Darksword Armory: Are They Getting Better? Maybe

It seems the day finally arrived – the day when troubled Canadian sword-makers, Darksword Armory, have announced their long-awaited and long-sought after “mea cupla” resulting from YEARS of customer complaints, emaciated tangs, and suspicions of overseas importing for entire lines of swords.

Better still, apparently, they claim to be DOUBLING DOWN on the overall quality and rigorous inspection process of all their blades for 2019 and beyond.

“DARK SWORD: OUR BAD. SORREY.”

Better late than never? Have they seen the light? We’ll find out.

LITTLE BITTER ABOUT MY BLADES

Now, forgive me my skepticism, but I, personally, was burned by DSA on no less than THREE different swords over a period of about 5 years or so. The Guardian, The Carpathian, The Claymore – all of them came with emaciated tangs and over-built and false-peened hilt constructions that led to catastrophic and potentially-dangerous sword failures.

Not only did I return EACH of these swords MORE THAN ONCE, BEGGING for them to inspect it and provide me with the high-quality sword I paid for, I also subsequently paid Wes Beem of Lonely Wolf Forge HUNDREDS of dollars to tear down and reconstruct the tangs of the Guardian and Carpathian to make them functional (as the Guardian was a wedding gift, and the Carpathian was a favorite design).

I didn’t mind paying Wes to do it. He’s a mad genius with steel, but I must admit, I think I might be ex-wifing this whole scenario pretty hard right now.

The bitterness is still a bit raw, remembering all the mailing I had to do, and the pictures featured in DSA’s article were, in fact, mine: 

I also, presently, have a 11th Century Viking Sword that I purchased around the same time, but I’m afraid to open her up an feel the searing fire of corruption and rage engulf me again.

Plus, she’s too pretty. 

It may also be because after my lengthy email chain with DSA concerning these issues, their apparently indifferent mouthpiece Mike told me:

“It would be best if you purchased from another provider from here on out.”

But this isn’t the blog post to rehash the past.

THIS IS.

THIS IS TOO.

FLASH FORWARD: IMPROVING SWORD QUALITY AT DARKSWORD ARMORY

OK. Enough of that. I’m sure my refunds/new swords/apologies will come any day now (truthfully, they did offer me a new Erland Sword for my trouble. I declined).

But in my many discussions and debates with people who have purchased DSA blades and LOVED them (congrats on picking up good ones), I SWORE that if DSA EVER improved the quality of their weapons and processes with regularity, I would be among the first to come forward and write a “seeing the light” piece about their efforts.

It would seem I am a man of my word.

Here I am, true to life, and here are some things I have noticed that have been positive about the DSA brand image revamp as of late:

• THIS ARTICLE: Do we know if it is all true? Nope. Have they made these claims before? Yep. Evidence to the contrary from renowned swordsmith Jeffrey Robinson? Perhaps. But the fact is they are still acknowledging there was a problem and they are, from photographic evidence, taking steps to correct it. That’s the first step towards recovery and forgiveness, right? For some. Besides, everyone loves a comeback (ask Shakespeare or Rocky Balboa).
  
  
• UPDATED TANG PHOTOS: On their website, on Amazon, in almost location online where they sell, you’ll see a new addition to Darksword’s gallery lineup: a sword blade with a naked tang and transparent (finally) hilt construction. If they weren’t going to provide this type of new and improved tang, they would be setting themselves up for MAJOR legal action for false advertisement and fraud, and potential ruin to their less-than-sterling reputation. I'll count that as a win for the good guys.
  
  
• THE NUT & KEY TANG/POMMEL SYSTEM:
  Most-surprisingly, much like Hanwei, Cold Steel, and other manufacturers - those who know the value of being able to change out their broken or damaged blades - it seems DSA will now start incorporating a  keyed tang system in some of their swords. I haven’t seen any designs on their website to indicate this as of yet (they’re all peened as far as I can tell), but this information comes from collectors on the Sword Buyer’s Guide who have had supposed direct dealings with DSA reps.

Do I trust all of these things? Seeing is believing. Like many of you reading this, no, I have little faith in the promises of DSA. I know there are others who love them, but Im not into abusive relationships (I'm already married).

Are these the right moves to make in order to walk the path of redemption and higher profits within the sword community?

You bet.

“Through perseverance, the snail reaches the ark.” – Charles Spurgeon

Collector's Rec:

Trust—but measure.

A good digital caliper belongs in every serious sword collector's toolbox. Use it to check blade thickness, distal taper, fittings and other dimensions instead of relying entirely on manufacturer specs.

When you're paying hundreds of dollars for a sword, knowing exactly what you've got is never a bad thing.

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NEW ZOMBIE TOOLS SWORD: THE DEUCE 3!

Morning all,

Real short post today b/c I just want everyone to be aware of the NEW ZOMBIE TOOLS WEAPON that is coming down the pipe…

!!!!! THE DEUCE 3 !!!!!

At first glance, and in my humble opinion, it’s a sleek and stylish combination hybrid of the Choppa and the Reaper. She looks to be a pretty prolific slicing weapon, primarily, with that curved upward edge, but still looks like it packs the durable punch everyone expects from ZT, overall with the longer handle and excellent leverage.

A brother of the sword picked it up at the Atlanta Blade Show this year. We can all expect her to show up on the scene sometime in Mid 2019 (at a guess).

Specs:
Overall length: 36”
Blade length: 23”
Handle length: 10”

Here’s some excellent photos from David Pérez Ulloa (owner) so you can start saving those pennies:

 

ALSO, the Two-Bit Betty is retiring soon so don’t forget to grab it before she’s gone!

Collector's Rec: 

Big blades deserve a little respect.

Whether you're cleaning, sharpening or maintaining something like the Zombie Tools Deuce, a good pair of cut-resistant gloves adds some welcome protection when your hands are working close to the edge.

Zombie Tools makes some serious steel.

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Custom Battle Ready Elven Sword: Fate Weaver

The plan was all set…in my head.

The execution, however, would require some finesse. Well-timed vigilance (to receive the packages when I was working from home), some small white lies (but only by omission), sometimes its all about the right place at the right time and dodging bullets (but try and be honest).

2 swords. No questions. No fights with the wife about money or spending. The sublime ideal for a collector with two kids, a mortgage, and a budget.

Better still, one of them would come from Kaer Morhen Forge (yes, Witcher fans, that Kaer Morhen).

But the gods see all our best laid plans and laugh, dont they?

My destiny, it seemed (b/c of bills, PayPal, and other bullshit) was to only acquire ONE sword. But oh what a sword she would be!

Let’s go back…

I had worked on a MASSIVE freelance writing project in April. One of the terms of the money we would earn (most of it would go the family and our trip to Disney) would be that I would allocate funds towards a new sword (or two).

Having caught the custom bug, I went straight to our man Wes Beem and Lonely Wolf Forge first to see what I could do with $1000. He offered me some great options for one of his amazing long sword constructions:

• Mike Jia from The Printed Armory would do the pommel and guard
• Wes would forge/remove stock for the blade
• Steve Huerta from Steve Huerta Custom Leather Works would do the custom scabbard (optional)

I was psyched!

But as the discussion went on, as tends to happen when designing a custom sword with a limited budget, my ideal and his capabilities (for the price) didn’t sync up. I wanted anthropomorphic everything (like my custom Braveheart sword). But instead of a bear this time, I wanted a stag.

• Stag pommel (or stag in a wheel pommel)
• Antler crossguard

I even sent photos:

No dice.

Now, Wes and I are friends, so he told me a nicely and as bluntly as Wes can:

“For that kind of cash, you’re not going to get what you want.”

I couldn’t fault him at all. In my excitement and haste, I had fallen into the oldest trap there is when designing a sword.

“I have this much to spend and I want a frickin’ lightsaber”

Unfortunately, in the end, we couldn’t come to an accord for anything less than $2000 (which I suggested as the right price for Wes’ time, work, and bills). I had to explore other options.

Now, please don’t weep for Wes. There’s a happy ending. I did end up with one of his customs after all…and for a lot less.

HER NAME IS FATE WEAVER

As luck would have it, another one of my All Swords brethren, David, was trying to unload one of the swords he bought from Gentleman Beem: his custom elven saber.

Now, I had been tracking this treasure since the beginning of April, patiently circling like a starving shark to see if this magnificent brand would drop in price at all to a budget depth where I could bite.

In the middle of May, it did.

$750...$650...WAIT FOR IT...BAM!

Once it hit a price where I could nab it, I breached like South African great white and, at least for that hot second, the custom elven blade, aptly-named Fate Weaver, was mine.

But, as with anything worth doing, there were some...complications:

• Gift Card Payments (Fail)
• PayPal Transactions (Fail)
• Canadian Exchange Rate
• International Shipping
• Customs Clearance
• Continental Travel
• Greedy Bandits (not really)

The works….

The apprehension, frustration, and panic was rivaled only by the (figurative) perspiration pouring out of me every day.

But then…after two weeks of waiting….after all the checks and balances were cleared and monetary obstacles…Fate Weaver FINALLY found a new home!

Like a virgin groom on his wedding night (so I have been told), I slowly, reverently (as I do with all my new swords) unfettered my newest steely soul mate from all her trappings, wrappings, and packaging, and simply stood there, awestruck and admiringly soaking in her glorious curves, design, and undeniable metallic strength.

Today, after 4 months, and a lot of work in the yard, I can say that this is the fastest, most agile, and one of the sharpest (shaving would be an insult) swords I own:

• Blade Length: 25 inches 
• Handle Length: 10 inches 
• Weight: 2.5 lbs 
• Steel: 5160 
• Forge Marks on the Blade 
• "Amarth Nathron," "Fate Weaver" in Sindarin Elvish

Not only is it elegant and stunning to behold, it possesses the tank-tough, full-tang, battle-ready construction necessary to make it the first and foremost candidate to ride on my hip on treks through the wilderness. It is also the steel I plan to use when I step up my cutting game and launch into some unsuspecting tatami later on this year.

But for now...

Care to see her in action? Get to know her a little better?

Abracadaver! Thanks for the view!

Stay tuned for the custom scabbard build from Steve Huerta, coming soon!

Collector's Rec.

Every custom sword deserves a home worthy of the blade.

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Tools of The Apocalypse: The Big Bad Wolf & The Diphos

Ok. Now, you can bring on the end times, the hordes of undead…

That might be weird to read – what with the breakdown of law and order, society, and human decency going on all around me and my loved ones. I'll grant you.

But, on the flip side, it WILL give me a chance to let these BAD ASS new blades I got from ZT (Zombie Tools) live out what they were FORGED to do:

fuck…shit…up.

  

But before we take a look at the ins and outs of these vicious steel monsters, let’s go back and take a look at the mindset of the man (me) who – with 2 kids, a lofty mortgage, and a wife not-too-keen on the idea of purchasing expensive heirloom weapons – decided to take a chance, blow some hard-earned cash (approximately $1500), and snatch up some nigh-indestructible steel appeal that was guaranteed (from the research) to stand the test of time.

Burned

Anyone who has ever seen any of my past posts here, on All Swords, or SBG on Facebook knows that I ran into some, ahem…unfortunate events…in my sword purchasing past. Events that only the buying of better, sturdier, higher-quality blades could cure.

Tough

And, needless to say, while I do have a deep respect for HEMA and its practitioners, I was not looking for a Talhofer or Fiore-accurate historical piece I could call my own.

I wanted something different. Something that was a little fantasy, a little out of line in terms of traditional conceptions of construction and design, and swords that I KNEW had the durability (and rock-solid reputation) to hit like a truck and not crack, fly apart, bend, chip, or otherwise do things that would make me cry.

No, but close...

Thanks to guys like Michael Ceracchi, Skallagrim, and ChanmailleMan (Aidan), I found them:

The Big Bad Wolf & 
The Diphos  

The Big Bad Wolf

Back in 2014, I got my first taste of the BIG BAD WOLF (go to about 3:00 mins in). Though almost COMPLETELY different from today’s version (and absolutely in the prototype form), I loved the idea of a two-handed, Viking-style, functional fantasy blade from artists who knew what they were about.

After seeing them destroy the original Deuce, I knew this sword - and the boys at Zombie Tools - would warrant a close watch.

When the specs of the sword dropped in 2015 (achieving a power level that was easily over 9000), the Big Bad Wolf seemed heavy, expensive, formed like a “sharpened bar,” to be sure, and my EVERYTHING.

I decided I had to have it. Next sword purchase (whenever that was) it was mine.

Today, after so much waiting, argument, holding her in my hands, and experiencing the raw power she offers, I can comfortably and definitively say it absolutely is. Take my word for it, this Wolf leads the pack, and lives up to its pig-petrifying name in EVERY WAY possible. 

But like Conan said back in the 80’s, “ENOUGH TALK!”

Let’s get down to what we all came here to see: pics and videos!

Official Blade Specs:

Total Length: 40 in (1.02 m)

Blade Length: 29 in (.74m)

Handle Length: 11 in (.28m)

Grip Size: 7.5 in (.19 m)

Steel Width: .25 in (6.35mm)

Steel Type: 5160 Carbon Spring Steel

Weight: 3lbs 13oz (1.73kg)

Availability: RETIRED

Price: $724 (MSRP)

Product Features:

• Handsome Center-Line Bevel
• Reinforced Handle Elements
• Weight-Reducing Distal Taper
• Secondary Steel Plated Pommel And Guard
• Neolithic Styling
• 2.5-Inch Center Of Balance From Top Hand
• Durable Kydex Sheath
• Comes complete with "Fuck Yeah" Feeling

Blade of the Gods: The Diphos

The design of the SECOND weapon in my recently-updated arsenal must have come from Athena, Odysseus’ girl, Goddess of Wisdom and Warfare herself, because it is just DIVINE.

Featuring a broad leaf-blade with wide head, the NASTIEST stabbing point I have ever seen on sword, and a two-handed grip, this short bladed, long-handled merchant of death more than measures up to the durability standards ZT is known for. Even more than that, it takes almost no effort to get through almost any target.

Seriously, if get this sword even up to HALF speed and it will rip through and destroy even the toughest objects (within reason) like Ivan Drago when you let it off the leash (including you, so be careful).

Cut a ways into the pell...yikes

But before I show you (again instead of all this telling), I have to give ALL the inspiration for THIS purchase to one man: Skallagrim.

His in-depth Diphos video was not only an awe-inspiring, real-time, steel-clad fashion show for us sword nerds, but also meticulously informative, almost the point of annoyance (not at all, really).

Check it out 

The Diphos Gallery: 

Official Blade Specs:

Total Length:   35.5 in (.90m)

Blade Length: 25 in (.64m)

Handle Length: 10.5 in (.27m)

Grip Size: 8 in (.20m)

Steel Width: .25 in (6.4mm)

Steel Type: 5160

Weight: 2 lbs 14 oz (1.3 kg)

Availability: 6-8 week wait time.

Release Date: March 2014 (Retirement Date: June 2018-ish)

Price: $649.95

The Taste of the Tang
The one thing that enamors me most about both blades, and deserves serious mention - other than their masochistic durabilities, sleek, in-your face acid-etched designs, and impressive handling characteristics - is the entirely WOODLESS tangs.

To quote the ZT website:

"Our handles are made from T-6 aluminum that is pinned onto the tang with mild steel pins. They do not come off.  Our blades are full-tang, battle-ready, sharpened and sheathed pieces of 5160 and 6150 spring steel that we heat-treat to yield a 55 Rockwell hardness. Our bevels are saber-grinds and our edge bevels run at about 19 degrees."

And they will slice through your crappy Honda civic like a juiced up lightsaber! (alright, I made that up).

But I do LOVE that these beasts are SPECIALLY-DESIGNED to take heavy punishment all while maintaining most of the essentials of a well-built sword. This makes them pretty close to one GIANT Center of Percussion (CoP), and my new favorite things in the universe (sorry kids).   

A Word of Warning:

However, after all of this ZT ball washing, I do want this review to be as unbiased as it can be for both of these bad Betties. The only real words of caution I would offer would be watch out for the edge of the Big Bad Wolf (not hair shaving sharp) and the sheath on the Diphos.

For the Diphos sheath, seriously, what in the world is going on with this design (see above)? The “lips” (let’s call them) do comfortably keep the blade locked in place and prevented from sliding out, yes. But they also make it nearly IMPOSSIBLE for the blade to be drawn quickly and efficiently.

You have to exert some serious strength to get her out of there, and if your hand slips or anything gets in the way of that blade when she’s ejaculating from that sheath at the speed of sound, you’ll slice your shit down to the bone or clean off (not kidding).

I, for one, plan to file them down.

Funny thing is though, this is ON PURPOSE!

The boys at Zombie Tools themselves shed a little light:

"There’s a small trick to unsheathing our blades. Our Kydex sheaths are formed to have a pressure lock on the handle. If you just grab the sheath with one hand and the handle with the other and pull, the unsheathing can be difficult and awkward. The trick is to use your thumb to pop the sheath off the handle lock. Grab the sheath with one hand and the handle with the other and use the thumb of your handle hand to push the sheath off of the blade while gently pulling at the same time. You’ll also want to turn the blade so that the edge is facing up and the blade rides on its spine as you unsheath. This is especially helpful with our curved blades."

As far as the edge on the blade of the Big Bad Wolf, I think maybe it depends on the kind of target you are slicing through (I hate you Ocean Spray bottles), and of course the angle at which you are cutting. If you use heavier plastic targets (see Diphos video) or ANYTHING heavier than wood, the outcome will be drastically different (and worse, I am guessing) than, say, thinner water bottles, tatami mats, ballistic gel heads, or your daughter's boyfriend you catch getting handsy with your little angel. Also, the Wolf is less forgiving with last-second handle rolls or off-line cuts (I'm working on it over here!)

But in the long run, these things amount to practically nothing.

Final Thoughts:

Buy them both (though the Wolf is retired. Get it second-hand).

It's as simple as that.

Neither sword is "HEMA-tested, HEMA-approved" by any real means, but they aren't supposed to be. What they ARE built to be is rough and ready, heavy metal killing machines that absolutely stand tall against tremendous shock without ever missing a beat.

They feel amazing (lighter and more nimble than their overall weight would dictate), look better than I could have ever hoped to find on the market without going custom, and COMMAND the respect all REAL practitioners of our beloved hobby/obsession should always give to their swords.

They excel where other, lesser blades have bent, broken, or just plain quit, and for that, they have EARNED my unyielding love and admiration, indefinitely.

Pick em up, and happy cutting!

COLLECTORS REC.

The Big Bad Wolf and Diphos were built to cut, so why stop at water bottles? If you'd like to experience what these blades are truly capable of, and Z heads are in short supply, rolled tatami mats are one of the best cutting mediums available. They offer the realistic resistance, reward proper edge alignment, and are widely used by big swinging sword dicks everywhere to evaluate both blade performance and technique. Pair them with a rock-solid cutting stand, and you'll have one of the most rewarding slicing experiences you can get. Get em both!

SWORD STAND & TATAMI MATS