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Nathan Robinson
myArmoury Admin
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Andrew Zander
Location: Silverdale, WA Joined: 18 May 2004
Posts: 19
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 Posted: Fri 17 Sep, 2004 1:32 pm Post subject: |
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From viewing their own pictures on their website, I would have to say that the Albion Squire line looks to be a lot nicer, just in finish alone, and is close in price range.
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Bill Grandy
myArmoury Team
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| Posted: Fri 17 Sep, 2004 1:33 pm Post subject: |
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| Aaron Justice wrote: |
I am still convinced they get their blades from India. Too many similarities between their swords and the India knockoff companies. |
I've always had believed so, too, but they swear up and down that they make their stuff in Canada, not imported. If it's not imported, I don't know how they get away with their prices for things. Their gothic "gorget" is $25... that seems like the price of the steel alone! Apparently I've been shopping in the wrong places. 
In fact, all of their helmets are exactly the same designs you see being imported from India. Whether they're imports or not, they really should expand their market and not copy the exact same things that are already being copied over and over again from third world countries.
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Joe Fults
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| Posted: Fri 17 Sep, 2004 2:18 pm Post subject: |
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I am skeptical about all of it.
Wonder if they will show up here to "discuss" things as they did at SFI.
Ultimately one good review does not quality make.
"The goal shouldn’t be to avoid being evil; it should be to actively do good." - Danah Boyd
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Roger Hooper
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| Posted: Fri 17 Sep, 2004 2:24 pm Post subject: |
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If this thread was started to promote Darksword products, it hasn't worked out well for them.
In this Dark world, I think most would agree that Wood is supreme over Sword. 
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Nate C.
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| Posted: Fri 17 Sep, 2004 6:24 pm Post subject: |
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Don't you folks just love the welds on the rapier's hilt? I've seen tack welding that looked cleaner  .
Nate C.
Sapere Aude
"If you are going to kill the man, at least give him a decent salute." - A. Blansitt
If they ever come up with a Swashbuckling School, I think one of the courses should be Laughing, then Jumping Off Something. --Jack Handy
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Nathan Robinson
myArmoury Admin
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Kirk Lee Spencer
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| Posted: Fri 17 Sep, 2004 7:58 pm Post subject: |
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Welcome to the forum Mike... glad you're here.
I bought one of Darksword's Gothic Swords off ebay just for parts...
Here are the stats...
Weight: 3 pounds 14 ounces
Overall Length: 46.75 inches
Blade Length: 35.75 inches
Blade Width: 1.75 inches
Fuller: 25 inches long 0.4 inches wide
Guard Width: 11 inches
Grip & Pommel: 10.2 inches
Grip Length: 6.75 inches
Point of Balance: 3.5 inches from guard
CoP: 21 inches from guard
Con
As Aaron says the tang is dangerously thin... even more dangerous considering the grip is of soft wood and has no cord binding.
The blade is obviously forged, fuller is crooked and blade edges are crooked especially near the tip. These pieces sold on e-bay are reportedly made by apprentice bladesmiths and it certainly looks like it.
The guard is humongous...
Pommel is not peened by screwed on...
Pro
Pommel and guard are well shaped and seemed to be forged not cast.
Nice polish on all metal parts
Excellent temper to the blade.
Weight and balance is okay... if some of the mass was taken from the guard it would move the Point of Balance further out and make the sword handle a little better... it feels like there is too much weight in your hand.
This sword would make a decent carbon steel wall-hanger or something to carry at a Renaissance festival as long as you did not swing it at anything.
It will work well for me as parts to be used in other projects... That's what I bought it for so am not displeased.
ks
Two swords
Lit in Eden’s flame
One of iron and one of ink
To place within a bloody hand
One of God or one of man
Our souls to one of
Two eternities
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Nate C.
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| Posted: Fri 17 Sep, 2004 8:48 pm Post subject: |
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| Nathan Robinson wrote: | | People: clean this topic up from here on out. There's being critical of something, and then there's just plain being nasty. Sometimes it's in the way you write it. |
Sorry if my sarcasm went too far  . I'm not trying to be nasty or anything . I will say however that I would switch to a rod with a satin-ish finish (not chromed?) for the hilt on the rapier. This would make the welds less obtrusive, be slightly cheaper, and more historically correct. A little file work wouldn't hurt either.
Nate C.
Sapere Aude
"If you are going to kill the man, at least give him a decent salute." - A. Blansitt
If they ever come up with a Swashbuckling School, I think one of the courses should be Laughing, then Jumping Off Something. --Jack Handy
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Joe Fults
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| Posted: Fri 17 Sep, 2004 9:03 pm Post subject: |
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Kirk,
Thank you for those pictures.
For me they really place emphasis on why I was skeptical of all of this. Internet photography can leave out many details, intentionally or otherwise. I've been on both sides of that equation; recieving stuff that looked better than it was and selling stuff that looked better than it was. Both were learning experiences and at least in my case was accidental. Anyway, to a casual inspection, in a not so detailed photo, with imperfect (or perfect) lighting, with seams turned away, and nothing for size reference; that weapon looks like a whole different product. I've seen it on some 3rd party vendor sites and wondered who put it together before seing it here and finding out.
I'm very suprised by the guard and the tang if as you report they are going through the bother of forging and tempering them. On the other hand, I'm not surprised based on prior track record.
"The goal shouldn’t be to avoid being evil; it should be to actively do good." - Danah Boyd
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Gordon Clark
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| Posted: Sat 18 Sep, 2004 5:25 am Post subject: |
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Makes you wonder - why not put in a little more effort and possibly money to produce a product that you could be really proud of...
A solid tang and slimmer guard and I would be pretty happy to own that one -
Goes to show you - in swords as in most things - get the fundamentals down first.
Gordon
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Nathan Robinson
myArmoury Admin
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Andy Bain
Location: Surrey, BC, Canada Joined: 24 Aug 2003
Posts: 119
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| Posted: Sat 18 Sep, 2004 5:27 pm Post subject: |
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Kirk, how long ago did you purchase this sword? As Rob mentioned earlier, someone representing
Darksword claimed that they had improved their tangs and that they were now much beefier. If
memory serves correctly this was a few monthes ago. I've been waiting to hear from anyone who
has bought on of their swords recently.
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Timothy Gulics
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| Posted: Sat 18 Sep, 2004 6:32 pm Post subject: |
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Not to defend or denounce Darksword, but the pommel design on that "gothic two-hander" isn't wholly Albion's. It is a historical pommel, and I have one on a Arm Art that was probably produced a year or more before Albion conceptualized the Regent :P
Now, looking at those photos a few posts up, I can say that the tang is waaaay too narrow and the guard is greatly oversized. DA should have left this one in the oven a bit longer, it wasn't fully cooked.
The sword is my companion.
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Kirk Lee Spencer
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| Posted: Sat 18 Sep, 2004 7:07 pm Post subject: |
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| Andy Bain wrote: | Kirk, how long ago did you purchase this sword? As Rob mentioned earlier, someone representing
Darksword claimed that they had improved their tangs and that they were now much beefier. If
memory serves correctly this was a few monthes ago. I've been waiting to hear from anyone who
has bought on of their swords recently. |
Hi Andy....
I won the sword off of ebay about 6 months ago... Being an apprentice experimental second would suggest that it was probably made long before that.
It may be that more recent Darksword swords are much better... They have not had much luck on forum threads, but in my opinion, they seem to have alot of potential. And my email contact with them was fast, helpful and friendly.
As several others have mentioned on this thread, it would not take much extra effort to have a very decent product.
Instead of grinding down the tang to fit into a small circular hole drilled in the wooden grip (which will turn easily), they could leave the tang wide and epoxy wood grip plates in place and grind the grip to shape on the tang... this might even be easier. Then wrap the wooden grip with cord... this would not take long or add much expense but would make a stronger and better looking grip.
If they had ground about half of the volume off of the guard it would look much more proportional and would cause the sword to balance much better.
I have been planning on building a sword like Albion's Regent long before the conceptual drawings were posted. You can find the inspiration in Oakshotte's "Records of the Medieval Sword" p129. Although the pommel and guard of this Darksword gothic sword are over sized, after I let my die grinder gnaw on them awhile they should do just fine.
ks
Two swords
Lit in Eden’s flame
One of iron and one of ink
To place within a bloody hand
One of God or one of man
Our souls to one of
Two eternities
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Nathan Robinson
myArmoury Admin
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| Posted: Sat 18 Sep, 2004 7:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Timothy Gulics wrote: | Not to defend or denounce Darksword, but the pommel design on that "gothic two-hander" isn't wholly Albion's. It is a historical pommel, and I have one on a Arm Art that was probably produced a year or more before Albion conceptualized the Regent :P
Now, looking at those photos a few posts up, I can say that the tang is waaaay too narrow and the guard is greatly oversized. DA should have left this one in the oven a bit longer, it wasn't fully cooked. |
Yes, the fishtail pommel is from history, but there are many variations of this design not to mention subtlety of details to be found. I think the point is that the proportions and volumes of the piece posted here looks very much like the Regent. The ArmArt pommel that you mention really doesn't look anything like the Regent's pommel in 3-dimensions. Remember, I had them both here and compared them side by side Looking at Kirk's photos, the one posted in this topic looks very different in every aspect other than straight-on, as well.
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Theo M.
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| Posted: Sat 18 Sep, 2004 9:32 pm Post subject: heh |
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Anyone check out Darksword's description of the Two Handed Gothic?
| Quote: | | The sword illuminates the artistic creativity of the time, resulting from the Gothic artistic revolution in the arts. |
Sorry if anyone considers this nasty, or spam, it just struck me as amusing. 
Cheers.
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Ruel A. Macaraeg
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| Posted: Sat 18 Sep, 2004 10:42 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: | | I am still convinced they get their blades from India. Too many similarities between their swords and the India knockoff companies. |
Why is it so hard to believe that Americans are also capable of poor quality products, and that we must instead attribute poorly-made things to Third World countries? Phrases like "Pakistani junk," "Indian junk" etc. are both grossly stereotypical and inherently prejudiced. In fact, the worst "functional" arms and armor I've ever handled were by an American maker (who'll remain nameless because I know the principals involved), who had the audacity to call their work "traditional," "hand-crafted by a master," and "high-end custom."
We need to exercise more nuanced judgment before making such sweeping cultural generalizations.
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Patrick Kelly
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| Posted: Sat 18 Sep, 2004 11:15 pm Post subject: |
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Maintain a sense of civility gentlemen, and stay on topic.
"In valor there is hope.".................. Tacitus
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Kenneth Enroth
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| Posted: Sat 18 Sep, 2004 11:17 pm Post subject: |
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They don't have a better tang beacuse the tang doesn't show. Like all knock-offs they are not so pretty on the inside. That pommel looks very much like it was plagiarized. Pretty good copy too considering what a poor job they did on the rest of the sword.
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This is a standard topic