DSA Ranger Sword Review

The Ranger Sword by Darksword Armory (DSA) is a sword that you either love or you hate, there really is no ‘neutral’ reaction to it...

People that love it do so because it is a faithful replica of Aragorn’s Ranger Sword and because the blade is so incredibly durable. But the most common complaint against it that it is HEAVY, and not just a little bit heavy, this thing is like a tank!

So with this in mind, let’s take a look at what this sword looks like and how it holds up to some good natured use (as well as some much harder testing)...

Darksword Armory Ranger Sword

I’ve been in love with the Ranger sword since first seeing it on Lord of the Rings. I’ve always dreamed of having it, but figured if I did, it would have to be a stainless steel, wall-hanger.

Having gotten rid of nearly every wall-hanger, I wasn’t keen about getting one. I did some research and was introduced, for the first time, to Darksword Armory. I couldn’t believe someone was making such an accurate model to the films. I did some further research on the company, and as did many others, found the forums that dealt with the apprentice dagger that didn’t even survive shipping. I was immediately turned off of DSA. I was so disappointed when I read the review and thought I’d never find another accurate model.

Well, fast forward about a year or two later and I came across the Sword Buyers Guide website, where I read the review of the Medieval Knight sword. I was so relieved when I read the review and the explanation behind the apprentice dagger. Having seen the review, my mind was at ease and I had to have one.

The Ranger sword was received in a huge box and I knew the sword was going to be massive.

It was tightly packed in the box with packing paper and the sword itself was tightly wrapped in cardboard, newspaper and plastic. There was a heavy coat of oil and the blade was in perfect condition. The hilt was big and very accommodating to big hands and allows for a good, strong grip.

After removing all of the packaging, I was floored by the weight of this sword. It was the heaviest sword I have, with the exception of the Cold Steel Two Handed Great Sword; and the Great Sword didn’t have that much weight over the Ranger.

Regardless, I could feel the strength of the sword and knew it could deliver powerful blows and felt incredibly sturdy. This is one big sword and it would take a strong guy to wield this in battle for an extended amount of time; but the sword is truly awesome.

DESIGN, FIT AND FINISH

The Blade

The blade is big and heavy. It’s constructed of thick 1060 High Carbon steel and has a good fuller that nearly spans the length of the entire blade.

The hammer marks are inconspicuous, but present. The blade is not whippy, but rather stiff and strong. The edge of the blade was delivered blunt and dull, but after a short time, had an excellent edge with the assistance of the handheld sharpener and a woodblock as a support.

I kept one side dull, but will probably sharpen that side too.

The Grip

The grip is constructed of wood, covered in a black, leather. The leather is stitched on but is mainly secured with glue. The grip also has a nice steel spacer at the center and is described as being a representation of the One Ring by DSA.

The grip is simple, yet attractive.

The Pommel

The pommel is closely modelled after the United Cutlery Ranger Sword, but is more rounded.

It is constructed of solid steel and has two groves cut into it at the center.

The weight of the pommel is 12oz and assists in the balance of the blade.

If need be, the pommel could prove a formidable blunt, mace like, weapon.

The Guard

This is my favorite piece of furniture on this sword. The guard, spanning 10”, provides exceptional hand protection and just looks amazing.

With the guard slightly curved toward the blade, it allows the user to safely catch his opponents blade and stop it without worrying that it would slide off and injure the user’s hands or wrists. The only difference I see on this guard compared to the UC Ranger sword is the lack of gold trim inlayed at the end of the guard at the groves. I prefer this guard to that of the UC model.

The Scabbard

Once again, this scabbard is simple in design. The scabbard is made of wood, covered with stitched, black leather (also glued on) and with a simple steel throat and chape.

The throat is cut to fit the guard, but could be done a little cleaner. It’s a freebie that DSA includes with the sword to protect the blade. It could however be easily dressed up to look nice. I haven’t decided what I’m going to do with mine yet, but I do want to do something to improve the looks.

TESTING

Cutting

This is the most fun I’ve had with cutting tests. My buddy brought a sword of his over and I tested my DSA Ranger as well as the Elf dagger. After applying a good cutting edge to the Ranger, we decided to start with some watermelons and see how well it cut. My wife actually wanted to be first to take a swing at the watermelon with the Ranger sword. I figured it would be too heavy for her to swing correctly, but boy did she look good holding it!

VIDEO: Beauty and the Beast Chads Beautuful wife actually makes handling this very heavy sword look surprisingly easy.

I was happy to report, she proved me wrong and made a great cut on the watermelon; cutting it right in half at its widest point! I was proud! I was up next and brought out another whole watermelon.

After putting it on a wood block, I took my stance and got ready for the cut (desperately hoping my wife wouldn’t show me up).

VIDEO: Second Watermelon Now Chad’s turn to slice and dice

The sword easily cleaved through the watermelon and was surprisingly easy to swing and manoeuvre. The weight of the blade does most of the cutting without much strength needed.

I figured a tougher target was appropriate. The wood block was next. Now I do realize this is an abuse to the blade, but I figured it was a DSA sword and should be able to handle some chops at low to medium strength.

The first round of chops resulted in the hilt getting a little loose and was quickly fixed by removing the pommel and tightening the nut that was bolted to the tang.

The chops were pretty good and didn’t even phase the blade.

This next set of chops were recorded and I used a bit more strength behind the blows, but only about medium strength.

VIDEO: Ranger Sword vs Woodblock Heavy chops didn’t phase the blade, though the hilt needed some tightening…

These chops seemed to penetrate deeper and after 4 or 5 chops, I could feel the hilt coming a little loose again. After the chops were over, I did notice the pommel seemed a bit off center. I checked it for looseness and realized it was on tight. It appears the tang must have bent slightly.

I disassembled the sword and did notice the last inch of the threaded tang was slightly bent out of line.

After checking the rest of the tang, I reassembled the hilt and before tightening the pommel, I manually was able to bend the tang back.

I got it almost perfectly back in line and it takes a keen eye that KNOWS it’s not perfectly straight to see it.

All things considered, after the abusive target it was used on and the amount of chops involved with absolutely no damage to the blade, I’d say it did a heck of a job standing up! I think the slight bend in the tang was acceptable considering the sword is not an axe and its intended target is much softer.

Flex Test

Once again, I placed this sword on a piece of 2”X6” and had to apply a lot of weight!

There’s no way I could have flexed the sword and taken the picture at the same time.

With the assistance of my wife, I was able to get a couple of good flexes captured on camera.

This was by far the hardest sword I ever flexed.

These swords are insanely strong!

PROS

• Extremely strong and well tempered blade

• Capable of delivering devestatingly powerful blows

• Faithful, fully functional replica of Striders Ranger Sword

• Overly heavy and difficult to weild

• Tang may bend slightly during heavy useage (however, historical swords were often made the same way, and it is better for the tang to bend than break!)

WHERE TO BUY

As mentioned, this sword has been discontinued and pretty much impossible to get hold off now, though it does sometimes appear on the second hand market (forums, ebay, etc). However, you can find a good selection of Darksword Armory blades for sale right here at the SBG Sword Store