Darksword Armoury Knight Sword: Test to Destruction

The Medieval Knight Sword (model 1306) is my first Darksword Armoury blade.

However Jason was adamant I check them out. And while I had heard some bad things about them, mostly second hand (i.e. people who had ‘heard’ this or that) – it seemed that everyone who actually had one was at least happy... If not somewhat ecstatic...

Over time, Jason put me in contact with the forges chief Blade smith – Eyal Azerad, who told me that he wanted to get the word out about these swords. Many a pleasant email correspondence was had with Eyal, who told me that his swords were very popular with the ARMA (Association for Renaissance Martial Arts), various documentaries, theatrical groups and on movie sets.

Eyal offered me the opportunity to stock them at the SBG Sword Store if I was interested. And at the time I WAS interested to find an alternative to what was already on offer in the sub US$300 medieval sword market.

Generation 2 swords, which were my recommended ‘beater’ of choice (i.e. super tough sword that can handle abuse) had recently thinned down many of their blades, making them more historically accurate – but less durable.

Windlass, well – Windlass made a nice looking sword – but they often suffered from either severe whippiness or poor hilt construction.

And Hanwei, many of their European lines suffered from blades that literally broke in half with contact with a water bottle or hollow pommels that just fell off for no good reason...

Yes, they were certainly worth a look in.

But to qualify to be sold at the SBG sword store, they had to be a lot better than just ‘good enough’. They had to be the best darn value for money medieval beater swords on the market!

So, with this in mind, I received the Model 1306 Knight Sword – and as you will see, to qualify for inclusion in the SBG Sword Store – to say I put it through the wringer is an understatement...

If you want to just jump to the tests, click here - otherwise, read for a comprehensive review of the Knight Sword itself – from fittings, blade, handling, sharpening and cutting - before continuing on to the gruelling tests ahead...

Darksword Armoury Knight Sword
Review by Paul Southren (Ed), Adelaide, AUSTRALIA

It’s funny how, when you first receive a sword from a new maker, the way it is packed tells you something about what to expect. And I must say that I was very pleased with the way Darksword packaged the Knight sword – so much so that I wish other sword companies would take a leaf from their book!

For a start, the box itself was flat and perfectly sized, allowing no room for the Knight sword to rattle around.

Even better, the scabbard and hilt were wrapped separately in bubble wrap – making it very easy to remove them in a few seconds without a knife or scissors. The blade was covered in a sheet of plastic inside the sheathe, which peeled off easily, revealing a well greased and protected blade.

”All in all, an EXCELLENT first impression..”.

Naturally, I took a few moments to give the knight sword and scabbard a quick once over.

I have to say that the scabbard itself was a disappointment, though not unexpectedly so.

I had already spoken to Eyal about this before hand and we had agreed that it was currently only something of a free bonus and a good method of storing the blade in (though he also stated they are working on a new design with antiqued fittings).

Anyway, it was very simple affair, made of wood with a leather cover and steel chape and throat. There were also a few rust spots on the steel here and there - not big ones, but noticeable none-the-less. But the biggest issues was it did not fit the Knight sword very well, with the sword only fitting into it with one particular side facing upwards...

...Not to mention that the inside of the mouth between the steel throat and the wood was filled with glue when you looked at it top down made it look pretty ugly.

Yes, the Knight Sword scabbard was pretty average at best. But it was by no means an indication of what to expect for the rest of the assembly...

The quality of the hilt and pommel of the 1306 Knight sword left me nothing short of deeply impressed – not only from a functional point of view (everything was super tight with no play or rattling) but also from an aesthetic one.

The pommel itself is obviously milled, as it is perfectly round and has ‘record like’ swirling grooves in the central boss and is extremely nicely done.

However, what was really beautiful was the grip. A wooden core covered in quality leather, it was snugly fit and super tight with 4 risers and beautifully stitched on one side.

This was the kind of grip you almost NEVER see on swords at this price point (Windlass, eat your heart out!).

The cross guard perfectly matched the rest of the sword – and looked and felt extremely solid – with a gentle and even curve towards the blade and 5 sided lobes. All in all, some of the best furniture I have seen on any sword under the US$300 price point!

In some respects, the only thing that I would have liked to see was that the pommel of the Knight sword was peened. This is something of a personal preference only however.

With some difficulty, I twisted the pommel off and proceeded to wrench off the washer and nut that held the assembly together beyond the pommel.

As you can see - the tang of the Knight sword looks a little on the thin side - especially when compared to the beefy monsters we see on some other heavy duty beaters. However, it is within historically correct parameters – as the meat of it is where any shockwaves from impact would center, and indeed very similar to those of Windlass steelcrafts and most other threaded tang swords on the market. It was certainly not a welded on rat tail rod like some people had falsely accused Darksword of using.

The shoulder of the tang and blade was actually rounded, another thing uncommon on sub US$300 swords, and overall – it does actually suit the swords intended purpose – for as a practical sparring sword, a peened pommel will start to loosen over time as well – and is very hard to tighten when compared to a threaded one.

We would see soon enough if the tang was sufficient for the job... But enough with the furniture – time to look at:

THE BLADE

The knight sword, like all Darksword Armoury blades is actually hand forged from 1060 carbon steel. But what makes it especially unique is that it is made by Eyal and his team of smiths in CANADA – while just about every other sub US$300 sword is made in either China, India or the Philippines...

As it is a hand forged blade, and not CNC Milled like most other North American swords (most of which cost at least double as much), the blade has some real character to it. There are hammer marks along the length, giving it a slightly bumpy, uneven surface that is only obvious when you look down the length of the blade.

The finish itself is a bit of a different story however.

While you can clearly see from the pictures that it is far from being an ugly sword, there are a few grind marks and scratches here and there that could do with a good polish or a more even satin finish.

However, once all is said and done – these marks are very common at this price point and certainly not worth worrying about. After all, the medieval knight sword is a USER sword – not a genteel ornament... (not to mention that the finish is going to be a whole lot worse by the time I am through with it! ;-))

Like most other medieval swords on the market at the sub US$300 price point, the blade is unsharpened – with a 1.4mm thick edge. Partly, this is done because a sharpened blade shipped outside of Canada is classified as a ‘weapon’ – with all its attendant complications.. And as these swords are used extensively by the ARMA, theatrical groups, etc for sparring and re-enactment, having them sharp out of the box is not a desirable characteristic.

Of course, for a backyard cutter like me – it is a bit of a set back. But you will see my ‘quick fix’ solution to making the knight sword a VERY effective cutter in short order...

HANDLING

The profile of the knight sword is described as that of an Oakeshott Type XIV - a sword designed for punching through the gaps in chain armour, as well as cutting unarmoured or lightly unarmoured opponents (it could possibly also be classified as a Type XII - or somewhere between these, though I personally think it leans more towards a true XIV). Anyway, the point is - the knight sword needs to be both stiff enough to penetrate chain, yet flexible enough to withstand lateral impacts.

The 1306 Knight sword covers both ends of the spectrum perfectly.

The blade itself is very stiff. But with some hard pressure, flexes very nicely – springing back to true every time despite some considerable force being applied.

You can see how resilient and well tempered it is even more clearly in the short video below.

As far as dimensions go, it is extremely similar in terms of length, weight and balance to the US$1000 Sovereign Sword by Albion (which is also a Type XIV, though with perhaps a more historically accurate blade profile).

Weighing in at 2.96 lbs with a Point of Balance around 4.5” from the cross guard, the knight sword actually feels very alive in the hand. This is not true for all of Darksword Armouries swords, some of which are quite a bit heavier than the historical originals they are based upon, however the knight sword is exceptional in this regard.

I actually found this sword to be extremely responsive. Recovery time after a cut is excellent, and it is capable of very swift combinations of thrusts and cuts.

With the balance positioned as it is, it is easy to deliver extremely accurate and rapid fire thrusts and very clean cuts.

Which leads me nicely to...

CUTTING TESTS

Now obviously, with a 1.4mm edge out of the box – I needed to give the Knight sword an edge for some cutting. Naturally, there were two options – either take it to the local knife shop in the mall for a quick rough and ready edge, or put one on myself using the techniques explained in my sharpening guide.

But I was left thinking, what about a third option? One that would allow me to quickly and easily sharpen the sword that ANYONE, regardless of experience – could apply?

Well, for the sake of experiment – I decided to use a $13 accusharp, which is a simple hand held sharpener typically used on knives. Placing the sword in a clamp, with the edge facing upwards at an angle that had the blade in a straight line – around 20 minutes of work removed enough steel to get it paper cutting sharp...

Naturally, it was a secondary bevel – not ideal, but very easy to achieve – literally anyone can do it (I also experimented with a second sword, and it is not necessary to clamp it – it can be done in the lap. But it is quicker and easier if clamped).

Some quick cutting tests revealed that it was good enough for cutting a water filled PET bottle in half. Perhaps not the cleanest cuts in the world, but they were cuts.

However, waterbottles are a good target - but I wanted to see how this sword can REALLY cut. So for a real challenge of its cutting ability – I prepared a Tatami mat to the consistency of a human arm, and proceeded to slice it clean in half with no problems...

It was definitely good enough for the task..

So now the time had come, for progressively harder destruction tests. If I was going to be selling the Knight sword on SBG as a beater, it had to survive everything I would throw at it!

Let the torture tests begin!

TORTURE TESTING WARNING: Destructive tests of this manner are NOT recommended as standard test cutting exercises. These tests were conducted after careful examination of the swords structure and blade geometry to determine probable breaking points. The medieval sword was designed primarily to cut human flesh and bone, with a little extra to deal with secondary unintended targets like shields, armor, etc. Breakages in battle were commonplace and if you attempt to recreate these tests, no manufacturer in their right mind would cover you for damages! For the first test, the Knight sword was subjected to a plank of wood (or rather, the plank of wood was subjected to the Knight sword!). This would determine both its overall structural integrity as well as the ability of the newly sharpened edge to withstand rolling. The blows were not extremely hard, but hard enough to bite much deeper than expected – both against and with the grain. VIDEO: Wooden Plank Test Considering how gentle the blows were, the damage to the wood was significant As you can see from the video, blow after blow chewed the wooden plank up in short order – and the blade itself showed no marring, rolling or loss of hilt integrity. So much for the easy stuff: it was time to give the Knight sword a decent challenge. The next target for the Knight sword was a length of steel tubing. For comparisons sake, I laid the tubing down on the ground and gave it a whack with an axe. Then I set the steel tube up by clamping it to my cutting stand and gave it two decent hits with the Knight sword. VIDEO: Steel Tubing Minor edge deformation, but the sword cuts deeply all by itself… The first strike equalled the damage inflicted by the axe. But the second one went deeper. After each strike, I examined the blade. The Knight sword suffered some expected denting to the edge, but no rolling and certainly less deep than I have seen on other medieval swords subjected to the same test. Satisfied, I moved on to another target – a galvanized steel bucket and lid. The first test was conducted by placing the lid within some wire mesh on a tree and thrusting into it. The galvanized steel offered zero resistance – the blade passing right through and the tip going deep into the tree. Considering that I had barely shaped the tip to a decent point, this was extremely impressive – leaving behind a clean imprint of the lenticular tip that was characteristic of a Type XIV Knight sword. From here, I proceeded to deliver a series of downwards strikes into the bin itself. I was uncertain as to whether the edge I had created would be enough to cut through the lip of the bin. But I needn’t have worried. Each cut went pretty much half way through the bin. VIDEO: Galvanized Steel Bin Some minor scratching, but the blade thrusts and cuts deep As you can see in the video, a horizontal strike opened the can right up and I proceeded to tear it into pieces. An examination of the blade showed some scratching of the blade. But the edge, though quite thin, held up extremely well. And the scratching was only across the surface and could quite easily be polished out. But not yet. I hadn’t finished by a long shot... The next target was one of my favourites. My trusty old woodblock – a great equalizer that stresses the entire length of the sword and hilt as one, not to mention a good indicator of how hard the blade is by examining the scuff marks left behind afterwards – and how deeply it ‘bites’. This test left me feeling VERY satisfied with the Knight sword. It bit into the wood as deep as a Katana, and showed very little in the way of scuffing. There was now little doubt in my mind that these swords were tempered to a Rockwell Hardness of 53 on the C scale! For effect, I thrust the blade deep into the supporting woodblock. And it went in so far that trying to remove it with force reminded me somewhat of King Arthur trying to pull Excalibur from the stone...! VIDEO: Trusty Woodblock Please excuse the silly Excalibur references ;-) Yes indeed, the Knight sword was the perfect Type XIV – pretty much perfectly balanced between the cut and the thrust, with little in the way of compromise. And after these tests, all I had to show for it was a few little scratches, a couple of minor deformations and some scuffing... ”Time to turn up the heat another level...!” A what better way to do it with a severely damaging medium – a harsh side of a cinder block! The target was extremely heavy and thick. And if it didn’t break, the Knight sword probably would. At the very least, the impact would chew the sharpened edge up severely. Donning my protective gear, I wound up and delivered a hard blow to the middle of the target. The forces generated there were bone jarring – but the block only chipped and fell to the ground. Yet despite the impact, the blade did not break... "I was determined that something had to give!!" So a second strike found its target, and cleaved the block into two halves. Satisfied, I examined the edge and showed it off to the camera. Naturally, the edge was left with some marks where both impacts had connected. But the damage to the Knight sword was less than expected. VIDEO: Main Description It took a couple of goes… But that first blow would have REALLY put some stress on it This Knight sword was proving to be one tough customer. And I was more than satisfied with its performance. There was little doubt that these swords qualified for inclusion in the SBG Sword Store. They looked good, handled well and were as tough as old boots. But there was still more testing that could be done. And only one target that would truly separate the goats from the sheep... Inspired by the destructive torture testing of Angus Trim and Albion swords on 44 and 55 Gallon Drums, I arranged for some of these monstrous things to be delivered to me and prepared the ultimate test. The drums looked much bigger than I expected. They were certainly bigger and meaner looking than the ones I had seen in the Albion Swords Destructive Testing pages. And the lip of the edge looked simply impossible to cut – after all, in the Albion tests – the blades for the most part simply impacted without really cutting – causing damage to the blade, but without rolling or completely deforming the edges. Yes, this was going to me a tough one. And I really had no idea what would happen. Protective gear on again – I proceeded with some thrusts, that penetrated into the side wall of the drums with no bowing of the blade or damage to the tip. Not amazingly deep, but deep enough – these drums were no push over..! I followed up with an overhead strike. And well, I’ll let the video do the talking from here... VIDEO: 55 Gallon Drum! The Ultimate test that REALLY separates the goats from the sheep The imposing looking lip of the drum was cut all the way through! And the sword, it was covered in some rust. But otherwise, barely any damage whatsoever. I lost count of how many times I cut and thrust into it. And towards the end, I felt the hilt loosen a little. But it was a simple matter of removing the pommel and tightening the nut to restore it back to normal. What more could I do?! I considered sticking the blade into the woodblock and taking an axe to it. That would surely destroy it...! But it did not seem to be a fitting end to this Knight sword, that had survived everything I had thrown at it – and still looked ready for more. I spent maybe 5 minutes polishing it. And it was apparent to me that with a little more work, it could be restored to as good as new! This is what it looks like after the tests. You can barely even see the damage! CONCLUSION I am very glad that Jason Woodward brought these swords to my attention. And while I cannot claim to have truly discovered them, they are most definitely worthy of promotion at SBG. THE VERDICT Historical Accuracy: 4/5 Fit and Finish: 4/5 Handling: 4/5 Structural Integrity: 6/5 Value for Money: 5/5 OVERALL: 5/5 (BUY IT NOW!) Sure, the scabbard is pretty crap. And the finish of the Knight sword may not be ideal, and the tang looks a little small (but I can tell you first hand that it is more than strong enough for anything you want to throw at it!) These swords are beautifully tempered and made from excellent steel. The furniture is better than anything else I have seen at this price point. And the value for money, on a sword that is actually hand made in Canada is unquestionable. The only thing is, once they have been discovered by SBG – will Eyal and his team of smiths be able to meet the demand? They only make around 50-100 of each model per year, and at these ridiculously low prices, well – they will probably fly out the door now that they have been officially ‘unearthed’. Time will tell I guess. But for the money, I can 100% recommend this Knight sword as easily one of the very best buys on the market. Not only is it tough as hell, but it looks good – and handles well to boot! I look forward to testing out some more Darksword Armoury swords: new products are released as Eyal travels to various museums throughout Europe and America to measure and photograph historic pieces and create new designs, and I for one cannot wait to see what this small but energetic forge will come up with next!

WHERE TO BUY

I am very proud to announce that the Knight sword and a hand picked selection of Darksword Armoury swords are now available here at the SBG Sword Store for, as always, the best price on the internet...:-)

Normally US$250 + around $37 shipping via UPS to the US for a total of $287 (or $250 + $15 sales tax + $30 shipping in Canada!) - you can get it at the SBG Store for a flat US$249.99 with FREE SHIPPING in the USA and Canada! (other countries, please contact me for my best quote).

Check out the Knight Sword and the other DSA swords here - all have either fully or partially absorbed shipping costs and save a minimum $25 of the total cost of ordering direct from the manufacturer - plus of course, by buying at SBG you are helping us find MORE swords like these ones that can pass my rather brutal standards... ;-)

I hope this review and test to destruction of the Darksword Armoury Medieval Knight Sword has been informative and entertaining. To return to Affordable Replicas of Medieval Swords from Darksword Armoury Knight Sword: Test to Destruction, click here