Darksword Armory's Mother of Dragons Review
Sept 7, 2022 4:53:41 GMT
Post by kazadruin on Sept 7, 2022 4:53:41 GMT
The Mother of Dragons Sword
Introduction
I found this sword while poking around on Darksword Armory’s website. I don’t search out swords to buy like some people do, or treat myself all that often to a new sword. If I explore sword websites, it’s usually in search of design inspiration for the swords I create for my stories. That’s how this sword caught my eye originally. I actually dismissed it outright when I first saw it, since the tag read it was inspired by Game of Thrones (a series which I do not enjoy). But I kept coming back to it, and kept staring at it for well over two months. The simple reason is I adore dragons, which influenced my love of swords and fantasy in the first place, and I’ve always wanted a functional sword with a dragon motif. So eventually, I said “Why not?” and the rest is history…
I ordered this sword directly from Darksword Armory, complete with the scabbard, interlaced sword belt, and sharpening service. I bought it alongside a fellow sword, Darksword Armory’s Vindaaris. I placed my order on May 31st, and it took about 3 weeks to ship. It shipped on June 21st to the U.S., and arrived on June 27th.
Historical Overview
This sword is a hybrid between history and fantasy. Its foundations are historically-based, while the frills and embellishments on the hilt are altered for a fantasy setting.
Darksword Armory outlines the origin of this sword as a Game of Thrones concept, specifically a sword that Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen might have wielded. So the legend goes, Darksword wanted to make a sword for the Mother of Dragons, but didn’t have a design in mind. When Eyal visited the Wallance Collection, he noticed a unique little dagger in one of the European Armory rooms. This little dagger, whose ID in the Wallace Collection is A810 (for reference purposes), had a unique dragon head on one of its quillions, and provided the inspiration for the overall design of this sword. Eyal used the dagger’s design as the inspiration for the Mother of Dragons sword. It underwent a few minor alterations to make it more suitable for Game of Thrones: the dragon head was refined into the more traditional European dragon, the scale patterns on the guard were altered slightly, the wire-wrapped grip was changed to carved ebony, and Darksword also did not attempt to replicate the inlays and engraving left in the dagger’s blade. Otherwise, the sword version is very similar to the original dagger. I have attached pictures of the Mother of Dragons sword and the A810 dagger below for comparison.
Full Disclosure
Below are several biases that may or may not affect my review and opinions about this sword.
1. I am a woman who stands at 5’ 5”. To some people this is not a big deal, but be aware that this means I am not as strong nor as tall as some sword enthusiasts. This will affect how I perceive the handling and abilities of this sword.
2. I do train with swords. I train and compete in sport fencing, so I spend most of my time with fencing blades, particularly epees. These swords are very, very light compared to a longsword. I also train a little in the Fiore Italian longsword style, and my weapon of choice is a Windlass Battlecry Agincourt sword. This is a sword that feels like it was made for me, and handles like it is an extension of my body. It is of an ideal length and weight for me to wield, so bear that in mind when I discuss handling. My standard of comparison is the Windlass Agincourt sword.
3. I do not require perfection out of my swords. I do look for cosmetic defects, but I tend to see the minor ones as unique features of my blades that set them apart from identical swords.
4. I don’t like to destroy my swords (and I lack the strength to do any serious damage to them) so as a rule I don’t do destructive tests (i.e. hitting solid wood or metal) or try to push my blades to the limit, and I physically cannot stand the sight of a flex test.
5. I paid full price for this sword, which cost $620.00 in U.S. dollars, plus shipping and tax. My review is completely voluntary, arising from my desire to contribute to contribute to the sword community by supplying information about my experience with this sword, and has not been solicited by any entity.
Unboxing and Initial Impressions
The sword arrived in a standard Darksword Armory shipping box. It didn’t rattle when I shook it, which indicated a good packing job. Upon opening the box, I discovered the Mother of Dragons sword and its fellow sword, the Vindaaris, obscured in plastic wrap and surrounded by brown packing paper.
The Mother of Dragons looked like Shelob had snared it in a nefarious web of plastic wrap or cellophane when I first pulled it out of the box. I’ve heard about how difficult the wrap is to remove, so I timed myself as I unraveled it. It took about 30 seconds before I had the sword free of its wrappings. The amount of plastic wrap, when stretched out flat, amounted to roughly 11 ft. of material.
The sword arrived in its scabbard, rather than being wrapped up separately. When I drew the sword, I found the blade covered in a thick coat of grease. The grease resisted my attempts to remove it with a microfiber rag, so I took the shortcut and stabbed the blade through a large cardboard box. That took the grease right off, and gave me a look at how sharp this sword is. Once the grease came off, the bright mirror polish of the blade was revealed. It is so brightly polished that setting it on the seat of a bar stool was enough to mar it. I kept having to clean it off with a rag to keep the mirror look.
The Mother of Dragons looked like Shelob had snared it in a nefarious web of plastic wrap or cellophane when I first pulled it out of the box. I’ve heard about how difficult the wrap is to remove, so I timed myself as I unraveled it. It took about 30 seconds before I had the sword free of its wrappings. The amount of plastic wrap, when stretched out flat, amounted to roughly 11 ft. of material.
The sword arrived in its scabbard, rather than being wrapped up separately. When I drew the sword, I found the blade covered in a thick coat of grease. The grease resisted my attempts to remove it with a microfiber rag, so I took the shortcut and stabbed the blade through a large cardboard box. That took the grease right off, and gave me a look at how sharp this sword is. Once the grease came off, the bright mirror polish of the blade was revealed. It is so brightly polished that setting it on the seat of a bar stool was enough to mar it. I kept having to clean it off with a rag to keep the mirror look.
The first feature that grabbed my eye was the guard and grip. The bronze dragon head and tail stood out to me right away, as this was the feature that drew me to this sword. The grip followed by virtue of its black brick-like pattern. Overall, the guard appeared to flow into the grip, which in turn flowed into the pommel effortlessly, giving off the impression of a cohesive whole. Had I not known about swords and their construction, I would have believed the entire hilt was one solid piece, not multiple components!
The other notable thing about this sword is its size. It’s a shortsword, so it is naturally far shorter than any of the longswords or fencing blades I own. I looked up the size of Sting on United Cutlery’s website, and this little sword is about the same size as Sting. So I’ll just call it “Sting-sized.” My sister, in classic sibling-fashion, took one look at it and quipped that it was “more of a letter opener” than a sword.
Despite its size, this sword has some heft to it. I can swing it easily into various longsword guards with one hand. It doesn’t maneuver as easily as my Agincourt does, but I also use two hands with the Agincourt, never one, so my awkwardness with the Mother of Dragons likely came more from lack of familiarity with the one-handed style than the weight. But this sword doesn’t love to cut as much as it loves to thrust. I can easily control the thrusts, which is good because this sword takes off once I start a thrust. I can feel the power behind it when I reign it in. When I thrust it into the cardboard box, it went clean through and wanted to keep going. Only the guard stopped its forward progress. I can imagine this little sword would have no problem punching through my special fencing armor, and it would probably destroy even my fencing mask as well with just one good thrust (although for obvious reasons, I will never try this).
I opted to have the sword sharpened by Darksword, and it arrived paper-shearing sharp. The cut is not perfectly clean, but it still cuts with very little effort.
I opted to have the sword sharpened by Darksword, and it arrived paper-shearing sharp. The cut is not perfectly clean, but it still cuts with very little effort.
The leather on the entire scabbard/belt apparatus was very coarse and dry. It’s hard to tell at this stage if the leather is just that way all the time, or if the journey from Canada to the U.S. dried it out. I used saddlesoap on both to clean them up and help the leather, and that improved the feel somewhat. I will suspend judgement for the time being, because the shipping box spent the weekend in Denver, Co., during a hot spell with low humidity, and that can wreak havoc on leather no matter how hard you try to protect it.
Statistics | Darksword Armory's Website | My Sword |
Overall Length | 26.5" | 26.25" |
Blade Length | 20" | ~20" |
Handle Length | Not Given | 4.25" |
Guard Width | Not Given | 4.75" |
Point of Balance | At Crossguard | 2" from Guard |
Center of Percussion | Not Given | Undetermined |
Weight | 2 lbs. 9 oz. | 2 lbs. 8 oz. |
Components
I have just one overall word on the components of this sword. They fit together extremely well, and it both feels and behaves like it was constructed as one solid piece, not individual component parts.
The Blade
The blade is hollow ground with minimal distal taper. The edges of the sword are straight, with no twists or warps, and taper into a sharp point. The blade is polished to a mirror finish, which is so finely done that it that merely sheathing it or touching it with a clean cloth leaves smudges behind. Overall, it looks very nice.
I paid to have the blade sharpened by Darksword Armory, and I can barely see the beveling from the sharpening process. It’s nigh impossible to photograph; you have to see the blade in person in order to pick out the bevels on both sides of the blade. See the Test Cutting section for more information on its sharpness.
The Guard
This is the feature I love most about the sword, and is the singular feature that spurred me to buy it. I adore dragons, and I have always wanted a sword with a dragon on it. This is the first functional piece I could find that had a dragon head and dragon scales. It is made of bronze, like the pommel, and is beautifully adorned with a dragon scale pattern. The tail and head of the dragon tilt and curl slightly inward towards the blade, in imitation to the original dagger that inspired this design.
One little feature of this pattern I like in particular is the scales on both quillions angle down towards the center of the guard. Anatomically this is not accurate, since a dragon’s scales would ideally point towards the tail. In this case, however, it adds symmetry to the guard to compensate for the dragon head on one side and the dragon’s tail on the other. I also like the pattern in the hollow triangle of the guard; the more fluid, flowing pattern reminds me of a dragon’s wings. Beautiful.
The dragon head itself is amazingly detailed. I admit this level of craftsmanship stunned me at first, because it is very detailed for such a small piece (the head is only about the size of the pad of my pinkie finger). Despite its size, Darksword managed to add horns, eyes, nostrils, and even teeth into this little dragon head. The frills along the dragon’s face are also done so painstakingly that they look like tongues of fire trailing behind the dragon. Very impressive work overall.
While it looks nice, the dragon head does prevent me from wrapping a finger over the guard for added point control. If I turn the sword around, I can wrap a finger over the tail-side of the guard, but it still is not very comfortable. It is not strictly necessary to use the sword this way, but it does make using that type of grip uncomfortable, for those who do prefer it.
In contrast, the hollow triangular part of the guard also is recessed enough to create an ideal resting place for the thumb. As with the ebony grip, the texture on this part of the guard helps keep the thumb in place, allowing for greater edge control and alignment. But the upper part of the grip can create a hot spot at the base of the thumb. I was able to teach myself how to hold it without this problem though, so it can be done, especially if you wear gloves when practicing or cutting.
Despite its beauty, I do have one small criticism of the guard. The dragon’s head curves like the original dagger, but it curves just a bit too much. When I try to sheathe the blade, the horns of the dragon catch on the leather scabbard and prevent it from being fully sheathed. I have to be very cognizant of putting the blade in the scabbard, and have to angle it slightly to the side to avoid the horns catching the leather. Already, there are scuff marks from the dragon’s horns. Hopefully I can teach myself how to sheath the blade without further damaging the leather (and I don’t want to harm the horns in the process!).
There is one other little issue that I don’t particularly care about, but some people might, and that’s the alignment of the peaks of the hollow grind and the tip of the guard. On my sword, the very tip of the guard extending towards the tip of the blade is a hair’s breadth off in alignment with the peak of the hollow grind. This occurs on both sides of the blade. It doesn’t bother me personally, since it is such a nitpick issue on the fit and finish, and you really can’t see it unless you squint.
One observation that I will mention for transparency’s sake is that when I shake the sword, sometimes I can hear a faint rattle of the guard. This only occurs when I put my ear up to the guard in a quiet location with no other noise. It also doesn’t occur every time I shake the sword. I’m not sure what causes the irregular rattle, but it rarely shows up and is very quiet. Neither the guard, handle, nor pommel move when I hear this sound, and I don’t see any visible blade movement. It could just be due to the hollow grind, since it appears to go down the blade into the guard, and there are gaps around the edges of the blade.
The Handle
Darksword advertises this handle as ebony wood. The pattern carved into the wood reminds me of a brick wall, except with little gaps in place of mortar. Each rectangular “brick” in the pattern is painstakingly carved. Both ends of the grip flow almost seamlessly into the guard and the pommel, to the point where it looked like the entire hilt was one solid piece even upon close inspection.
The grip is carved so it has a subtle octagonal cross-section, which helps it mold to my hand and create a very secure grip. I have no fear of accidentally dropping it or having it fly out of my hand. The center of the grip is thicker than the rest of the handle, with slight tapering in both directions towards the guard and pommel. This small rise rests perfectly between the heel and knuckles of the hand, creating a very natural, comfortable grip. Combined with the brick pattern on the ebony, one would be hard pressed to lose their grip on the sword. You’d have to deliberately drop it (or have the blade parried by a particularly powerful attack) just to lose hold of the sword. The only drawback to this is that maneuvering with the sword around in the hand is not as easy as with a leather grip. The sword wants to stay in my hand, and once there it doesn’t want to move. This creates the potential for a hot spot to develop if the hand moves across the handle too much.
There is a slight irregularity where the pommel and grip do not perfectly match on the side of the blade with the tail quillion, but it is so close to the pommel there is no chance of it creating a hot spot for the hand (unless for some reason you want your little finger right up next to the pommel, which doesn’t make sense for this sword design).
The Pommel
Like the guard, the pommel is made of bronze. It is shaped like an ornate fig or garlic clove, and it is surprisingly comfortable to hold (yes, I tried swinging it around with two hands on the hilt, just out of curiosity). I would not mind seeing this kind of fig-style pommel on European longswords in the future, because it is very comfortable and feels like it conforms better to the hand than a disc pommel. The recesses in the fig are darker and less polished, but that helps draw the eye to the scaled patterns on the edges.
My only negative criticism of the pommel was the peen. When it first arrived, it not look like it was done completely, or with attention to the detail. There was some whitish-grey resin between the end of the pommel and top of the peen, which makes me think someone might have cut a corner and filled in the space between the peen and pommel rather than peen it all the way to the pommel. It didn’t seem to affect the hilt at all, but it looked like an attention-to-detail issue rather than a design flaw. This sword’s companion, my Vindaaris sword, does not have this peen problem.
Image of Bad Peen Image of Repaired Peen
Note on Customer Service: This peen problem is an excellent opportunity to comment on Darkword’s customer service. I contacted them when I saw the bad peen and invoked the sword’s warranty for a repair. Darksword was apologetic for the defect, and took it back at no expense to me (per the warranty policy). They fixed the sword within three days of receiving it in the mail, and I had it back in my possession two weeks after mailing to them for the repair. It was packaged the same way as when I’d first received it, complete with a new coat of grease and plastic wrapping. While the peen is a little rough around the edges, I have no concerns about the sword’s hilt coming apart when I use it now.
The Scabbard
I opted for the scabbard option with the interlaced sword belt, and I am very pleased with it. I like the design of this particular scabbard, and since this is a fantasy piece I could care less about its historical accuracy. It is a wood core, with thick leather rain flaps to protect the blade and part of the guard. The stitching along the back is very secure, and I have no doubt it will hold up very well. The interlaced belt is likewise very sturdy, despite appearing a little on the thing side, and the overall construction of the belt and scabbard is solid and creates a secure connection. As for the color scheme, this scabbard suits the sword, complementing the ebony handle and the darker parts of the guard and pommel.
I find the belt is just a tad too long for someone of my size, and I had to lengthen the straps by about 3 inches by cutting into the leather. Now it fits as it should. I find that this belt design actually works quite well with jeans, since it can thread easily through the belt loops. I just have to avoid threading it through the loop on the left hip and the loop on the back, and the sword sits very nicely on the hip without causing me problems as I walk around. The small size of the sword combined with the comfortable wearability of this belt system make it a great candidate for wearing to activities such as renaissance fairs and costume parties.
I will make one note on the scabbard and belt. Both arrived extremely dry and felt extremely coarse. Normally this might be an area where some aren’t satisfied, but I caution against such a rush to judgement. This kind of dryness can be indicative of the climate. When I received the sword, it had already spent four days sitting in Denver, Co. during an especially warm and dry week. This can wreak havoc on leather, and I frequently treat the scabbard of my Windlass with saddlesoap to keep it from drying out (twice a week in the driest times). So I took saddle soap to the leather before even trying the belt on, and I found this did wonders for loosening the belt up and softening the leather. This is generally a good idea to avoid cracks from stressing dry leather, as even a good quality piece of leather will crack if not treated properly in heat. Saddlesoap will also buff leather as it cleans, which improves the overall appearance of the scabbard. After several weeks of regular treatment, the scabbard is no longer rough and dry.
Handling Characteristics
The weight of the sword is obvious when holding it and swinging it around, but it has a great balance. I can easily direct the sword where I want it to go, and have great control over the cuts and thrusts now that I’ve increased my familiarity with the one handed style. Changing direction on the fly is not quite as easy as with the Agincourt, but that is mostly due to my unfamiliarity with swinging a sword one handed. When I put a hand on the pommel and swing it with two hands, it handles almost exactly like the Agincourt does.
This sword loves to thrust, even more than it loves to cut. It has enough weight behind it that once I start a thrust attack, I can let this sword’s momentum carry the action through. I find that it actually thrusts better than the Agincourt does, since with that sword I have to use more effort to keep its momentum going. The extra weight behind it also helps it commit to any movement I make with my sword arm, be it a cut, thrust, disengage, or parry, allowing the sword to move with me rather than me having to constantly direct it like I do with my Agincourt (this is a very subtle difference, but it does exist). With a little more training and familiarity, I am confident I will soon be able to handle this sword like an extension of my arm.
Test Cutting
The first cutting test I tried on this sword was the paper slice. With the factory edge, the sword sheared the paper more than actually cutting it, and there are traces of tearing (see left-hand cut below). I stropped one of the edges with a leather belt to see if that improved the blade’s performance, and the next cut was marginally cleaner (see right-hand cut below).
This sword does well thrusting at cardboard boxes, easily piercing the cardboard. It fares less well with cutting them, creating more dents than actual cuts. This could be in large part due to handling errors, since I am unaccustomed to a one-handed sword, and I’ve never trained in one-handed cuts before.
When used against an orange-flesh melon, the sword lopped it cleanly in half, with no resistance at all. I only saw it go through the melon, and for a moment thought I had somehow missed until the melon separated into two halves from the stress of the cut (my cut did fall a bit short due to my unfamiliarity with this sword’s length, but cut enough of the melon to weaken it and result in it breaking apart when it tipped off its cutting stand). I used both the stropped and factory edges on the melon, and saw little to no difference in performance.
As far as water bottles are concerned, this sword has a love-hate relationship with them. It can cut a regular water bottle in half, but only if the bottle is completely full, and the cut isn’t always clean. Otherwise it launches the bottle across the lawn with only a dent. It also has trouble with thicker targets like an apple juice container, and can only cut through those after hitting the same spot multiple times.
Because I am unfamiliar with using a sword in one hand only, I suspected that most of my erratic results were due to my own error. I showed the sword to a friend and fellow sword enthusiast (I’ll call him Mitch) and had him test the sword out. Mitch has more experience and training with one-handed swords than I do, so his use of the sword would reflect a more accurate analysis of the sword’s cutting ability. Mitch also had issues with cutting through water bottles and plastic juice containers, and his assessment was the edge didn’t have sufficient sharpness to take on a water bottle.
Conclusions
I find this sword to be an interesting balance between a historical blade and a fantasy piece. The sword’s design comes directly from a historical dagger in the Wallace Collection, but with small alterations on the hilt to better suit a “Game of Thrones” theme. Overall, the sword looks like a blade that could belong to either the real world or a fantasy world. The level of detail in such a small sword is also impressive, especially since the fantasy-themed hilt does not interfere much with its functionality.
In regard to my experience with the sharpening service (both on this sword and the Vindaaris sword I ordered at the same time), the only real benefit is the creation of an edge. The sharpening was just good enough to cut through thin-walled water bottles, and it is effective against melons. Against thicker plastic water bottles and plastic juice containers, it doesn’t cut very well, if at all. However, I don’t doubt it’s sharp enough to do damage to the hypothetical living target (in other words, still be careful!). If you don’t like sharpening a sword from scratch, or don’t have the experience, ordering the sharpening service does help create a predefined edge that you can further sharpen to your own preferences.
Pros
• Beautiful attention to detail on the hilt, particularly the dragon head and scales.
• Mirror bright polish on the blade.
• Strong cutting blade, and an even more powerful thrusting blade.
• Handles extremely well and doesn’t require extra effort to cut or thrust with.
• Functional sword with a dragon motif.
• Sword fits tightly in scabbard.
• Beautiful attention to detail on the hilt, particularly the dragon head and scales.
• Mirror bright polish on the blade.
• Strong cutting blade, and an even more powerful thrusting blade.
• Handles extremely well and doesn’t require extra effort to cut or thrust with.
• Functional sword with a dragon motif.
• Sword fits tightly in scabbard.
• Customer service for peen defect was both quick and excellent.
Cons
• Peen was initially poorly constructed, at least on my sword.
• The grip and guard may create hot spots on the hand.
• The dragon head is curled tightly enough that it will scratch the leather on the scabbard unless you are mindful of how you sheath it.
• The design of the handle really only lends itself to one type of grip.
• Tip of guard is not perfectly aligned with the edge of the hollow grind.
• Sword belt is too long for some people – may need to be cut to create longer straps.
• Peen was initially poorly constructed, at least on my sword.
• The grip and guard may create hot spots on the hand.
• The dragon head is curled tightly enough that it will scratch the leather on the scabbard unless you are mindful of how you sheath it.
• The design of the handle really only lends itself to one type of grip.
• Tip of guard is not perfectly aligned with the edge of the hollow grind.
• Sword belt is too long for some people – may need to be cut to create longer straps.
The Bottom Line
Time for the final assessment: is this a sword I would recommend?
My answer is absolutely. This is an excellent little sword, capable of strong cuts and powerful thrusts. It handles very well, and its construction felt rock solid despite the incomplete peen. It feels the same after the peen was repaired by Darksword. Some people might find the textured grip a little uncomfortable in the hand, but this can be compensated for by wearing a glove or having tougher hands. This is also an excellent sword to wear to a fantasy-themed event, as its size doesn’t interfere with movement.
For the more historically inclined, who don’t care as much for original fantasy designs, this is a good candidate for a fantasy blade. Its blade, guard, and pommel are based on a real historical dagger on display at the Wallace Museum, with alterations to the guard and handle to bring it in line with the Game of Thrones fantasy world. And if you’re a Game of Thrones fan, this sword will likely remind you of Blackfyre and Dark Sister, the ancestral blades of House Targaryen.
If you are interested in visiting the sword's sale page, I've attached the linked here for your conveinence: www.darksword-armory.com/medieval-weapon/medieval-swords/mother-of-dragons-sword-1821/
Naming Ceremony
As with all of my swords, this little blade needs a name of its own. The inward curve of the dragon’s head and tail on the guard makes me think constantly of Ouroboros, the legendary serpent who consumes its own tail. Now the dragon on this sword obviously does not, but the visual effect of the head and tail are reminiscent of the serpent.
So without further ado: Sword, I revoke thy name Mother of Dragons, and I christen thee anew. Thou shalt be known as Aurabaris!