DARKSWORD ARMORY 'Medieval Two Handed Gothic Sword' REVIEW

[@michaelwillis8966]

Dark sword goes above and beyond. Ten years ago, I bought their 2 handed Templar long sword. One of my favorite all time designs. A week ago, we did a cutting party at my HEMA class, and I used it. Hit a pumpkin, and the blade bent out of true right at the guard. Was able to fix it, but it made me not trust the sword. Contacted Chris at DSA, and he didn't hesitate. "I stand behind my product 100%, doesn't matter its 'out of warranty', sent it in, I will replace it FOR FREE." Talk about going beyond any expectations for customer service! I was expecting to have to pay for repairs, especially as the sword is 10 years old! To get a replacement for free, is just unheard of to me. I decided to ask to upgrade to the integrated scan hard and belt, spend the money I would have spent on replacing the blade on that. Chris and company deserved SOMETHING out of the deal. I can't wait to get the new, upgraded blade with the newer tang, and the new scabbard. DSA has gained a permanent customer in me.

[@Blaisem]

This review was the most educational sword review I've watched. I even learned a lot about the tapering, apertures, and even a word I've never heard of pertaining to that stake inserted into the pommel. Loved the effort in this one.

[@sawyere2496]

And you got to see Matt swing the sword around his head as he does when talking about how nicely balanced it is

[@colleptic]

Nice again Matt. Out of all the sharp swords I've owned over the past decade... the dark swords are still my favourite for some reason and I can't explain it. Maybe it's because when one of mine bent at the tag like seven years ago, they replaced it for free... and then they worked so hard, to make sure their swords were bulletproof over the years. But I 100% agree, they need to ship them sharper.

[@inferno1217]

There are people with complaints about darksword armory but what they don't understand is that every sword is made unique, nothing is identical and while there are some bad swords that are shipped(by quality standards). They will replace whatever you have an issue with nearly 100% of the time.

[@davidrobinson4553]

Just followed you across from Drachinifels channel, I was an archer for many years (illness got me in the end 😐) and have an interest in historical weapons, liking what I see 👍👍

[@imugi-16]

The fitting and transition issues on their sword hilts kinda make me want to order just their blade and scabbard, and get another bladesmith/swordsmith to make tight fitting grip, crossguard, and pommel. Only issue is I'm not sure who to ask.

[@rogerlafrance6355]

In the day, quality custom swords were made by a number of trades and guild members to order for a customer. Carving, inlaying or casting custom pommels was done by much the same people who do custom gun grips and decoration today. On the other hand, a fighting man would probably want his battle sword customized for best performance, regardless of what it looked like.

[@ramiabiakar2391]

@@rogerlafrance6355 Most figting men wouldn't be able to afford an ornate sword, and those who could would not wear them outside of court.

[@ghoulishgoober3122]

@@ramiabiakar2391 Not ornate, reread what he said, "a fighting man would probably want his battle sword *customized* for best performance..." keyword is customized, not decorated (one might say decorated ornately). He speaks facts, a fighting man would want their sword to be the best sword, for *them* specifically.

[@gerryjamesedwards1227]

DSA's guard designs are their only real weak area, in my opinion. I have one of their daggers that is a lovely thing, with the exception of the pointy quillons.

[@TheJediKnight91]

This is actually one of my favorites among the swords I own. The blade, the pommel and even the simple black color just "scream" 15th century German Gothic design. I also have the accompanying dagger from DSA.

[@williambeningfield8087]

I also have the same and matching dagger

[@Wingzero90939]

So would you recommend it? i’ve been wanting my first longsword for awhile. I have a few antique military sabers but not a longsword yet. Also how does it feel one-handed I’m curious?

[@TheJediKnight91]

@@Wingzero90939 I'd say it depends on your size and strength wether it can be used effectively with one hand. It's possible, but you'll be losing some cutting power, especially with the standard sharpening. But as a dedicated two hander I definitely recommend it.

[@Wingzero90939]

@@TheJediKnight91 Thanks I was wondering if it was more like a hand and a half since that’s what I’m really looking for but I know some long swords are labeled as two handed but you can use them in one hand so I wasn’t sure about this model.

[@williambeningfield8087]

@@TheJediKnight91 I agree

[@andreweden9405]

Matt, I would LOVE for you to review the Albion "Burgundian". Like this sword, it's a hollow-ground Oakeshott Type XVIII with a fishtail pommel, but it's a one-handed sword. If I could send you mine I would, but I'd be afraid to send it overseas! Speaking of the period-correctness of scabbards: Ewart Oakeshott would say that scabbards post circa 1440 would not have had those rain guards. The reason he gives for this is that swords after that time almost invariably had downward pointing cusps or "écussons" below the quillon block. So a scabbard with a rain guard pointing upward like they do, would not be able to receive the cusps. I became obsessed with this because, unfortunately, I read that particular passage of Oakeshott only AFTER having a scabbard made for my late 15th century-style sword... you guessed it... with a rain guard!😂

[@scholagladiatoria]

Yeah, don't risk sending it anywhere. I would love to own that sword, I really like it and it would go perfectly with my armour.

[@andreweden9405]

@@scholagladiatoria , I think it would go perfectly with your kit as well! It's not a particularly light sword, but neither are several originals of the same type. The Wallace A466, for example, actually weighs a whisker over 3 lbs, and the Burgundian weighs 2 lbs 11 oz. They're stiff, hefty, thrust-centric swords, meant to be able to stand up to armored combat. I don't know if you're familiar with Mike Harris (I only know of him due to this quote), but this is what he has to say of the Burgundian: "Burgundian - A very stiff sword with both blade presence and extremely good point control. Handles great but it's not a good cutter, though it will cut. The blade is hollow ground and suffers on targets like tatami as the reinforcing central ridge makes contact with the cutting medium and imparts drag. The Burgundian definitely seems to me like the optimized swordly sidearm for fighting an armoured foe."

[@stevenaubin74]

I have a two handed Templar sword from Darksword Armory and I love it.

[@saint8228]

Nice! And I love someone that doesn't trash DSA just because they are DSA. I love their stuff too, have several of their swords and have never had any issues.

[@countOfHenneberg]

The mirror reflection from the blade is mesmerising!

[@the1andonlySherlock]

I've got their 2 handed Danish sword. Not super happy with the grind on the edge but that's easy to fix.

[@keithmiller6277]

I have DSA's Two Handed Norman Sword, and companion dagger. I really like them. My only complaint is the scabbard on the dagger. It is very loose. The scabbard on the sword is fine. I would like to see you do a review of the Two Handed Norman Sword.

[@michellewilt4479]

Beautiful sword, and I can see why the protuberance at the cross guard would be a problem. But what really bothers me is that gap between the cross guard and blade. I'd end up soldering it with some low temp solder to avoid ruining the temper, or epoxy the crap out of it to ensure no moisture gets in. It would drive me nuts to have such a silly weakness in an otherwise gorgeous blade. As for sharpening it, that isn't too terribly hard and not surprising that they don't ship them shaving sharp for safety and legal purposes (guarantee some idiot would open it and cut their finger off on the very sharp blade and sue the company if they sent them fully sharpened).

[@-Zevin-]

I have been trying to spread the word about this for a while and I don't want to sound like a shill but, sugru. It's a silicone putty that hardens into a hard rubber. It's amazing for sword hilts. Epoxy has a really strong sheer strength but is brittle it's pretty bad for sword hilts and as many have found out it breaks apart. Sugru hardens into a impact resistant rubber that is more comparable to something like the laha glue used in kukri hilts. I really want to spread the word on this one because it's something I found out myself through trial and error and have had great results. Clean the area you plan to set with alcohol wipes. (little first aid prep pads work great) then pack the area with the putty (Qtips with the cotton removed well for packing an area.) and you can then wet your finger and smooth over gaps leaving a clean line. I have even used it to pack around the tang and cross guard on a couple swords and nothing has worked loose in 2 years. Don't think of silicone caulk which is pretty weak, you can get black putty and it is MUCH more firm and strong bonding than silicone sealant that many are familiar with. When cured it is similar in firmness to a truck tire.

[@michellewilt4479]

@@-Zevin- Awesome! Thank you for sharing! I'm gonna have to find some and get to fixing some blades. Like you said, epoxy can be brittle. Had a cheap but useable BudK machete that I epoxied and the epoxy began to break apart and crack after a few years of use.

[@-Zevin-]

@@michellewilt4479 I'm just glad this might help some other people, I hope I can reach Matt with this some time. I actually came across this idea from my late father. He worked in R&D on a number of children's toys in engineering and design. So he was pretty familiar with materials. He was the one that explained to me I needed something not with a high sheer strength but a material that had a very high impact resistance. They use hard silicone rubber seals for instance in high impact machines or machines that have allot of vibration. Figured that was a good place to start looking and from there did allot of research into consumer products that were easy to find, that's how I came across sugru. There might even be better options out there that I haven't tested yet, but sugru so far has worked well, and I think it is that flexibility/ impact resistance that makes it work so well compared to epoxies that develop micro fractures and crumble.

[@michellewilt4479]

@@-Zevin- The funny part is I frequently use hardened silicone seals in my main job, and use silicone caulk frequently in my side job, and never once thought about how useful it would be in the application of making and repairing blades and likely many other things we currently use things like epoxy and resins for. When I'm finally able to get some smithing equipment set up, I think I'm going to mess around with such things to see what works best. Perhaps epoxy to help hold a pinned or peened handle on, with some hardened silicone along the edges of the handle to dampen vibrations, or make a sandwich of both, or something, and do some extensive testing.

[@-Zevin-]

@@michellewilt4479 Some testing in that way sounds great! You might not even need the epoxy at all, but I would be interested to see comparative tests. I actually repaired a old Thai Dab sword, they have a tang like a kukri with a short partial tang only held in by glue, I actually secured that entire tang with nothing but sugru, that one has been set for about a year and I have done a bunch of training with that sword including impact training, so far it's still solid as a rock, pretty impressive. It was a situation again where I was looking for a alternative to traditional laha glue that is used to secure tangs in Asian sword/knives. I ended up packing the entire handle slot for the tang with the sugru, then hammered the handle on the tang, then cleaned up the excess silicone that squeezed out the top. I'll re-iterate that it bonds allot more firm and strongly than silicone caulk. Still want to find a good recipe for traditional Asian glues though. I think it's a combination of tree sap, wood pulp, charcoal, I have even heard blood but I can't find a solid recipe. Cleary it works incredibly well though. I have a few kukri with traditionally glued handles that are over 200 years old, sill solid as the day they were made.

[@gorbalsboy]

Looks like a true battle sword, made for strength and durability, I like it!

[@sgregg5257]

the DSA sword I have has been a nice solid, well constructed long sword. I too think the aperture where the blade transits the guard needs to be more closely fit. And most of the DSA swords seem to be hollow ground, so they should make this a priority. Quality wise, other than that gap, I have had zero issues with it. I have other mid range swords and the DSA, while being in that same $450-$650 range is the best of the bunch. And the scabbard is also pretty kick ass. Though I like making my own scabbards.

[@mr.excalibur1455]

Curious. Which one do you own? I have nine. Which model do you have?

[@justiciar1964]

It is a beautiful sword you have there, sir Easton of Scholagladiatoria.

[@theapostatejack8648]

Been waiting for this one.

[@robmdq]

with a nicely angled crossguard that sword would be a a dream

[@brandonshelp4682]

I am such a child. Any time Matt goes on a tangent about "peening", I chuckle.

[@nosferatuvonsmugan]

Next one to hang of my wall FOR SURE! Thanks, Matt, You rock!

[@colbunkmust]

I agree, a longer cross-guard would make it look better.

[@MarcusVance]

Nice! They recently sent me their Wolfsbane for review, and it's a fun blade.

[@williambeningfield8087]

The wolfsbane is a beautiful sword and what a lot of people don't understand is that these blade are hammer forged and each one is a little different ,,,no two are identical as per CNC...they advertise the the wolfs bane as a 38 " blade mine came in with a 36"..take my word of all my swords it is by far the best balanced and most comfortable for a guy of my size , it has that sort of Witcher type appeal, and it is the one I play with the most

[@frankharr9466]

That seems like a reasonable review. I'm not IN the market for a sword, but if I were, this is what I'd want to know. Then again, I AM a long-term viewer and have been trained. So, O.K.

[@ravenhill_of_midsummer_1968]

another sword which i must add to my armory.

[@COLDMKULTRA]

Hey Matt, Do you have any info on the "Stone Castle" brand by Southern Swords UK ? ... I have one of their single handed Swords ... seems pretty good, and has stood up to a LOT of abuse! Have no idea who the actual maker is though?

[@ArmsandArmor]

on the subject of bias... how would you rate the new Windlass Royal Armouries longsword versus this DarkSword longsword sword? it would be a lot to consider, but I would value your opinion. Even though you had a strong hand in the creation of the Windlass blades.

[@jm9371]

Looks like a pretty effective piece of gear in the right hands. Medieval equivalent to a .44 Magnum!

[@serindas]

Matt could you consider to review a couple of cheap swords? I'm referring to "JKOO - Quality Europe medieval sharp sword" and the "Affordable LiuYe Dao" also by JKOO. I've searched online but llok no one reviewed these swords, and the cheap price is pretty interesting for people like me, that cannot afford to spend a lot of money for a sword.

[@vilvuk4486]

Have you bought any from their Website or do you have any/know someone with experience with ordering from them? The medieval one looks interesting and similar to ones from Ronin Katana and Kawashima Steel.

[@serindas]

@@vilvuk4486 not yet, that's why I think a review from Matt can be useful. There r some youtubers who have reviewed some of their swords, and they seem good, but no one, from my knowledge, reviewed the two models I've mentioned. If I correctly remember, Sword Sage purchased a sword from them, and Matthew Jensen has done several destructive tests of JKOO swords.

[@riyadislam3441]

Now that thing is beautiful.

[@-RONNIE]

Good review 👍🏻

[@extradimensional8818]

I think it is a beautiful looking sword🧐🇬🇧

[@Yellow.1844]

damn thats a beautiful piece

[@alientude]

Thanks for the great review, as always. Review samples from Darksword Armory show that they're capable of producing good swords. I wish they'd put more effort into quality control for their normal orders. There's just so many reports out there of incredibly shoddy work from them that it's a complete crap shoot whether you'll get a good sword or something that's practically falling apart out of the box.

[@BCSchmerker]

+scholagladiatoria *Thanks for the bug report on Darksword Armory CatNo 1332.* A pseudoricasso of a few millimetres would have seated the quillon guard properly, but the hollow-grinding extends into the guard seat. A review of Darksword's Scottish Claymore (CatNo 1319), which is patterned after an original at the National Museum of Scotland, would be useful for comparison of, among other qualities, hilt construction in terms of gaps and lack thereof.

[@Dappertrucker]

Would that not be actually more for full amored knight vs in like every day clothing of the midieval ages?

[@kodeylivesay1353]

I know this is a bit of an older video and I appreciate your content and experience. That's why I'm hoping you could answer this with a video. Between the sword manufacturers you have dark sword, windlass, etc. Could you do a comparison video quality feel overall so on?@scholagladiatoria

[@Joe___R]

Do you think weapon manufacturers regularly send you products that were made to a much higher standard than their actual product line is? I know that if I were a sword manufacturer sending you something to review I would make sure it is as perfect as we can make it which would be far better than the regular product line most people get.

[@1971irvin]

Hi Matt, Maybe you could sharpen it on video so we can see how it should be done. I have tried to do it on knives, but I was not so happy with the result. 🤨

[@nobbynoris]

Cor, that's a big one. Remember, Matt, it's not how big it is, it's how you use it. But then as an accomplished swordsman you undoubtedly know that.

[@trendlinetracker3147]

Silver solder could be used to fill the rectangular crossguard voids.

[@strydyrhellzrydyr1345]

I really love both of the swords u got from them...

[@scholagladiatoria]

There are another two from them I have here to review next :-)

[@sirjosefofhessen4527]

Could you do a review on darksword Danish zweihander sword that be amazing

[@gaiusjuliuscaesar9907]

Gratias Tibi, Doctore

[@steepinclineclimber3118]

I've only found his channel recently after I found out about this sword. I really want to see cutting footage, but I've looked through just about every one of his videos in 2021 where it seemed like there would be cutting footage of this particular sword. I would like to ask for help with finding his videos where he cuts things with this. I'd very much appreciate it.

[@Mista_Notice]

Very cool sword. I love the style.

[@clearmelody6252]

I kinda feel bad. I've consistently (and really without reason, now I think about) looked down on Darksword as being overpriced. Now, I'm starting to find out that they are, in fact, quite well made, and I'm kicking myself for not trying to buy one earlier.

[@mr.excalibur1455]

Don't feel bad at all. DSA has had A LOT of bad press in the past and now many of those incidents are simply being repeated over and over again any time anybody gives a positive review ... ESPECIALLY a positive review of anything DSA puts out now. Most of that bad press has to do with bad tangs, bad quality control, bad customer service, Chinese made blades ... its all rubbish ... or at the absolute least it so out of date rubbish that it's virtually flat out falsehoods now. BTW ... you will consistently find the same 4 or 5 commentators who literally copy and paste the same anti-DSA propaganda in every post. If you look at most up to date or recent reviews of DSA swords ... overall they are positive. Don't get me wrong, fanboy as I am, DSA has some major room for improvement even in the price category which they basically monopolize right now. I am the legitimate owner (meaning I actually paid for them all) of nine of their swords. I can confidently say that, even though I don't own the piece the Matt is reviewing here, they are well made swords. However ... DSA could work a lot on sharpening their swords better, neatening up the fit of their cross guards (something Matt pointed out here), and being clearer and consistent about the materials they use for their hilts and pommels. That all being said ... Darksword armory really has a good bead on swords at this price range. They have a very nice stylized aesthetic. They are very durable. They have a very nice feel to them ... and they come with a pretty nice scabbard for swords at this price point. Out of the ones I've bought I would say my favorites are the Excalibur, Black Prince, 15th Century Hand & A Half, and the Two Handed Templar swords. Any of those would be an excellent start to your collection.

[@Bluemax54]

I want one of every.

[@markfergerson2145]

I don't have any issue with your objectivity. I have noticed that your reviews have gotten more positive overall but I think that's down to manufacturers putting more effort into their products as time goes on.

[@tailyy9925]

So sweet I thought you were reviewing candy at one point.

[@justinkemple7925]

Looks very similar to the cold steel italian longsword, seems way nicer :)

[@daisho13]

That is a pretty blade, for sure.

[@draven86]

Really i once visited a museum a few months a go and a saw 2 montante swords that had the proportions of the crossguard and handle all wrong . The crossguards and handles we're too large in proportion of the blades

[@charliedurnford3277]

I want a free sample longsword 😐

[@CrimeVid]

The crossguard aperture would drive me demented ! why make them that way ? why not broach a batch to fit the crossection when needed

[@Josh_Green44]

My buddy lucked out and got one of these for $300.

[@EternalQuestion]

Really nice sword, but it's such a bloody pain to buy swords here in the UK, if you don't have a youtube channel like Matt. Darksword Armoury want $250 just for shipping...

[@scholagladiatoria]

My advice would be to have them ship to a friend in Canada or the US, then have them forward it to you.

[@gregajohnson1985]

that is a true thing of beauty. i would prefer a longer, more pronounced set of quillons.

[@draven86]

Better looking and more practical sword than what i've seen in museums recently.

[@Templarium]

how are you able to get those into the UK if they are not "traditionally made before 1964" or whatever silly date the law says. I thought you were supposed to surrender all these?

[@scholagladiatoria]

That piece of law only applies to curved swords and we can still own curved swords if we have martial arts insurance, are a member of a reenactment group, if they are traditionally made etc etc etc

[@sci_fi_file875]

Not in the UK and hadn't heard of that, but wow... That's ridiculous

[@TheCrusader1099]

for this price you get a lot better swords thats for sure...a custom regenyei for example...

[@MH-yp6wg]

So why dont you just sharpen it?

[@hgncbdfx]

Your head is wonderfuly shiney. Im a fan.

[@Wingzero90939]

Guys/ anyone who owns this sword, how does it feel to use this sword in one hand? I was curious if it could function like a hand and a half sword or is it too awkwardly balanced for that?

[@williambeningfield8087]

It is not heavy, mine weighs...about 3lbs...but with it's length it is not ideal for 1 H use, I suppose if you were on horse back 1 h would be feasible

[@prajjwalray7030]

Fifth

[@thepork9940]

First

[@manfredconnor3194]

I wonder . . . do they make a Katzbalger? = @ ) Oink!

[@tomsayer9460]

Dear matty from time to time r Reviewing youre dangerously near youre head please watch out . Thx hav a geeate one