Darksword Armory Dark Age Sword Review

The Dark Age Sword by Darksword Armory may be something of a 'loosely historically inspired' piece rather than a direct copy of any known antique, but its unique leaf blade design certainly does conjure up images of this period of barbarity, being something of a hybrid between earlier Mediterranean blades and Germanic hilting techniques.

Certainly unique, in this hands on review we take a look at this sword through the eyes of one of our resident Darksword Armory fans, Jason Woodard.

Darksword Armory Dark Age Sword

Manufacturers Blurb:

The Dark Ages, specifically, refers to a time (476-800) when there was an absence of a Roman emperor in the West: or, more generally, to the period between about 500 and 1000,which was marked by frequent warfare and a virtual disappearance of urban life. The Dark Ages, also known as the Early Medieval Period, began by the deposition of the last western Roman Emperor by a Germanic leader in 476 A.D. The period is marked by the "Germanization" of the Roman armies and a massive wave of attacks on the Roman Empire commonly referred to as the "German Invasions".

Darksword Armory's Dark age sword is my first Leaf blade sword so far and to be honest I was not sure what to expect from it.. So after getting the dark age sword, unpacking it and cleaning the heavy oil from the blade and guard I was able to give it a good once over..

First thing I liked right from the start was the wood grip and scabbard.. As far as scabbards go I think this is best one DSA has added with their swords.. The wood grain really makes a nice change of pace. The guard is short and stiff and the Pommel is large and could be used for striking as well in a sword fight.

This sword feels very tight and strong right off the bat, though it's shorter than some of the others I own..

The leaf blade itself is very nice.. I took it right outside and worked with the sword for awhile, swinging it around and practicing some thrusting moves.. You can feel the weight of the leaf blade in your swing.

It feels better balanced than I would have thought just looking at it, but you can really feel the power your blows would have when using this sword..

Despite this, it's certainly not too heavy and has relatively good recovery for the weight, though it is still a little on the sluggish side...

This sword took me about 25 Min's each side to sharpen using a Accusharp on a vice and a fine stone to finish off the edge..

Now I was ready to do some good old sword testing.. Please note I like to push my swords a bit to see what the can take.. Swords should not be used on 2x4's or seasoned hickory stumps..

I've done this with several of my DSA swords with ZERO failures.. My first test was on a pumpkin I grew myself this year.. This was just a cutting test to see how the sword handles and how good of a edge I put on it..The dark age sword made all clean cuts on the pumpkin and felt great threw the swings I made..

Next, I just played around some here cutting three 1 gallon jugs at once and then back cut them. It was easy and I could hardly feel the cuts.. I'm sure I could have done this with 5 or 6 jugs had I had anymore jugs for cutting....

Finally I nailed a pressure treated 2x4 to a tree in the back yard and gave it several good cuts.. No problems other than the 2x4 was at a odd angle..

After testing this sword all the fittings remained tight and snug with no damage to the blade.

Because of the good quality steel and tempering, even after this the blade was still very sharp and needs no more sharpening..

I'm very happy with how this sword held up and how it performed.

Thanks for your time, Jason Woodard

PROS

• Very strong and durable leaf blade with tight, well assembled fittings

• Attractive scabbard

• Not historically accurate - more of a 'fantasy' piece

• A bit too heavy for a sword of this size, with at best average handling

• One of DSA's more expensive single handed swords

WHERE TO BUY

The Dark Age sword is available for US$315 (the mimimum allowable advertised price) plus $35 shipping direct from the manufacturer, however I am proud to offer this particular piece right here at the SBG Sword Store with FREE SHIPPING to the USA and Canada.