occurence. ( Sounds like a yes. ) :roll:

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Oct 15, 2011 at 9:30am QuotePost Options Post by Enkidu on Oct 15, 2011 at 9:30am

The one i have is the one shown on the promo pics, and the fuller is indeed off one one side of the blade.

Its not off by much, but it is.

Is yours Dave off on both side of the blade ?

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Oct 15, 2011 at 10:47am QuotePost Options Post by chuckinohio on Oct 15, 2011 at 10:47am

You are referencing the fuller being out of line with the central ridge of the blade itself, and not just being out of line with the point of the guard, as in the guard being shifted to one side, correct??



The reflection from the fuller in most of the pics that I have seen, make it hard to judge the extent of misalignment with the central ridge fully.

The big, full sword pic, on the DSA page for the sword seems to show it well enough, but the reflection from the inside edge of the fuller is just enough to make it look like the misalignment may be very slight.



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Oct 15, 2011 at 11:33am QuoteEditPost Options Post by Dave Kelly on Oct 15, 2011 at 11:33am

You are referencing the fuller being out of line with the central ridge of the blade itself, and not just being out of line with the point of the guard, as in the guard being shifted to one side, correct??





Correct. The 3.55 mm wide fuller is centered to the blade and guard at the hilt: but when the fuller finishes it is 3 mm off the centerline ridge of the blade: so it touches the center line still.



How many swords have you seen or purchased where the fuller isn't cut straight. ( This is a first in my collection; 1 out of 136 purchased. :lol: )



Honest, I actually do like the coyote, I mean sword... ;)

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Oct 15, 2011 at 11:51am QuotePost Options Post by chuckinohio on Oct 15, 2011 at 11:51am

The case of the wandering fuller.



Actually Dave, I posess an examples, a Jim Hrisoulas side sword.



The fuller is a bit wobbly at the termination of the ricasso and the start of the blade body proper. Throughout their length, to the fuler termination, there are some minor variances in width, and the terminations are not the same from one side to the other.



I chalked it up to their hand made nature, and truth be told, it gives the blade a bit of character versus the correct to the micro inch machine made glory we all enjoy. :D

It's an odd duck, but owing to the bargain price that I grabbed it at, well lets just say that I don't leave it laying out in the yard. :lol: