Darksword Armory The Duke Sword #1543 Version 12/2020
Dec 7, 2020 0:43:56 GMT
Post by Arthur Dayne on Dec 7, 2020 0:43:56 GMT
So I never bought a Dark Sword Armory product before because for many years I heard horror stories online and by word-of-mouth. Eventually I got too curious, I just had to know what this "DSA Experience" was like and they finally came out with a sword I liked:
www.darksword-armory.com/medieval-weapon/medieval-swords/the-duke-1543/
Looks pretty nice, love the aesthetics, peen block and pointy blade. Website specs aren't bad either:
Hand forged from 5160 High Carbon Steel
Differential Hardened at a Rockwell of 60 at the Edge; 48-50 at the core.
Fittings: Mild Steel
Handle: Leather Wrapped Wood Core
Total length: 40″
Blade length: 32″
Blade width at base: 2 1/8″
Grip Length: 5 inches
Weight: 2 lbs 14 oz.
POB: 5.5 inches
So I ordered the full $605 Sharpened Blade with Scabbard Integrated Belt and paid FedEx Express shipping of $90. After less than a week I got this:
The sword package was really nicely put together and scabbard fit was snug. The Blade Fullers are also really well defined and looks good, termination not bad.
Pretty heavy duty solid sword except the Blade Is Different Than The Advertised Picture On DSA's Website. I expected the pointy blade and got something different. It was then I knew that I got "DSAed". I got the DSA Experience.
Because the Blade was different than the one on the DSA website I ordered from my sword specs are completely Different:
Blade Length: 27 3/4" not 32" I can take a guess about what happened with the other 4" of blade tip- I probably got a different blade, maybe a DSA Norman or Crusader Blade by mistake?
Total Length of Sword: 35 1/4"
Point of Balance: Just Under 3.5" instead of the official 5.5" which is... rather nice, lively handling and feels better in hand than 5.5". Not a bad outcome from this.
Grip Space Leather: 5"
Total Hilt Length from top of guard to peen: 7 1/4"
Weight: Really ------- heavy. Sorry I didn't weigh this yet, To Be Weighed when I get to it.
What about the Quality?
Peen Block was done really well, it was neat and clean.
Leather grip felt good in hand and not bad at all. There's a visible seam but it's holding together fine.
Hilt looks really sleek. Beautiful, my favorite aesthetics on a single hander: Hexagonal sturdy crossguard with some flair, neat clean cord wrap grip, strong manly big wheel pommel and big ass peen block. By the way, the Crossguard and Pommel are really heavy & big. Like not historically correct big, but like modern beefy big.
Any Cons besides the Wrong Blade on Sword?
Well there was a significant gap between at the mouth of the guard with blade. It's there, you can see it.
And if you're really nitpicky about this stuff it's something that might bug you but for me at this price point of full package $605+$90 Fedex Express=$695 it's not that big a deal. The basic sharpened sword & scabbard is just $535.
I mean sure I wished the gap wasn't so pronounced but it is what is. The alternative is good old Albion 9-11 months and more money if you want zero gaps heh heh. Anyway the middle ridge of the guard doesn't line up exactly with the fullers either, probably because the fuller on the blade is very slightly off center.
Anyway I'll probably have more to say later, I'm waiting for a response from DSA about this uh custom sword I didn't ask for but not disappointed with either. I still want The Duke sword with that pointy 32" blade on there.
At this time I cannot recommend buying this DSA Duke sword, not because it's bad quality because this sword is really solidly put together and feels great in hand, but because I don't know if you're going to get the actual advertised product, a sword like mines or something different- it's like a gamble!
Update 12-24-20 Ok so let me get this off my chest: FedEx Express 3 Day is bullsemprini! 3 Business Days is fine, 4 is tolerable, maybe 5, 6, 7... but 10 days in transit and Wrong address delivery WTF. I was lucky that the recipient living in my neighborhood took the time to drop this off at my home, Thanks to him. No Thanks to Fedex though. Fedex Express 3 Day my ass.
Anyway, I finally got The Duke as advertised on DSA's website:
Looks real pretty and pointy
Guard & Pommel is on straight, aligned and everything. The middle ridge on the guard actually lines up evenly with the fuller. Not bad at all. If you're wondering the Scabbard is the same as the "Nuke" sword one except longer.
This time the correct blade is matched to the fittings and the guard gap at the base of the blade is smooth and not forcibly grinded like with the Nuke Sword above. Peen is also neatly done.
Wow looks great so far. Great sword right? Well, NO. You see, as great as The Duke looks, it handles like a sharpened crowbar.
The official stats DSA listed for this: POB 5.5" and Weight 2 lb 14 ounces, which should be manageable assuming it was properly made like a historically correct fighting single hander.
The POB 5.5" is correct. Alright.
The Weight supposedly 2 lb 14 ounces. Nope, feels heavier than that and there's a lot of inertia, very tiring to swing and stop.
So I weighed it with a New Scale I bought
3 lb 5 ounces huh. Well, damn. Now let me tell you: Ounces matter. You may think you're a badass and 7 ounces won't make a difference but it does after spending time swinging and poking with this Duke sword. My wrists were a bit sore.
To give some perspective on how a similar medieval single hander that is historically correct should weigh, here's an Albion Knight:
Albion Knight here weighs 2 lb 11.6 ounces AND has a POB of 4.5". Swinging and poking with the Albion Knight isn't tiring and doesn't hurt my wrists. So why is it the extra weight of The Duke Sword and POB of just 5.5", which is just 1 measly inch more such a problem?
Hmmm so I took some more measurements on blade thickness to see how much distal tapering The Duke sword had:
The Duke blade thickness at Guard: 6.06mm/0.238"
The Duke blade thickness at 16 inches (half way): 4.9mm/0.193"
The Duke blade thickness at 1.5 inches from Tip: 3.66mm/0.144"
Beyond this point I think DSA finally remembered to taper the blade thickness to an acute point so it tapers significantly 1.5 inches to the tip.
I had to take caliper measurements several times and I think I'm being rather generous like how someone lets a person suck their stomach in before taking a photo or just photographing your best looking angles. It could've looked a lot worse at 6.10mm, 5mm, 4mm etc but I think you guys get the point. The distal tapering is not good and this blade is really thick and chunky.
The Duke and the Albion Knight look similar in size at first glance but up close and in hand, the Duke is not lively, properly balanced and quick like the Knight is and doesn't feel like a proper fighting weapon.
The Duke handles like a sharpened crowbar. It is overbuilt, too thick and too heavy. It is definitely a backyard beater blade that is meant to beat trees, boxes, trash cans and 2x4s. You can probably go backyard golfing with this and hit rocks like you would golf balls.
Final Comments and Rants:
If you want an Aesthetically pleasing, pretty looking Knight's weapon to put on display like a wallhanger The DSA Duke sword is perfect for that. It is shiny, lethal looking, has all the right fittings and proportions to meet that expectation so 9/10 on Looks.
But because it handles like a sharpened crowbar and moves like a beached whale the performance is 1/10 or maybe 2/10. A beached whale can still kick someone's ass under really optimal conditions so maybe the The Duke can too. It can certainly crush trees, boxes and other random debris like a crowbar but it’s a terrible sword.
I personally think The Duke has identity issues with regards to its pointy blade. Like with a 32"ish pointy blade that is super stiff you would expect closer to guard POB for more precise point control right? The 5.5" POB is unusual for such a long pointy stiff blade, something like 3.5 to 4.5" would make more sense like with The Albion Squire for example that has a similar pointy stiff Type XVI blade. POB 5.5" seems like it's more appropriate for a wider cutting/chopper blade.
The Duke is not a poor man's Albion Knight or Squire alternative, it's no where close to that if you're thinking of getting a similar looking Knight's weapon on a budget that also feels good in hand.
The "Nuke Sword" which was an accident on DSA's part is more comfortable to swing & poke.
Anyway, thanks for reading. That's it on The Duke and DSA for me, The End.
www.darksword-armory.com/medieval-weapon/medieval-swords/the-duke-1543/
Looks pretty nice, love the aesthetics, peen block and pointy blade. Website specs aren't bad either:
Hand forged from 5160 High Carbon Steel
Differential Hardened at a Rockwell of 60 at the Edge; 48-50 at the core.
Fittings: Mild Steel
Handle: Leather Wrapped Wood Core
Total length: 40″
Blade length: 32″
Blade width at base: 2 1/8″
Grip Length: 5 inches
Weight: 2 lbs 14 oz.
POB: 5.5 inches
So I ordered the full $605 Sharpened Blade with Scabbard Integrated Belt and paid FedEx Express shipping of $90. After less than a week I got this:
The sword package was really nicely put together and scabbard fit was snug. The Blade Fullers are also really well defined and looks good, termination not bad.
Pretty heavy duty solid sword except the Blade Is Different Than The Advertised Picture On DSA's Website. I expected the pointy blade and got something different. It was then I knew that I got "DSAed". I got the DSA Experience.
Because the Blade was different than the one on the DSA website I ordered from my sword specs are completely Different:
Blade Length: 27 3/4" not 32" I can take a guess about what happened with the other 4" of blade tip- I probably got a different blade, maybe a DSA Norman or Crusader Blade by mistake?
Total Length of Sword: 35 1/4"
Point of Balance: Just Under 3.5" instead of the official 5.5" which is... rather nice, lively handling and feels better in hand than 5.5". Not a bad outcome from this.
Grip Space Leather: 5"
Total Hilt Length from top of guard to peen: 7 1/4"
Weight: Really ------- heavy. Sorry I didn't weigh this yet, To Be Weighed when I get to it.
What about the Quality?
Peen Block was done really well, it was neat and clean.
Leather grip felt good in hand and not bad at all. There's a visible seam but it's holding together fine.
Hilt looks really sleek. Beautiful, my favorite aesthetics on a single hander: Hexagonal sturdy crossguard with some flair, neat clean cord wrap grip, strong manly big wheel pommel and big ass peen block. By the way, the Crossguard and Pommel are really heavy & big. Like not historically correct big, but like modern beefy big.
Any Cons besides the Wrong Blade on Sword?
Well there was a significant gap between at the mouth of the guard with blade. It's there, you can see it.
And if you're really nitpicky about this stuff it's something that might bug you but for me at this price point of full package $605+$90 Fedex Express=$695 it's not that big a deal. The basic sharpened sword & scabbard is just $535.
I mean sure I wished the gap wasn't so pronounced but it is what is. The alternative is good old Albion 9-11 months and more money if you want zero gaps heh heh. Anyway the middle ridge of the guard doesn't line up exactly with the fullers either, probably because the fuller on the blade is very slightly off center.
Anyway I'll probably have more to say later, I'm waiting for a response from DSA about this uh custom sword I didn't ask for but not disappointed with either. I still want The Duke sword with that pointy 32" blade on there.
At this time I cannot recommend buying this DSA Duke sword, not because it's bad quality because this sword is really solidly put together and feels great in hand, but because I don't know if you're going to get the actual advertised product, a sword like mines or something different- it's like a gamble!
Update 12-24-20 Ok so let me get this off my chest: FedEx Express 3 Day is bullsemprini! 3 Business Days is fine, 4 is tolerable, maybe 5, 6, 7... but 10 days in transit and Wrong address delivery WTF. I was lucky that the recipient living in my neighborhood took the time to drop this off at my home, Thanks to him. No Thanks to Fedex though. Fedex Express 3 Day my ass.
Anyway, I finally got The Duke as advertised on DSA's website:
Looks real pretty and pointy
Guard & Pommel is on straight, aligned and everything. The middle ridge on the guard actually lines up evenly with the fuller. Not bad at all. If you're wondering the Scabbard is the same as the "Nuke" sword one except longer.
This time the correct blade is matched to the fittings and the guard gap at the base of the blade is smooth and not forcibly grinded like with the Nuke Sword above. Peen is also neatly done.
Wow looks great so far. Great sword right? Well, NO. You see, as great as The Duke looks, it handles like a sharpened crowbar.
The official stats DSA listed for this: POB 5.5" and Weight 2 lb 14 ounces, which should be manageable assuming it was properly made like a historically correct fighting single hander.
The POB 5.5" is correct. Alright.
The Weight supposedly 2 lb 14 ounces. Nope, feels heavier than that and there's a lot of inertia, very tiring to swing and stop.
So I weighed it with a New Scale I bought
3 lb 5 ounces huh. Well, damn. Now let me tell you: Ounces matter. You may think you're a badass and 7 ounces won't make a difference but it does after spending time swinging and poking with this Duke sword. My wrists were a bit sore.
To give some perspective on how a similar medieval single hander that is historically correct should weigh, here's an Albion Knight:
Albion Knight here weighs 2 lb 11.6 ounces AND has a POB of 4.5". Swinging and poking with the Albion Knight isn't tiring and doesn't hurt my wrists. So why is it the extra weight of The Duke Sword and POB of just 5.5", which is just 1 measly inch more such a problem?
Hmmm so I took some more measurements on blade thickness to see how much distal tapering The Duke sword had:
The Duke blade thickness at Guard: 6.06mm/0.238"
The Duke blade thickness at 16 inches (half way): 4.9mm/0.193"
The Duke blade thickness at 1.5 inches from Tip: 3.66mm/0.144"
Beyond this point I think DSA finally remembered to taper the blade thickness to an acute point so it tapers significantly 1.5 inches to the tip.
I had to take caliper measurements several times and I think I'm being rather generous like how someone lets a person suck their stomach in before taking a photo or just photographing your best looking angles. It could've looked a lot worse at 6.10mm, 5mm, 4mm etc but I think you guys get the point. The distal tapering is not good and this blade is really thick and chunky.
The Duke and the Albion Knight look similar in size at first glance but up close and in hand, the Duke is not lively, properly balanced and quick like the Knight is and doesn't feel like a proper fighting weapon.
The Duke handles like a sharpened crowbar. It is overbuilt, too thick and too heavy. It is definitely a backyard beater blade that is meant to beat trees, boxes, trash cans and 2x4s. You can probably go backyard golfing with this and hit rocks like you would golf balls.
Final Comments and Rants:
If you want an Aesthetically pleasing, pretty looking Knight's weapon to put on display like a wallhanger The DSA Duke sword is perfect for that. It is shiny, lethal looking, has all the right fittings and proportions to meet that expectation so 9/10 on Looks.
But because it handles like a sharpened crowbar and moves like a beached whale the performance is 1/10 or maybe 2/10. A beached whale can still kick someone's ass under really optimal conditions so maybe the The Duke can too. It can certainly crush trees, boxes and other random debris like a crowbar but it’s a terrible sword.
I personally think The Duke has identity issues with regards to its pointy blade. Like with a 32"ish pointy blade that is super stiff you would expect closer to guard POB for more precise point control right? The 5.5" POB is unusual for such a long pointy stiff blade, something like 3.5 to 4.5" would make more sense like with The Albion Squire for example that has a similar pointy stiff Type XVI blade. POB 5.5" seems like it's more appropriate for a wider cutting/chopper blade.
The Duke is not a poor man's Albion Knight or Squire alternative, it's no where close to that if you're thinking of getting a similar looking Knight's weapon on a budget that also feels good in hand.
The "Nuke Sword" which was an accident on DSA's part is more comfortable to swing & poke.
Anyway, thanks for reading. That's it on The Duke and DSA for me, The End.