Hi all,

Been looking for a gladius these days, and that prompted me to check out Deepeeka products.
I never thought much of the brand, especially compared to Hanwei/windlass competing in the same price range.
Their medieval line looked especially bad - but their roman products were said to be fine - prized as entry level items in the reenactment community.

It was said they had upgraded their products, they have launched a "primus" line, with a claim to greater quality and historical accuracy.

I decided to give a Deepeeka gladius a go, and found a very cheap euro retailer in Hamburg.
While doing so, I checked out other products, and to my great surprise I found many worthy of interest.

I received the package today - and saying that I am impressed is an understatement...check it out below:

First - a medieval-german-single-handed-sword
http://deepeeka.in/medieval-german-single-handed-sword.html

First impression:
Caught my eye with it's very well executed knobbed guard, veg tan grip, scent stopped pommel and last but not least, deeply raised mid rib blade. 150$! 1029g, thick edges for stage combat, rounded tip. D offers a sharp version with a pointy tip - could not find it online. I would have preferred the longsword version here:
http://deepeeka.in/medieval-german-one-half-h...5th-c.html

Simply put - I'm blown away by the value for money. Sword is solidly put together, pinned, the guard is flawless (save for a tang slot that could have been thinner).I find that Knobbed guards on production swords have always been poorly made - not the case here. The grip is very well executed - as suspected, veg tan leather, with cord imprint - a very neat seam on one side. The blade is well made with (relatively) straight lines. No excessive waviness and a very prominent mid rib section. This sword remind me very much of some seen on Durer woodcuts (especially with its rounded tip).

Even the scabbard is made of quality materials (veg tan - leather core). Very nice seam on the back, deep, rich brown dye.

One catch - handling is rather terrible, but bear in mind this is the stage combat version with 2 mm thick edges. The pommel is not substantial enough to counterbalance such a beefy blade. I can't make a blade with such a central ridge, but I can certainly tweak it - I will grind down the edges and sharpen the tip, and I'm pretty sure it will do the trick.

My favorite: the primus rondel dagger - http://deepeeka.in/15c-rondel-dagger.html
very closely based on a Royal Arnoury piece (pic below).
Again, at 50$, I'm stunned by this little dagger. I simply can't fault it. It's almost a carbon copy of the original. It feels very robust, the blade is very nicely done with a nice satin finish. The brass plate is well fitted, as well as the riveted pommel cap.
Nice little leather scabbard, holds the dagger very firmly in place. Top notch.

And finally, the gladius that started it all.
Same verdict. Everything is well made and firmly put together.
The scabbard is rather stunning, the brasswork is very fine and detailed.
The straps are veg tanned, fitted with a buckle.
The blade is very evenly made, has a nice finish, and is very imposing indeed.
The hilt is equally nice, even the bone handle is facets are very even.
Guard and pommel woodwork is very precise as well. No sign of glue between components, Nothing sloppy and no shortcuts.
The hilt does feel a tad bulky - but my knowledge of these short swords is too shallow to say for sure. I need to check originals in museums to make up my mind.
Light as a feather - it handles beautifully.

Had I ordered just this piece, I would have been delighted. But the sword and dagger have stolen the show for me.
I'm just not sure gladius are my cup of tea - too obsessed with medieval/renaissance arms really. Might grow on me.

All in all, this parcel felt like Christmas - Deepeeka just put Windlass and Hanwei to shame as far as I'm concerned :)

Wow! Those are some great project swords, and even some that look good right out of the box. That single hand reminds me of one I built ages ago, inspired by Talhoffer. The Deepeeka looks like it could be just right for that period.

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Check out the new stuff from GDFB, too!

rondel dagger: http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=...del+Dagger

a later German dagger: http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=...ing+Dagger

That rondel really does look nice I think. Good review, nice to hear about these pieces.

This xiphos by depeeka has really caught my eye. I like it a lot. It's over 2lbs so I will pass, but it's a really nice looking piece. http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=AH4231B

Thanks for the review, Julien. The $150 question: how's the heat treatment on them?

Actually, it looks like they have a number of new products that look interesting.

The Hurum viking sword seems to have a correctly sized grip, looks like they might have gotten rid of the diamond tip:
http://deepeeka.in/products-catalog/edged-wea...sword.html

The teardrop has an interesting type W pommel and good fuller:
http://deepeeka.in/products-catalog/edged-wea...sword.html

The Cluny looks like t would be good value as long as it handles better than a sharpened crowbar:
http://deepeeka.in/products-catalog/edged-wea...useum.html

I too have the Fulham and it compares well with my Matt Lukes. Of course an $800 example is going to be more authentic than a sword at 20% of the price, but the Deepeeka is more than a decent example of this type. My blade shape is a bit different than yours and that's what Deepeeka needs to focus on, consistency. Even at their low prices it's important to get the blade shape and hilt shape you see online.

I know they are working on upping their quality and it's good to see that they are improving.

As far as temper is concerned, the new stuff from them seems pretty good. I recently bought a Molay Templar dagger from KoA. It came butter-knife sharp, or--typical Deepeeka/KoA *battle-ready* sharp. A brand new file pretty well sings off of the blade, and it has taken-and kept-a decent edge. The blade has a good bit of flex, but I have yet to push its limits. Very well made, nice looking dagger, I might add. :) .....McM

Removed the scabbard throat, buffed hard and re-dyed dark brown, managed to blend the upper part with the rest.
Looks way better already - with straps and a proper shape (I have a bunch of windlass shapes lying around that will fit just fine, it will look the part.

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