Dark Sword Armory Guardlan Sword Review: Is This $700 Viking Sword Worth Buying?

 

Dark Sword Armory Guardlan Sword: Is this Viking sword worth $700?

I have to give it to them, even now. The Dark Sword Armory (yyychhh) Guardlan is one of the most visually-impressive fantasy Viking swords out there (it may be the only one in mass production, as they didn't historically exist).

Though I don't love the forge, and bought this one a decade ago, I must say it offers excellent fantasy aesthetics and undeniable shelf presence.

But, as is mostly the case with DSA (at least in my checkered history), its cutting performance and construction quality may not fully justify its $600-$700 price tag.

Pros

• Outstanding fantasy Viking design
• Excellent display piece
• Comfortable two-handed grip
• Unique appearance compared to traditional Viking swords

Cons

• Expensive
• Performance doesn't always match the price
• History of construction concerns
• Needed heavy revamp
• Better heavy-duty cutters exist in the same price range

Let's take a look under the hood...

Now, I have to say, I love fantasy swords.

Not "historically inspired" swords. Not museum replicas. Fantasy swords.

The bigger, weirder, and more impractical, the better. If a sword looks like it belongs in a dark fantasy video game, has enough steel to trigger airport security from three zip codes away, and would make a medieval historian audibly groan, chances are I want it.

So when I first came across the Dark Sword Armory Guardlan Sword, I was intrigued immediately.

At first glance, it checks all the right boxes.

Long blade? Check.

Massive two-handed grip? Check.

Aggressive Viking styling? Check.

The kind of sword that makes you instinctively stand a little straighter when you pick it up? Double check.

The Dark Sword Armory Guardlan occupies a strange space in the sword world. It's often marketed as a Viking sword, but let's be honest here—it's about as historically Viking as horns on helmets.

Real Viking-era swords were one-handed weapons or more commonly spears. This thing has enough grip for both hands and then some.

That's perfectly fine by me.

Because fantasy swords, especially fuck off functional ones, are awesome.

Is the Dark Sword Armory Guardlan Historically Accurate?

To satisfy all my salivating historical sword fanatics, not at all really.

While the Guardlan Sword borrows heavily from Viking-era aesthetics - distinctive 5-lobe pommel, lots of leather, blood of your enemies - it is fundamentally a fantasy design. The extended grip alone places it well outside the realm of historical Viking-era weapons.

If historical accuracy is the goal, look elsewhere.

If you're looking for something that feels like it was carried by a six-foot-eight Norse king who spent his weekends fighting dragons and trolls and shit, you're in the right place.

Design and Appearance

Dark Sword Armory has built a reputation for producing visually striking, if not total ticking time bomb, swords. Like most of their fantasy swords, The Guardlan may be one of their best-looking designs.

Now true to form, the sword I own has actually had some work done by Wes Beem of Lone Wolf Forge. The original peen was reworked and shaped, ALLLLL the excess epoxy/JB weld was removed, and the edge was significantly improved.

That's important.

Because what you're seeing here isn't a completely factory-fresh example. It's actually a better version of what originally arrived.

See KOA's video here for that: 

 

And yet...

I still have some reservations.

The Guardlan has presence.

You don't pull this thing off the rack and think, "What a practical tool."

You pull it out and immediately start wondering whether you should conquer an English coastline with nothing but a ship, a horn, 40 hairy friends, and this thing on your back. 

The proportions are fine (for a two-handed Viking-era replica). The blade geometry is...attractive? The overall design absolutely nails that fantasy Viking aesthetic: 

• Overall Length: 40 7/8"
• Blade Length: 29 15/16"
• Weight: 2 lbs 10 oz
• Edge: Moderately Sharp
• Width: 50 mm
• Thickness: 6.2 mm - 3 mm
• Pommel: Peened (suspect, purchase with care)
• P.O.B.: 4 1/4"
• Grip Length: 9"
• Blade: [5160 High Carbon Steel]

Sitting on a display rack? Fantastic.

Hanging on a wall? Outstanding.

Making visitors ask questions, possibly shit their pants? Absolutely.

The Guardlan enters the room like it pays rent.

Unfortunately, looks only get you so far.

At least around here.

Is the DSA Guardlan Good for Cutting?

This is where things get complicated.

Now before the keyboard warriors start sharpening their comments, let me make something clear.

I am not a master swordsman. I know enough about edge alignment and cutting mechanics to be dangerous to water bottles. I'm not claiming to be Aragorn.

That said, performance is performance.

And from the very first cuts, something felt off.

Smaller water bottles were hit and miss. Some cuts were acceptable. Others produced more tearing and breakage than clean slices.

Part of that may have been my edge alignment. Part of it may have been the target.

But after enough swings, a pattern started to emerge.

The Dark Sword Armory Guardlan simply didn't feel eager to cut.

It felt reluctant.

Like some angsty asshole teenager who hates their dad, it simply didnt move like I wanted to when I wanted it to. 

It would eventually get the job done, but not before making the entire process more difficult than it needed to be.

As I moved into heavier targets, the results improved somewhat. Thicker bottles produced cleaner cuts and more convincing performance.

But even then, the Guardlan never delivered the confidence I expected from a sword in this price range.

And that's really the problem.

This isn't a $200 budget sword. This is a sword that can easily push into the $600-$700 range. At that price, expectations rise dramatically.

You don't expect a Toyota. You expect a Corvette. At the very least a Chevy that will plow through and get it done. 

Unfortunately, the Guardlan often feels more like a very attractive mini-van than anything I want to drive.

Comfortable.

Capable.

Decent looking.

But not exactly setting any speed or performance records.

Dark Sword Armory Guardlan vs Zombie Tools Big Bad Wolf

To really illustrate my point, I brought out another favorite from my collection: the Zombie Tools Big Bad Wolf.

Now comparing Zombie Tools to Dark Sword Armory isn't entirely fair. They're different companies with different philosophies, WAYYYY different builds, and cutting goals. 

But the contrast was impossible to ignore.

The Big Bad Wolf absolutely demolished the same heavy targets that gave the Guardlan trouble.

The Wolf was...

No drama.

No hesitation.

No negotiation.

Just pure violence. 

And for the same price (actually less when I bought the Wolf - The Zombie Tools Maximus is its modern iteration). 

Where the Guardlan felt like it was asking permission, the Big Bad Wolf was kicking the door off the hinges.

The difference in authority was immediately noticeable.

Is the Dark Sword Armory Guardlan Worth the Price?

Rating: 6/10

"Not getting into Valhalla..."

If your primary goal is aesthetics, fantasy styling, and collector appeal, the Guardlan Sword has a lot going for it.

If your primary goal is cutting performance and durability, the value proposition becomes harder to justify.

A sword costing $600-$700 should inspire confidence.

It shouldn't require excuses.

It shouldn't require caveats.

And it definitely shouldn't require a second trip to a better forge before it starts living up to its potential.

Final Verdict

The Dark Sword Armory Guardlan remains an attractive fantasy Viking sword on the mass production market (and that's saying a lot based on my past dealings with these people).

The design is outstanding. The presence is undeniable. And as a display piece, it's hard not to love.

But if you're looking for a sword that cuts as aggressively as it looks, you may come away wanting more.

The Guardlan looks like a Viking king.

Unfortunately, it sometimes cuts like a thrall at best even with a wicked Wes Beem edge on it.

And that's a shame.

Because buried underneath all that steel is a sword that really wants to be great.

Ronin Katana Euro Longsword #5 (Maybe)(Discontinued)

 

Summer Sword Sale 2022

 

SUMMER SALE 2023 SWORDS 

LEGACY ARMS/GEN2 CRUSADER SWORD (DISPLAY & PARTS ONLY)

DISCONTINUED DSA CARPATHIAN (DISPLAY & PARTS ONLY)

THANKS FOR LOOKING! 

Zombie Tools Felon & Fixed Blade Fanatics

I love knives. Always have. 

From the time I learned to whittle my first stick with a small Swiss army knife (I cut myself DEEP) to yesterday when I cut away a truly stubborn knot on my daughter’s dress, their look and utility have always been just downright appealing in all the right ways.

After all, they’re small swords, right? And, don’t they make the perfect pairing to your favorite long sword, rapier, or katana? 

Oh yes.

They’re the most primitive and yet the most sophisticated of tools. In the kitchen, in the fishing boat, in the woods - they’re your trusty sidearm, and one of the only things between you and straight-up starvation.

In our dreams, they’re daggers in the dark. They can build and destroy empires (Et Tu, Brute?). They can be as simple or as elaborate as your imagination allows, and men, women and kids the world over can’t get enough of them to the tune of BILLIONS of dollars, annually.

So when our favorite purveyors of fist full of fuck yeah at Zombie Tools made an American Bowie Knife design, I fell instantly in love. The Bowie Knife was already legendary to me, of course, having learned about its rise to glory when I was like 6 years old oh so long ago, but ZT’s monstrous unique take on it was more than anything I could have hoped for.

The Zombie Tools Felon Bowie

Do a simple search on a site like KnifeCenter.com and you get a broad array of options for your garden-variety Bowies. They’re all lovely to look at, and all fall within certain parameters, despite their unique designs:

· Overall Length: 12 to 16.5 inches
· Blade Length: 7.0 to 11 inches
· Weight: 11.6 to 27.3oz
· Some Kind of Clip Point

Boker Magnum, SVORD, SOG, Condor Knife & Tool, Schrade, they all said:

“Great. Bowies. Simple. Easy. Awesome”

And put out their product.

Well and good…

But the boys at Zombie Tools chose to walk a different path. Their take on the Bowie, The Felon, is designed to filet trout and one-swipe tree branches with equal efficiency, as well as brown the shorts of anyone unfortunate enough to get into any kind of fight with its wielder.

Zombie Tools Felon Stats: 

To be perfectly honest, The Felon is more short sword than a bladed belt accessory. It flaunts its length and heft with confidence and swagger while simultaneously offering ZERO chance of easy concealment. If you’re fan of hassle-free open carry or subtle EDC knives, this one may not be for you:

· Total Length: 19.5 in.
· Blade Length: 12.75 in.
· Handle Length: 6.5 in.
· Steel Thickness: .25 in.
· Weight: 2lbs 2oz
· Steel Type: 5160

Get to the Choppah! 

But for all her size, is she a reliable knife? Extra thicc and big-boned (how I like em), sure, but how’s the edge? Single bevel? How does it stand up to its tasks and represent the ZT name against tougher targets?

Glad you asked:

Should I Buy the Zombie Tools Felon? 

If you’re looking for a kick-ass original monster Bowie, yes.

But understand that this thing is not a camp knife, a trail knife, or kitchen slicer. It is the ULTIMATE version of all of them!

What it lacks in finesse, it more than makes up for in stopping power and chopping ability. The clip point is elegant (though false-edged), but shouldn’t be used for menial tasks like opening letters or spreading butter. It CAN chop your veggies, but is more comfortable with your firewood.

You want balance? Go see Cirque Du Soleil. You’ll be holding a whole sharpened kilo of forward-heavy steel with a fat-ass handle, and a ton of pride about being the diesel truck of big Bowies.

No apologies asked. None given.

Pick One Up HERE before they send this bull out to pasture.

Knife, Not Cleaver! 

“But wait…” you sputter. “I like a lighter, more-balanced blade that isn’t a total behemoth on my belt. Where then do I look?”

Couple years ago, I wouldn’t be able to tell you. I knew next to nothing about hand-crafted knives, except that there were the hotness. But today, after much meandering around Facebook groups and official indoctrination into a hobby that promises to 100% break my bank account, I can be your guide.

Let’s chat about The Dark Timber Brotherhood & Work Tuff Gear.

What is the Dark Timber Brotherhood?
 

Sounds like a knife cult doesn’t it? Well, that’s because it kind of is. But, in all the best ways. LOL.

Lead by sword saint-in-training and Blade Show regular, Peter Kohler, this Facebook-Only Collective of knife lovers and all-around good guys and gals talks shop, compares models, showcases their collections of nearly-impossible to get DTKs with verve and flourish, and attracts new members every day.

The secret to Peter’s success, and the success of the DTB lies not only in the solid, hand-crafted, American-forged quality of all of the Dark Timber Knives, but also the transparency, openness, and leadership of the group.

Peter forges them. Puts all of his forging, sharpening, and knife talks on Facebook live. Lets people comment, either online or at the DTB events held in southern states twice-a-year. It’s a whole scene.

But more than that, brothers (and sisters) of the group talk and act on their acceptance and appreciation of the other members of the group. They ask for and exchange prayers. They fund each other if they lose big in life. They help one another in a variety of different ways and do it with a smile.

I am as much a fan fan of that as I am of all of their beautiful knives.

Dark Timber Knives: The OG Grizzly & The Honey Badger 

All that comradery is great and all, but the foundation is the knives. That’s why we are here.

Do they stack up to the modern demands of today’s roughneck/knife nuts alike? In my estimation, with flying colors:

Grizzly:

Honey Badger:

How Do I Get a Dark Timber Knife? 

Gorgeous as they are, there is a matching desire for these things that mirrors that beauty. What is more, there are only a few ways to pick up your own DT pig sticker, and all of them involve a decent chunk of change, quick clicking keyboard fingers, or both:

• Custom Order: The fastest and most direct way to get one, but also the most expensive, you can always order your DTK by talking to Peter directly. Knives can generally cost $1000+, so be ready to part with your long-saved Bar Mitzvah cash from grandma.
  
  
• Purchase One during “The Drop”: When Peter creates a batch of steel beauties, he reaches out to his contacts at BladeHQ and KnivesShipFree and sets a date for when these knives will be in stock and available for purchase.

          This is called “The Drop.” It is the most sacred day(s) of the              year to the brothers and sisters of the Brotherhood.

          Now, you CAN simply add a knife to your cart and proceed to              check-out, but here’s the trick: everyone will be doing exactly            the same thing at the same time. You could add a couple rare            knives to your online tote, go to pay, and BAM! Cart sniped.                You’ve lost your knife and your chance to show it off. It’s                    tough, but so are these blades.

          Gut wrenching reality is: everyone wants one and EVERYONE              will be there.

• Head to the BLADE Show: Every year, in Georgia, the blade community holds a gathering where all of the best blade sellers and forgers come together to showcase their wares. It’s lovingly and aptly-named: BLADE Show. Peter, his followers, and fellow blade merchants attend to give everyone their shot at glory. Show up cash in-hand (so I have heard) and go home happy.

Bottom line is the knives, and the company, speak for themselves. They are among the best I have ever seen, and appeal to me on so many different levels - both personally and aesthetically. The light metallic skeleton, the blade shape, the customization options for the hilt scales, the full-tang construction - it’s just everything. 

I know there are A MILLION different knife companies and forgers out there - each bringing their own appeal to everyone - but these are for me (when I can afford them and not get cart sniped trying to get one). Call me a fan boi I guess.

(SHRUG)

Work Tuff Gear Knives 

If Dark Timber is at the top of the Stateside market for forging and selling stunning fixed-blade knives, Work Tuff Gear is coming from overseas to give them a run for their money.

Based in Taiwan, this forge has almost all of the looks and metal toughness of DTK, but with the regular availability of a ubiquitous merchant on the rise. Not only do they have their own shop on their website AND AMAZON for a good number of models, but their exquisite knives - even the much sought-after Nomad - are almost always in-stock and ready-to-ship!

Like an affordable appetizer to the main course (for now), I cannot recommend, HIGHLY enough, the sturdy pro construction of a Work Tuff to ready your fist for your first DTK.

Honorable Fixed Blade Mention: Norse Hunting Knife, Viking Styles
 

I would be remiss without a mention of the Norse Bear-Themed Hunting Knife from Viking Styles in my pantheon of belt hangers. I haven't seen this blade broken down to bare bones, but I can say, with confidence, that I have carried it into the woods and used it without issue, incident, or complaint.

Not only will these blades serve for whatever tasks you need round the campsite, their decorative aspects leave nothing to be desired in terms of aesthetics and overall Norse appeal.

Bear’s head pommel? Check.
Attractive up-swept curving blade design? Roger that.
Intricate s-shaped fullers for light, fast blade handling? Right on.

Though it is stainless steel (as most knives are), I would wager it would gut a stag, cut rope, whittle kindling, or perform to almost any level you needed with admirable ease. Plus, their company offers constant, honest communications and lightning-fast shipping, worldwide.

So there we have it. If you love fixed blades as much as I do, you can’t really go wrong with any of the choices above. Research your state’s unique knife carry laws, always cut away from your own hands (seriously), and respect the power of gorgeous life and death you hold in your hands.

Snicker Snack! Functional Fantasy Swords & SBG's Vorpal Blade

When it comes to swords, fantasy CAN be functional.

I’ve seen it. I’ve felt it. I even prefer it.

Best of all, forges and companies within the sword community can do it too and are beginning to see the value in dipping their collective toes.

They know there is a market for it, but for a very specific buyer. This person is into all the tropes - anime, LOTR, video games, various fantasy literature titles and genres, and may be willing to pay through the nose to get their hands on the brands that have sent their favorite big bads hurtling into the abyss, time and time again.

But for all the market share that they might be getting access to, for some reason, they still tend to avoid making high-quality functional fantasy pieces (there’s a ton of dangerous fantasy trash out there) on a massed-produced scale. Fantasy swords now generally come in the forms of  COMMISSIONS with lengthy waits and high price tags.

Why?

Well, in my estimation, fantasy designs denote fantastical elements that are the most sought after elements by collectors, but also the most difficult to pull off - especially when it comes to one-shot forging with liquid-hot casting metals:

• Bronze/Steel Cast Pommels/Guards with Animal Motifs
• Weird Angles For Quillons & Crossguards
• Curved, Elongated, Leaf-shaped, Flared, or Just Over-Balanced Blade Shapes
• Exotic Grip Colors & Wrap Materials
• Spacers, Engraving & Nordic Runes
• Double & Triple Fullers
• Overall A-Historical Design Elements
• And all that...

There is A LOT that goes into pulling off a well-made fantasy sword and each piece is by in large, completely unique.

Fantasy Function + Form
Additionally, makers’ fantasy designs not only have to have the look, they have to have the evidence, and if possible reputation, for stability, rock-solid construction, and functionally. Their name needs to have the ability to cause that transcendent moment when said fan boi (me) actually opens their wallet, stops salivating over the dream of ownership, and becomes a paying customer and collector.

In short, here has to be PROOF that the sword is put together in a way that it won’t let you down in...um...battle. That means videos, pictures, anecdotal accounts from clients, all before the sword even goes out. Artists have to be DOCUMENTING the process at almost every stage - showing tang construction, specifically.

Along with bringing balance, notoriety, and regular business to the fantasy sword market, forges, retail sellers, and even sellers on the secondary/pre-owned markets are also, shockingly JUST starting to come around on showcasing the pre-build components, construction, and testing of their fantasy sword designs in real time (and not...ahem...lying about it, which is unfortunate) and outside of forums.

In our age of Tik Tok, YouTube, Instagram, and other advanced media outlets, craftsmen and salespeople are starting to realize (or being forced to) that that so-sought-after moment doesn’t come without transparency.

The “Show Me” Sword Movement
It’s the motto that I live by as a collector.

When seriously purchasing what I assume to be functional fantasy blades, “Show me” has always been my MO with almost every vendor I work with. And I am not alone.

I see that desire, shared by legions of functional fantasy collectors, showcased in places like SBG, Facebook, and other places where fantasy sword nerds (like me) gather.

People want to see these things almost torture-tested against more than water just bottles. They need:

• Nodes Of Percussion Palm Slaps
• Hilt Construction Specifics
• Steel Types
• Gel Torso Cutting
• Branch Bashing (Please Don’t Unless You’re Skall and Even Then...)
• And More...

They’re doing their due diligence by watching countless cutting, Fiore, and Talhofer videos, as the prices aren't going down, and that’s all to the good.

When forges adopt that transparency, and can pull it off b/c their products have those prerequisites, they can hit it big:

WITCHER SWORDS BY KAER MORHEN FORGE CAN BARELY KEEP UP

The STUNNING works that these brilliant people create cause plugged-in buyers - whether they have read the Silmarillion or otherwise - to absolutely pay all their gold in their coin purse to get their hands on these steely works of art and showcase them proudly for serious community cred:

The SBG Vorpal Sword
So when Paul Southern of the Sword Buyer’s Guide (SBG), whom, I have been following for over a decade (some of you even longer than that, I am sure), decided to bring the pieces from his now-hiatus’d WEB COMIC SERIES to life, I was 100% in.

Scrolling through all of the models, I knew I needed something that was:

• Cruciform-Shaped
• Modeled In The Western European Style
• Two-Handed
• Under $1000

After much drooling over snake-slicing scimitars with wild curves, modern fantasy gladii, and even a blade forged for angels by angels, I landed on:

THE SBG VORPAL SWORD

This BEAST of a weapon had everything - the right length, proper weight for a longsword, straight clean design elements, a color scheme I could love, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, a clear FORGING STORY and FUN LORE that made it something special.

I waited (I rarely buy swords full price, sorry not sorry). Price dropped after a time right before it was gone forever. I snatched it up.

I couldn’t have been happier if I had been standing at the forge myself , banging away with the hammer to bring this thing to life:

Snicker Snack: The Body & Handling of the Vorpal

Length: 35 Inches (Overall)
Weight: 2.5 lbs
Blade: 5160 Spring Steel (Hollow Ground & Spring Tempered)
Oakeshott Inspiration: XVIIIc
Hilt Components: Brass Pommel, Spacer, Wood
Tang: Full. Peened.

Handling:
She drives like a Ferrari!

Strong, sharp, well-put together - she glides through targets easily and earns the time-honored reputation of her longsword kin.

The Blade

Couple of things about the cutting: with the sharpening treatment that came from SBG, she is sharpest in the section just about the ricasso and the middle of the blade. As the blade tapers and narrows up towards the tip, it is not as sharp for me and loses a small amount of cutting power.

The Grip & Pommel
Also, if you aren't careful, the Fleur De Lis-shaped pommel can dig into the side of your hand (much like the VIKING-INSPIRED FANTASY SWORD I own when in hammer grip), though I am sure that is totally the way I am swinging it. I am sure if I don't let my hands slide down the grip, and just grip her tightly - the way she likes it lol - it wouldn't be an issue.

Color Customization
Would I recommend it? Absolutely! I would also talk to Steve Huerta at STEVE HUERTA CUSTOM LEATHER WORKS about customization, as I have seen some stunning RED and MIDNIGHT versions of this sword that completely blew me away.

Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll
Oh, and just for fun, here’s the Lewis Carroll Poem about the sword:

“Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

‘Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!’

He took his VORPAL SWORD in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought —
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood a while in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One two! One two! And through and through
The VORPAL BLADE went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

‘And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
Oh frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!’

He chortled in his joy.
‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.”