Spectacular overview Kyle. We sword reviewers I think naturally have a selection bias, where the swords we look at may seem to “always get great reviews” in part because as collectors we are largely looking at products that we like and believe in. But your candidness is always valued and when a sword does fail to meet the criteria which is expected for a consumer it’s important for everyone to know. These reviews continue to be invaluable to the community!
This is an important review and I think everybody in this hobby should watch it to understand this company (more of a seller than a maker). I practically agree with everything Kyle says here. I sold this sword to Kyle, and I did a first impression video of it when I first received it in the summer of 2020. I had some issues with the inappropriate flexing and the mind-boggling central protrusion on the crossguard, other than that I liked how it dry-handled. In the following years, I grew increasingly wary of its problems, you can see some of those exposed when I juxtaposed it to an Albion Regent, in my review of that amazing sword. Their designs are based on the same historical sword housed at Landesmuseum Zürich. The DSA Gothic longsword failed at every aspect in comparison, both in the design and implementations. I have to say that I didn't do any cutting at the time of my first impression video as their swords arrived covered in rust, and I exchanged them for new ones at DSA. When the new ones came in, they were mostly free of rust but still had patina on the fittings (as can be observed on Kyle's close-up footage). Their stats are almost identical to the ones I returned but some cosmetic attributes can tell me they are different swords instead of same ones that had been cleaned up. That tells you that this was the standard quality at DSA in 2020. After that, DSA changed their contractors at least three times, and did two price increases in 2021 and 2022. Now they almost double the prices, and look drastically different from before. Their stats also vary wildly from batch to batch, and from their official specifications. In late 2020, this very model made by a new contractor was sent to Matt Easton for evaluation, and that contractor was probably the best DSA ever had access to. But they lost that access soon later during the Lockdown. Since then, many of their swords turned into crowbars churned out by yet another contractor, and in 2022 they found their current contractor who can't really do the profile as designed. So perhaps if you are reading this and order one tomorrow, you are getting something that bears little resemblance to this one reviewed here. Could be better, or worse. But I doubt DSA chooses their review samples to influencers carefully as they probably are not capable of telling what is even superior or inferior. It all depends on the contractor they are currently using. For the price, every other competitor does it way better and more consistently. Albion Squire Line destroys them. Windlass' Royal Armouries Collection has designs based on actual museum specimens and are way better swords construction-wise. Del Tin makes more reliable and consistent swords. LK Chen absolutely blows them out of the water with their work for Balaur Arms, and ask for only $400-500. There is no reason for any practitioner or collector to buy from DSA, especially when they don't even know how to do proper sharpening to create the edge geometry or apexing for basic cutting.
It really is a shame. I still have a DSA that I love. It's a long discontinued version of the "mid 13th century sword" with the type C pommel. It has full single bevels, nice distal taper, a superb grip and a cleanly done peen. There is a bit of epoxy in the guard but nothing too bad. It's just a lovely little sword. It seems in the mid-2010s they genuinely were putting out some impressive swords.
@@Duzzies-101 This is why DSA can be so frustrating. They sometimes seem to luck into contracts with good forges, and will put out good swords for some time. Then the contract ends and who knows what you'll get after that? It makes buying from them a complete crapshoot.
Well said Kane, and great review Kyle. I personally will never buy a DSA sword again. I'm not willing to roll the dice on a $700 sword and hope I get one of the good ones. It is a shame, there are a few models I'd be interested in. But fortunately the mid range market has really improved over the last couple of years.
Agreed. DSA is a predatory company with a history of lying to customers about where their swords come from, and they essentially have zero quality assurance or control.
It flexes so much . That is actually crazy. And fron what I've heard, they're very combative when it comes to addressing customer concerns and complaints. It's crazy that they are still in business when there are so many other reputable companies that do much more for less money( Ronin Katana, Hanwei, Balaur Arms, etc.). Just a really bad look for them.
I agree. There's too many other options out there to risk your money on DSA. For the same price range, you can get Albion Squire Line. Or the Windlass Royal Armouries Collection (although QC is an issue here as well, if you buy through Museum Replicas, they usually have superb customer service and return policies). Or the new Tod Cutler swords. This price range has filled out a lot in recent years!
My comment i just put highlighted that, they were very combative when my sword broke. They replaced the blade but basically postured like "heres a freebee but you are lying." Which really rubbed me the wrong way being that the sword failed on the first strike against a soft piece of pine, and snapped in half. They said the edge damage said it had to have been repeated trauma yada yada. Very frustrating when you are promised gppd steel and a "battle ready sword" i mean if you chopped down too hard on a metal helmet of an enemy itd have snapped.
They are combative. One of the two swords I bought from them had an issue and they fed me a line of crap. Also acted offended. I wont buy anything else from them for sure
@@kristof6472Yea, I recently ordered 2 swords from scorpion swords, apparently they only use the stock reduction technique and use american steel. I got the spartan lakonian and the dark knight sword(names may not be exact but youll know them when you see them) They get here in a few weeks so i will be seeing if they are drastically more durable or just plain clunky when compared to swords forged in india or the Philippines. I can Say this the Kingdom of Arms ring hilt Irish sword I just bought came in about 9 oz lighter than it was supposed to be, and I was skeptical at first, but after holding it and giving it some yard time, its a phenominally balanced sword. I wil be using it on tatami mats, but pretty happy with it thus far.
Pfetty much what i experienced over the last 10 years: inconsistent quality in ways of construction as well as fit&finish, plus quite some catastrophic failures like broken blades/tangs and crumbling grip wood.
The timing of this is crazy. I have been considering buying one of DSA's models this weekend. My finger has been hovering over the buy button on Kult, but I haven't pulled the trigger. I was just lamenting that I haven't seen any good reviews on their swords in a long time. DSA has always been sort of an enigma to me. Thanks for the review it gave me some more things to consider.
@@AOWGroundBeef My experience with KoA's return policy recently is that it can be difficult to convince them to accept flaws in a sword as flaws, rather than hallmarks of a handmade sword and acceptable. I had a sword that was clearly damaged in transit and their first reaction was that it was perfectly normal.
@@alientude I agree. Last Depeeka I bought for chuckles had a bend like a bannana...their response: yeah, Deepeeka's do that. They took it back, though.
Thorough review as always, Kyle! I believe your aim was good during the cut that damaged the stand, it looked to me like the blade just noodled down towards the stand during the swing.
Funny thing is I noticed that during editing, and two other people have mentioned it to me as well. I didn't include commenting on it in the video because my aim was still off - I was lower on the bottle than I wanted to be - and it just didn't really strike me as that important. Thinking about it now though, it does show another way the flexibility is a problem, so I probably should have called it out.
Hey man! Nice comprehensive review! To add to your analysis of this piece…I bought one new from DSA 1-2 years ago. Mine was well over 3 pounds! I think 3lbs 5 ounces. I felt the grip was uncomfortable, the length of the cross guard was too short, aesthetically looked odd. The weird protrusion in the cross guard is uncomfortable when attempting to place your thumb on the flat, the edge was very poor. On top of all of that, the sword was bent in the foible. It was the last DSA I bought. I had a negative experience with two other DSA swords. The Alexandria I enjoyed but….that was it for me. I pass on DSA now.
This sword is mechanically impressive. It having a well defined central rib, and still whip and spring like that is wild, it's a neat bit of metallurgy. Poor sword, impressive spring.
Thank you for this complete and honest review! Very appreciated. Before this video, i never expected such flaws to exist in this price range of functional swords by an established brand. Thank you for opening my eyes. Subbed of course :)
Watching closely, you didn't miss and hit your stand my friend. The blade flexed in the swing (well before impact) like a floppy wushu sword and bowed itself downward into the stand. That's terrifying, and potentially very dangerous with a sharp.
I appreciate that you put such detailed measurements on screen. Really generous of you (not that I was seriously considering buying this sword, but in principle lol)
Companies will establish either a good or bad reputation based on the quality of their product and for DSA it's just a rubbish brand. Especially considering the price against companies that have a very good reputation for quality.
man the reason you had that bad cut is the sword was bending all over the place prior to contact, it doesnt matter about edge alignment when its bent prior to hitting what you are trying to cut. I have bought two swords from them and both more stable that the sword you are using. That being said I wont be buying a third
I'm pretty sure that educated sword enthusiasts are not DSA's target demographic. As long as there are high school kids willing to blow their Summer lawn mowing money on these overpriced wall hangers, DSA will keep on truckin'.
@@alientudeI've heard some Scottish two-handed claymores have a lot of flex in the blade but those are also much longer blades with different cross sections. For a blade with that defined a central rib... Definitely too flexible
I have an older version of this sword, bought back in 2019. The blade on mine is much shorter and quite rigid actually. However I haven't bothered buying another DSA sword ever since, especially since I live overseas and their prices increases don't make it worth anymore.
Has anyone else realized that when the blade hit the stand it was flexing downwards so it wasn't even the fault of his edge alignment? A sword this flexible could hit the user when you bring it back into a guard after a cut. It's not safe to even handle.
Very good, sir! In India, we call the sword ara. They are so flexible that the blades can stretch around to hit your enemies. Warriors train with arra naked, they break open the flesh but not cut through it.
Funny you went to the Balaur Italian comp. As I was watching the video and cutting I was thinking about the same comparison. Balaur Italian LS is a light, fairly flexible hollow ground XVIII budget sword as well. Difference is, I also have a first gen, and I find it extremely fun to cut with. It's got a pretty rudimentary KOA sharpening, but it's cuts great and is a blast to play with. I like cutting with it better than my Alexandria (don't tell anyone). It's just fun and easy and loves eating water bottles. Maybe I got lucky with a good first gen, too, idk.
I bought a gen 1 or 2 Five lobed viking sword was great, the distal taper was accurate and was light in the hand. Ive heard alot of mix reviews on the same sword
My Vindaaris broke first strike out of the box when a friend chopped downward into a fresh pine 2x4. Mind you I dont recommend this, but an overhead strike with a 2-h sword I feel should not snap in half on the first strike. The friend weighed 150 pounds and was 5'6, it was a solid chop but very controlled. Dark sword replaced the blade but in the email said that the damage to the edge meant it had been heavily abused, and they made it sound like we were beating metal poles with it or sword fighting(that response alone made me very skeptical to ever buy from them again). I recently reached out asking what thickness of steel they use in their swords, bc one sword was listed as 1.48mm which is very very thin. The other swords do not have listed values, but im starting to wonder if they keep costs down by making 5 swords out of the same material most companies make 4 swords, not enough to tell with eyesight, but enough for people to routinely say "the swords kinda whip or break or habe issues and we arent sure why..." I mean this could be their big secret.
@@Ryker2608 a 2 inch by 4 inch piece of soft building lumber. America uses inches to measure our lumber. A 2x4 is MUCH softer than a pine tree. If anything it should have dulled the edge(which i planned to sharpen anyway) but it ended in a single strike critical failure on the blade. the lower piece that did not break off cut through the rest of the 2x4 with ease. But yes, first strike snap, then i took the lower amount of the sword that was left and hacked through the 2x4 in about 3 solid hits.
Slow mo wibble wobble. Then again its blunt. If it were sharp then it might be cooler in the tests. Since the tip is the only sharp part, It would be cool to see some stabs or attempts at using it instead of the nodes.
I have no doubt that review samples are double and triple checked. I took a chance and bought a Crusader sword today. I'll let you know how it is upon receipt. Merry Christmas! Cheers :D
I just got it. It came in the scabbard. *Very* tight fit. I guess I'll need to uhh...take it in and out over and over to loosen it up. The sword itself is marvelous. I cleaned and oiled it. Very sharp in some places but not as sharp in others. Feels blade heavy but nothing conditioning myself to get used to it won't cure. @@alientude EDIT AFTER SLEEPING ON IT: I have owned swords before. It has just been 10 years. The first one I got last week is the Windlass Type XIV. I am indeed very happy with that. $300 shipped for a forged, peened, sharp sword that is balanced. Good looking as well for the price. Comparing it with the $688 shipped Crusader, the balance feels like it is about 70% towards the blade. The scabbard is so tight that I am not confident it will loosen. The blade is almost completely inflexible. It looks great but does not handle great. I feel like I have to fight to control it. If the pommel was heavier or the blade was thinner and lighter I think it would be much better or even perfect. You think I can lighten the weight with a belt sander? Were the odds not in my favour?
It's flexing like a sparring blade, at those cuts around the 28:00 mark... no bueno! The edge alignment didn't help though, hey, we've all been there 😆
I wouldn't class hand tailoring review samples as heresy. Almost every review of a non provided sample has had issues that I've seen over the last 5 years. When skall (he and I are well aquatinted) was getting a review sample of the current DSA Oslo design, just after they finally addressed the QC issue regarding unsuitable tang width, I bought a DSA Oslo of the former design. I had issues with heat treatment, the bottom third was over tempered and ductile, after contacting them the replacement I received had a bad twist. At that point when I explained I was just looking for a suitable blade for cutting practice they threw in the towel and just refunded me outright. 1/3 swords being acceptable in price from my perspective within a few months of each other. The metallurgical information they provide is also very dubious ("5160 Dual Tempered HRc 60 / 48-50 at the core") at one point they listed their HRC values as being 54 HRC at edge. This is not a supplier recommended heat treatment for 5160 alloy. 5160 incurs martensite embrittlement below 59 HRC and is overly brittle at 60 HRC. it is also a through hardening steel in medium-fast speed quench oil. Meaning in order to draw quenched martensite into the high forties with a hard edge they have to torch temper from the blade center, or use an improper quench time / medium as to get a partial hardening. This is a big issue because recommended tempering times are 2 2hr cycles (4hrs) in an oven. in fact almost all low alloy blade steels are recommended in that tempering time range. Ultimately I would concur in support of the idea that they are importing blades. 5160 is a extremely common steel for blade forging and heat treating literature is public domain from foundries and metallurgists, to purposefully ignore established literature and do a unsuitable heat treatment is mind boggling. Dr Larrin Tomas's article: knifesteelnerds.com/2019/04/01/how-to-heat-treat-5160/ From what I've been able to tell over the 10 years I've kept a side eye on them as the biggest sword retailer in my native country they did forge their own blades at some point. They had a stellar reputation for well built beater swords before 2015. in the last 7ish years that's gone to hell in a hand basket.
These swords and scabvards are made in india, in india the sw9rd exported cannot be sharpened as to the law. They then assemble these in canada. They are deceptive.
It is perfectly legal to export sharp swords from India. Windlass has been doing it fairly recently. However, sharp swords are regulated as weapons, which requires a different and more expensive license to export than blunt swords, which are not classified as weapons.
I bought a DSA sword this year and it’s great. No complaints. Medieval knight bastard sword. And I’m definitely not a TH-cam reviewer. But yeah something’s wrong with your sword.
A reinforced tip either swells back out in thickness right at the tip, or it stays relatively thick and robust. I'll try to put out a Short showcasing it.
Because they can still be considered "functional". And they are one of the only smiths to offer unique functional fantasy designs. Being an educated sword collector and well aware of the whole DSA sage, I STILL just bought their Black Death Gothic sword, and i absolutely love it. (Different model than this one. )Simply, no one else makes anything like it without costing $2,000+. So I was very willing to pay the $630 for it.
Is this a new sword or one you bought from someone who had bought bought this in 2020. A comment in your comment section makes me curious as to what the answer is. My experience with DSA has been relatively good but I will say that people don't really make reviews when they're happy customers. I've never felt the need to make a review with my 3 DSA swords but I'm one of the lucky ones. Here's hoping they see this and work to put out quality products in the future.
Answer to the question is in the video, quite early on. And I review swords I'm both happy with and those I'm not happy with - that's the entire point of the channel! 🙂
@@alientude Ah, as far as I know they've fixed the issue with the fuller and the throat for some time now. My gothic longsword from DSA has space in the guard for the fuller and the blade is far less bendy. I'd love to see you review a fresh one eventually. Also yeah I skipped past the first 10 seconds to get into the meat and potatoes of the video. I'd love to see you review one of their more recent models as I know for a fact their sharpening technique is different now and the quality can vary but is much tighter than early 2020 models.
Im more shocked that Marto still exists as a company than DSA but unlike DSA at least MARTO doesn't claim their swords are functional. I wont lie some DSA swords I do like the look of but seeing the disasterous reviews ocer the years ruins them as they clearly haven't addressed the issues; at least not entirely. I've have some regular Windlass production swords I'd trust far more as I've owned them for years, cut often with them & they are going strong.
You probably won't get this because it's been so long since you did the video, but my Gothic sword from DSA looks nothing like that, mine has a fuller running down the center of the blade, my Maker's Mark even looks different and I know it's genuine , cuz iI bought it directly from darksword armory about 19years ago.. my blade is strong and to be honest I love the sword... But like I said it's 19 or 20 years old LOL maybe they stopped making them themselves and started farming out the work
@DBryce-ux3wg There's multiple good places to buy a sword - the most common in the US is Kult of Athena (www.kultofathena.com/?koa=74). But it's less about where to buy and more about what brand to buy. There's plenty of good brands out there - if you want an overview, check out my tier list of Euro sword makers - th-cam.com/video/jMn5ZLkbNC0/w-d-xo.html.
saying a sword doesn't cut well that you bought second hand that hasn't been sharpened., is like saying a car doesn't shine that's 10 years old and been parked in a barn.. That's literally a dull sword... I will gladly admit that it looks like shit has gone downhill since I bought my sword.... But how it cuts after a good sharpening would be a better test if its abilities... Or even if it was fresh from dark sword. At least then you would have a review of what they send out. 20 yrs ago they sent me a sharp sword that is a pleasure to cut with. The guy told me at the time that he was making the sword when I called..😏 Really makes me sad to see how far they've fallen...
I know the exact history of the sharpness of the sword. The previous (first) owner had it sharpened by DSA, and the edge they put on it was atrocious, not even worth being called an edge. The previous owner did some work on one edge and made it a bit sharper, but really there is a lot of metal that needs to be removed still to make it actually sharp. He didn't feel like it was worth the effort, so he stopped. Still, that edge is sharper than the other. Since DSA sold a sharpening service, and the sword is in no way sharp, I do think it's fair to judge it's ability to cut like this. All of this was covered in the video...
Check out this video where I do a tier ranking for Euro-sword makers: th-cam.com/video/jMn5ZLkbNC0/w-d-xo.html Or other videos! I release a new review every 2 weeks, so there's a lot to choose from.
You obviously know NOTHING about DSA as they manufacture EVERYTHING in their own shop from raw metals. Hand made individual pieces of anything has some variances but I own a few of their swords and have purchased from your recommended distributors. I will buy from DSA again if I like a product they offer. I think DSA is an awesome small business doing a great job and whenever I've contacted them I've never had an issue with their customer service. In fact, their service is one of the stronger points I've found with their business.
I am glad you have had good experiences with DSA. However, just like my experience is not representative of all of DSA's work, neither are yours.The lack of consistency is the biggest problem, and its something other makers in this price range do not have nearly as many problems with.
@@alientudeThat's because they are made by machines not people. I ordered another DSA sword that is expected to arrive on Monday. I'll let you know what I think of that one when I see it.
This statement sounds like a hostage video recorded and released by Al Qaeda members standing just outside the frame with AK47 aiming at your head. I mean if DSA really wants this so badly, can't they at least find a competent AI to write the statement for hostage to read?
Darksword swords are some of the finest inexpensive swords made. They are balanced and almost indestructible. A back yard cutter with obviously no knowledge or experience has no place reviewing such a fine instrument. He thinks a heavy clunker is better than a light balanced real weapon for trained swordmanship. No wonder they didn’t want to send this made up wannabe. I hate fake martial artists. This guy isn’t even up to that level. He really should S…
Are you out of your mind? The sword wouldn't cut anything, the blade is not tempered correctly, and the geometries are far from being a functional sword. There are loads of lightweight swords made by Angus Trim, none of them are floppy and they cut and thrust like dreams, which is the reason why people take them to Historical European Martial Arts tournaments to win cutting competitions. This Darksword Armory sword can't cut even the more flimsy tiny bottle let alone any serious target. The blade is floppy and overly flexible but not durable in the slightest. The blade took a set on a small water bottle. Absolutely zero functional sword should behave like that.
I don't own a DSA and I have no dog in the fight (and I don't really care for their aesthetic overall). I generally enjoy your reviews (and have learned from them) and I've been looking forward to this review, but I am disappointed that you've trotted out the same old tropes, issues and speculations and flogged the same old dead horses. A review should not be about supposition and guesses...but facts. All you do with the supposition is imply something negative and muddy the water, your "take it with a grain of salt" does no more to remove a potential stain than a warning buy a judge to ignore a comment that has been objected to in court drives the comment out of a jury's mind. A solid review of the sword and shredding it if it deserves it...cool. Talk about verified issues with their old tang design compared to now, perfectly legit. Criticize their lack of historicity in their designs, absolutely. That it is as rigid as a wet noodle....absolutely valid complaint. Dull and no fun....sure. The issue of whether or not they make swords in Canada? Who really cares? Does it really matter? I argue that it does not and I don't understand why this is such a bugbear for so many detractors. I don't care about it the same way I don't care where or from what breed of cow Albion sources its leather. It is more important to know if those components are of good quality, fit together well, and function properly.....and if it isn't, say so...if it is, commend them for such. Re the peen...you don't know the shape of the void in the pommel and how the peen collapses the tang to fill that void...but it certainly doesn't look great. Commenting on patina on a 3 yr old sword that has changed hands a few times is also unfair, lol. Unfortunately, I think the comments on hilt construction need to be backed up with deconstruction...there is simply too much supposition and outright guessing than is fair and indicates bias. I also wonder what changes may have been made by them today on a sword that was sold for almost 1/2 the price three years ago (if any...I certainly hope there would be....but I have my doubts, too). I haven't dug through your reviews, but have you reviewed an actual new DSA swords in the year or two?
I have not reviewed a sword new from DSA, and I am not interested in dropping that much of my hard-earned money to do so. Many of your complaints here are specifically already addressed in the review. I comment on the patina and say it's not a big deal for me. I comment on it so I can explain to viewers that it came to me like that, that it doesn't bother me. I could clean it up easily, but I haven't bothered. Do they make swords in Canada? Doubtful, and as I said in the review, it's perfectly fine for them to import everything. Just own it. Don't pretend to make the swords by hand in Canada if they're actually importing them. Again, I cover this. Please realize that I'm not tailoring my review to your tastes. I try to cover a wide variety of topics and go over the history of the company, because to many people, it is relevant. It appears that it's not to you, and that's fine - I have chapter markings in the video so you can skip right past the parts that don't interest you.
@@alientude I watched it from beginning to end and it interested me...never insinuated otherwise. You are missing the point and are clearly getting your back up regarding something I intended as constructive and a prompt to greater objectivity that gives greater weight to your content. I'd be happy to talk to you about it in the Discord channel at some point, but I'm away for 2 weeks. Re some points you make here: OK, so why did you even MENTION the patina as it has nothing whatsoever to do with build quality from DSA, but, rather, the PO's storage/use? Is the history from 13 years ago that's been endlessly (truly ad nauseum) flogged in the forums truly relevant to what is being made today? Or is verified fact about what happens now relevant to someone looking at a DSA today? Anyway, your content, your choice. But you stacked so much supposition and guess work into it that it doesn't reflect well and isn't what I've come to expect from your reviews. I'm not even saying your suppositions or guesses are wrong....I'm just saying you can't just leave that stuff out there without backing it up or it just looks like sour grapes.
@AOWGroundBeef As I said in my previous comment, I explain that the patina is there because if I don't, people will likely ask about it. Did it come like that from DSA? Did I neglect the sword and let it rust? etc. I'm being thorough, that's all. As for the history behind DSA, I would ask you to acknowledge that not everybody has the knowledge from a dozen years of sword collecting and trawling through the SBG forum. There are new people to the hobby all the time, and this video might be their first exposure to information about Darksword Armory. I do believe the company's history is relevant, because it goes to their reliability and honesty. You are free to disagree, of course. I'm sorry you disliked parts of the review.
I sold Kyle this sword. The state the sword was in prior to cutting was identical to what it was when it arrived, even the patinas. This is actually a replacement sword they sent after the first one they shipped was covered in heavy rust patches. The first one they sent also have the exact same amount of over-the-top flex, and the non-existent sharpness. The edge geometry and the apexing is the singular worst among the several hundred swords I have handled and owned. And this is what they 30 extra dollars for.
@@FortuneFavoursTheBold Kane...no where did I negate the actual flaws show in the sword or disagree with them. Your point about as received condition is good add'l info. Again, none of that is my point. Detract all you want for actual, demonstrable flaws, that's utterly fair and right as I said.
This video concerns me a lot. Since I can't justify to myself the cost of an Albion Principe, I was thinking about buying the Darksword Armory Alexandria sword. Even though I will probably never do any actual cutting with the sword, the inconsistancey and poor QC bothers me. 🫤
Have you looked at the Balaur Arms Alexandria? I did a review of it here: th-cam.com/video/LBtzKiPdPTc/w-d-xo.html Kane Shen and Unsheathed Sword Reviews also did reviews of it.
I second what Kyle recommended. The Balaur Arms offerings made by LK Chen (not the two previous makers) beat any DSA by a thousand leagues, and only costs 2/3 of the price. DSA swords look like kindergartener projects comparing to LK Chen’s work.
@alientude thanks for the recommendations of Balaur Arms. I saw both Baluar and Darksword on Kult of Athena, but the Balaur sword was OOS so I was considering the Darksword. It sounds like I should just wait for the Balaur version to become available again!
Spectacular overview Kyle. We sword reviewers I think naturally have a selection bias, where the swords we look at may seem to “always get great reviews” in part because as collectors we are largely looking at products that we like and believe in. But your candidness is always valued and when a sword does fail to meet the criteria which is expected for a consumer it’s important for everyone to know. These reviews continue to be invaluable to the community!
Thanks!
This is an important review and I think everybody in this hobby should watch it to understand this company (more of a seller than a maker). I practically agree with everything Kyle says here. I sold this sword to Kyle, and I did a first impression video of it when I first received it in the summer of 2020. I had some issues with the inappropriate flexing and the mind-boggling central protrusion on the crossguard, other than that I liked how it dry-handled. In the following years, I grew increasingly wary of its problems, you can see some of those exposed when I juxtaposed it to an Albion Regent, in my review of that amazing sword. Their designs are based on the same historical sword housed at Landesmuseum Zürich. The DSA Gothic longsword failed at every aspect in comparison, both in the design and implementations.
I have to say that I didn't do any cutting at the time of my first impression video as their swords arrived covered in rust, and I exchanged them for new ones at DSA. When the new ones came in, they were mostly free of rust but still had patina on the fittings (as can be observed on Kyle's close-up footage). Their stats are almost identical to the ones I returned but some cosmetic attributes can tell me they are different swords instead of same ones that had been cleaned up. That tells you that this was the standard quality at DSA in 2020.
After that, DSA changed their contractors at least three times, and did two price increases in 2021 and 2022. Now they almost double the prices, and look drastically different from before. Their stats also vary wildly from batch to batch, and from their official specifications. In late 2020, this very model made by a new contractor was sent to Matt Easton for evaluation, and that contractor was probably the best DSA ever had access to. But they lost that access soon later during the Lockdown. Since then, many of their swords turned into crowbars churned out by yet another contractor, and in 2022 they found their current contractor who can't really do the profile as designed.
So perhaps if you are reading this and order one tomorrow, you are getting something that bears little resemblance to this one reviewed here. Could be better, or worse. But I doubt DSA chooses their review samples to influencers carefully as they probably are not capable of telling what is even superior or inferior. It all depends on the contractor they are currently using.
For the price, every other competitor does it way better and more consistently. Albion Squire Line destroys them. Windlass' Royal Armouries Collection has designs based on actual museum specimens and are way better swords construction-wise. Del Tin makes more reliable and consistent swords. LK Chen absolutely blows them out of the water with their work for Balaur Arms, and ask for only $400-500. There is no reason for any practitioner or collector to buy from DSA, especially when they don't even know how to do proper sharpening to create the edge geometry or apexing for basic cutting.
It really is a shame. I still have a DSA that I love. It's a long discontinued version of the "mid 13th century sword" with the type C pommel. It has full single bevels, nice distal taper, a superb grip and a cleanly done peen. There is a bit of epoxy in the guard but nothing too bad. It's just a lovely little sword. It seems in the mid-2010s they genuinely were putting out some impressive swords.
Well said Kane.
@@Duzzies-101 This is why DSA can be so frustrating. They sometimes seem to luck into contracts with good forges, and will put out good swords for some time. Then the contract ends and who knows what you'll get after that? It makes buying from them a complete crapshoot.
Well said Kane, and great review Kyle. I personally will never buy a DSA sword again. I'm not willing to roll the dice on a $700 sword and hope I get one of the good ones. It is a shame, there are a few models I'd be interested in. But fortunately the mid range market has really improved over the last couple of years.
Agreed. DSA is a predatory company with a history of lying to customers about where their swords come from, and they essentially have zero quality assurance or control.
Thanks for this overview!
It flexes so much . That is actually crazy. And fron what I've heard, they're very combative when it comes to addressing customer concerns and complaints. It's crazy that they are still in business when there are so many other reputable companies that do much more for less money( Ronin Katana, Hanwei, Balaur Arms, etc.). Just a really bad look for them.
I agree. There's too many other options out there to risk your money on DSA. For the same price range, you can get Albion Squire Line. Or the Windlass Royal Armouries Collection (although QC is an issue here as well, if you buy through Museum Replicas, they usually have superb customer service and return policies). Or the new Tod Cutler swords. This price range has filled out a lot in recent years!
My comment i just put highlighted that, they were very combative when my sword broke. They replaced the blade but basically postured like "heres a freebee but you are lying." Which really rubbed me the wrong way being that the sword failed on the first strike against a soft piece of pine, and snapped in half. They said the edge damage said it had to have been repeated trauma yada yada. Very frustrating when you are promised gppd steel and a "battle ready sword" i mean if you chopped down too hard on a metal helmet of an enemy itd have snapped.
They are combative. One of the two swords I bought from them had an issue and they fed me a line of crap. Also acted offended. I wont buy anything else from them for sure
Idk I cant help but feel suspicious of the made in India and made in China labels of most of these brands
@@kristof6472Yea, I recently ordered 2 swords from scorpion swords, apparently they only use the stock reduction technique and use american steel. I got the spartan lakonian and the dark knight sword(names may not be exact but youll know them when you see them) They get here in a few weeks so i will be seeing if they are drastically more durable or just plain clunky when compared to swords forged in india or the Philippines. I can Say this the Kingdom of Arms ring hilt Irish sword I just bought came in about 9 oz lighter than it was supposed to be, and I was skeptical at first, but after holding it and giving it some yard time, its a phenominally balanced sword. I wil be using it on tatami mats, but pretty happy with it thus far.
friends don`t let friends buy dsa swords.
DEFINITELY not!
Yeah... if it won't cut... a sword's main job.
Thank you for this honest review. Subscribed.
Thanks!
Pfetty much what i experienced over the last 10 years: inconsistent quality in ways of construction as well as fit&finish, plus quite some catastrophic failures like broken blades/tangs and crumbling grip wood.
Unfortunately this does seem to be the common theme with DSA.
Still the fanboiz name are LEGION...
The timing of this is crazy. I have been considering buying one of DSA's models this weekend. My finger has been hovering over the buy button on Kult, but I haven't pulled the trigger. I was just lamenting that I haven't seen any good reviews on their swords in a long time. DSA has always been sort of an enigma to me. Thanks for the review it gave me some more things to consider.
I hope it helps, and even more than that, if you do buy a DSA, I hope it's better than this one!
KoA offers a return policy if you don't like it....
@@AOWGroundBeef My experience with KoA's return policy recently is that it can be difficult to convince them to accept flaws in a sword as flaws, rather than hallmarks of a handmade sword and acceptable. I had a sword that was clearly damaged in transit and their first reaction was that it was perfectly normal.
You BET!!!
@@alientude I agree. Last Depeeka I bought for chuckles had a bend like a bannana...their response: yeah, Deepeeka's do that. They took it back, though.
Thorough review as always, Kyle! I believe your aim was good during the cut that damaged the stand, it looked to me like the blade just noodled down towards the stand during the swing.
Funny thing is I noticed that during editing, and two other people have mentioned it to me as well. I didn't include commenting on it in the video because my aim was still off - I was lower on the bottle than I wanted to be - and it just didn't really strike me as that important. Thinking about it now though, it does show another way the flexibility is a problem, so I probably should have called it out.
Hey man! Nice comprehensive review! To add to your analysis of this piece…I bought one new from DSA 1-2 years ago. Mine was well over 3 pounds! I think 3lbs 5 ounces. I felt the grip was uncomfortable, the length of the cross guard was too short, aesthetically looked odd. The weird protrusion in the cross guard is uncomfortable when attempting to place your thumb on the flat, the edge was very poor. On top of all of that, the sword was bent in the foible. It was the last DSA I bought. I had a negative experience with two other DSA swords. The Alexandria I enjoyed but….that was it for me. I pass on DSA now.
Wow, how sad, that this is happening in this price range! I did never expected that before this video.
love this channel thank you for your hard work as always
Much appreciated!
This sword is mechanically impressive. It having a well defined central rib, and still whip and spring like that is wild, it's a neat bit of metallurgy. Poor sword, impressive spring.
Thank you for this complete and honest review! Very appreciated. Before this video, i never expected such flaws to exist in this price range of functional swords by an established brand. Thank you for opening my eyes. Subbed of course :)
Glad it was helpful, and thanks for the sub!
Watching closely, you didn't miss and hit your stand my friend. The blade flexed in the swing (well before impact) like a floppy wushu sword and bowed itself downward into the stand. That's terrifying, and potentially very dangerous with a sharp.
thats exactly what i said in my comment, it was bent at least three inches downward before impact
I appreciate that you put such detailed measurements on screen. Really generous of you (not that I was seriously considering buying this sword, but in principle lol)
Thank you for the review. Super underrated channel
I appreciate that!
Companies will establish either a good or bad reputation based on the quality of their product and for DSA it's just a rubbish brand.
Especially considering the price against companies that have a very good reputation for quality.
man the reason you had that bad cut is the sword was bending all over the place prior to contact, it doesnt matter about edge alignment when its bent prior to hitting what you are trying to cut.
I have bought two swords from them and both more stable that the sword you are using.
That being said I wont be buying a third
I'm pretty sure that educated sword enthusiasts are not DSA's target demographic. As long as there are high school kids willing to blow their Summer lawn mowing money on these overpriced wall hangers, DSA will keep on truckin'.
Sad but true... "a fool and his money"
That flex in a sword with that blade length and that kind of cross section and distal taper is concerning...
It's definitely far too flexible for my taste.
@@alientudeI've heard some Scottish two-handed claymores have a lot of flex in the blade but those are also much longer blades with different cross sections.
For a blade with that defined a central rib... Definitely too flexible
I have an older version of this sword, bought back in 2019. The blade on mine is much shorter and quite rigid actually. However I haven't bothered buying another DSA sword ever since, especially since I live overseas and their prices increases don't make it worth anymore.
Hardly surprised I have a different darksword offering never again
Has anyone else realized that when the blade hit the stand it was flexing downwards so it wasn't even the fault of his edge alignment? A sword this flexible could hit the user when you bring it back into a guard after a cut. It's not safe to even handle.
Very good, sir! In India, we call the sword ara. They are so flexible that the blades can stretch around to hit your enemies. Warriors train with arra naked, they break open the flesh but not cut through it.
Funny you went to the Balaur Italian comp. As I was watching the video and cutting I was thinking about the same comparison. Balaur Italian LS is a light, fairly flexible hollow ground XVIII budget sword as well. Difference is, I also have a first gen, and I find it extremely fun to cut with. It's got a pretty rudimentary KOA sharpening, but it's cuts great and is a blast to play with. I like cutting with it better than my Alexandria (don't tell anyone). It's just fun and easy and loves eating water bottles. Maybe I got lucky with a good first gen, too, idk.
I bought a gen 1 or 2 Five lobed viking sword was great, the distal taper was accurate and was light in the hand. Ive heard alot of mix reviews on the same sword
Wow that flex....DSA..what are you doing!? also that looks like a Tod Cutlery 14thC dagger in the back ground. I have it..its my fave.
Interesting review! I was interested in buying the DSA piece but I think I think again...
My Vindaaris broke first strike out of the box when a friend chopped downward into a fresh pine 2x4. Mind you I dont recommend this, but an overhead strike with a 2-h sword I feel should not snap in half on the first strike. The friend weighed 150 pounds and was 5'6, it was a solid chop but very controlled. Dark sword replaced the blade but in the email said that the damage to the edge meant it had been heavily abused, and they made it sound like we were beating metal poles with it or sword fighting(that response alone made me very skeptical to ever buy from them again). I recently reached out asking what thickness of steel they use in their swords, bc one sword was listed as 1.48mm which is very very thin. The other swords do not have listed values, but im starting to wonder if they keep costs down by making 5 swords out of the same material most companies make 4 swords, not enough to tell with eyesight, but enough for people to routinely say "the swords kinda whip or break or habe issues and we arent sure why..." I mean this could be their big secret.
You bought a sword and your first inclination was to let your friend hack at a pine tree with it as if it were an axe?
@@Ryker2608 a 2 inch by 4 inch piece of soft building lumber. America uses inches to measure our lumber. A 2x4 is MUCH softer than a pine tree. If anything it should have dulled the edge(which i planned to sharpen anyway) but it ended in a single strike critical failure on the blade. the lower piece that did not break off cut through the rest of the 2x4 with ease. But yes, first strike snap, then i took the lower amount of the sword that was left and hacked through the 2x4 in about 3 solid hits.
Slow mo wibble wobble. Then again its blunt. If it were sharp then it might be cooler in the tests. Since the tip is the only sharp part, It would be cool to see some stabs or attempts at using it instead of the nodes.
I have no doubt that review samples are double and triple checked. I took a chance and bought a Crusader sword today. I'll let you know how it is upon receipt. Merry Christmas! Cheers :D
May the odds be ever in your favor.
I just got it. It came in the scabbard. *Very* tight fit. I guess I'll need to uhh...take it in and out over and over to loosen it up. The sword itself is marvelous. I cleaned and oiled it. Very sharp in some places but not as sharp in others. Feels blade heavy but nothing conditioning myself to get used to it won't cure. @@alientude EDIT AFTER SLEEPING ON IT:
I have owned swords before. It has just been 10 years. The first one I got last week is the Windlass Type XIV. I am indeed very happy with that. $300 shipped for a forged, peened, sharp sword that is balanced. Good looking as well for the price. Comparing it with the $688 shipped Crusader, the balance feels like it is about 70% towards the blade. The scabbard is so tight that I am not confident it will loosen. The blade is almost completely inflexible. It looks great but does not handle great. I feel like I have to fight to control it. If the pommel was heavier or the blade was thinner and lighter I think it would be much better or even perfect. You think I can lighten the weight with a belt sander? Were the odds not in my favour?
It's flexing like a sparring blade, at those cuts around the 28:00 mark... no bueno! The edge alignment didn't help though, hey, we've all been there 😆
I’ve seen more rigidity on noodles. There are cheaper wall hangers out there.
I wouldn't class hand tailoring review samples as heresy. Almost every review of a non provided sample has had issues that I've seen over the last 5 years. When skall (he and I are well aquatinted) was getting a review sample of the current DSA Oslo design, just after they finally addressed the QC issue regarding unsuitable tang width, I bought a DSA Oslo of the former design. I had issues with heat treatment, the bottom third was over tempered and ductile, after contacting them the replacement I received had a bad twist. At that point when I explained I was just looking for a suitable blade for cutting practice they threw in the towel and just refunded me outright. 1/3 swords being acceptable in price from my perspective within a few months of each other.
The metallurgical information they provide is also very dubious ("5160 Dual Tempered HRc 60 / 48-50 at the core") at one point they listed their HRC values as being 54 HRC at edge.
This is not a supplier recommended heat treatment for 5160 alloy. 5160 incurs martensite embrittlement below 59 HRC and is overly brittle at 60 HRC. it is also a through hardening steel in medium-fast speed quench oil. Meaning in order to draw quenched martensite into the high forties with a hard edge they have to torch temper from the blade center, or use an improper quench time / medium as to get a partial hardening. This is a big issue because recommended tempering times are 2 2hr cycles (4hrs) in an oven. in fact almost all low alloy blade steels are recommended in that tempering time range.
Ultimately I would concur in support of the idea that they are importing blades. 5160 is a extremely common steel for blade forging and heat treating literature is public domain from foundries and metallurgists, to purposefully ignore established literature and do a unsuitable heat treatment is mind boggling.
Dr Larrin Tomas's article: knifesteelnerds.com/2019/04/01/how-to-heat-treat-5160/
From what I've been able to tell over the 10 years I've kept a side eye on them as the biggest sword retailer in my native country they did forge their own blades at some point. They had a stellar reputation for well built beater swords before 2015. in the last 7ish years that's gone to hell in a hand basket.
I almost bought one of these purely as a dress sword for my SCA persona. Glad I stayed away.
Im about 2 for 4 on cracked blades from dsa
Not a good ratio!
@@alientude definitely sub optimal lol
These swords and scabvards are made in india, in india the sw9rd exported cannot be sharpened as to the law. They then assemble these in canada. They are deceptive.
It is perfectly legal to export sharp swords from India. Windlass has been doing it fairly recently. However, sharp swords are regulated as weapons, which requires a different and more expensive license to export than blunt swords, which are not classified as weapons.
I bought a DSA sword this year and it’s great. No complaints. Medieval knight bastard sword. And I’m definitely not a TH-cam reviewer. But yeah something’s wrong with your sword.
What does it mean to have a reinforced blade tip?
A reinforced tip either swells back out in thickness right at the tip, or it stays relatively thick and robust. I'll try to put out a Short showcasing it.
@JFTL81 th-cam.com/users/shortsjIusumcWiYQ
Awww it looked so cool, definitely my style but damn that’s a shame
I can't see how DSA stays in business. So many better options at lower prices. Why mess with this trash?
Because they can still be considered "functional". And they are one of the only smiths to offer unique functional fantasy designs. Being an educated sword collector and well aware of the whole DSA sage, I STILL just bought their Black Death Gothic sword, and i absolutely love it. (Different model than this one. )Simply, no one else makes anything like it without costing $2,000+. So I was very willing to pay the $630 for it.
Is this a new sword or one you bought from someone who had bought bought this in 2020. A comment in your comment section makes me curious as to what the answer is. My experience with DSA has been relatively good but I will say that people don't really make reviews when they're happy customers. I've never felt the need to make a review with my 3 DSA swords but I'm one of the lucky ones. Here's hoping they see this and work to put out quality products in the future.
Answer to the question is in the video, quite early on. And I review swords I'm both happy with and those I'm not happy with - that's the entire point of the channel! 🙂
@@alientude Ah, as far as I know they've fixed the issue with the fuller and the throat for some time now. My gothic longsword from DSA has space in the guard for the fuller and the blade is far less bendy. I'd love to see you review a fresh one eventually. Also yeah I skipped past the first 10 seconds to get into the meat and potatoes of the video. I'd love to see you review one of their more recent models as I know for a fact their sharpening technique is different now and the quality can vary but is much tighter than early 2020 models.
Wait... You mean just over 39 inches... Not 29
I actually appreciate the paper tests - thank you! - but from a personal perspective ... man, they are hard to watch! It's a visceral thing.
Im more shocked that Marto still exists as a company than DSA but unlike DSA at least MARTO doesn't claim their swords are functional.
I wont lie some DSA swords I do like the look of but seeing the disasterous reviews ocer the years ruins them as they clearly haven't addressed the issues; at least not entirely.
I've have some regular Windlass production swords I'd trust far more as I've owned them for years, cut often with them & they are going strong.
You probably won't get this because it's been so long since you did the video, but my Gothic sword from DSA looks nothing like that, mine has a fuller running down the center of the blade, my Maker's Mark even looks different and I know it's genuine , cuz iI bought it directly from darksword armory about 19years ago.. my blade is strong and to be honest I love the sword... But like I said it's 19 or 20 years old LOL maybe they stopped making them themselves and started farming out the work
I would guess you have this one: www.darksword-armory.com/medieval-weapon/medieval-swords/the-black-death-gothic-sword-1372/
So where do I buy a sword?
@DBryce-ux3wg There's multiple good places to buy a sword - the most common in the US is Kult of Athena (www.kultofathena.com/?koa=74). But it's less about where to buy and more about what brand to buy. There's plenty of good brands out there - if you want an overview, check out my tier list of Euro sword makers - th-cam.com/video/jMn5ZLkbNC0/w-d-xo.html.
saying a sword doesn't cut well that you bought second hand that hasn't been sharpened., is like saying a car doesn't shine that's 10 years old and been parked in a barn..
That's literally a dull sword... I will gladly admit that it looks like shit has gone downhill since I bought my sword.... But how it cuts after a good sharpening would be a better test if its abilities... Or even if it was fresh from dark sword. At least then you would have a review of what they send out. 20 yrs ago they sent me a sharp sword that is a pleasure to cut with. The guy told me at the time that he was making the sword when I called..😏 Really makes me sad to see how far they've fallen...
I know the exact history of the sharpness of the sword. The previous (first) owner had it sharpened by DSA, and the edge they put on it was atrocious, not even worth being called an edge. The previous owner did some work on one edge and made it a bit sharper, but really there is a lot of metal that needs to be removed still to make it actually sharp. He didn't feel like it was worth the effort, so he stopped. Still, that edge is sharper than the other.
Since DSA sold a sharpening service, and the sword is in no way sharp, I do think it's fair to judge it's ability to cut like this.
All of this was covered in the video...
Brutal
If DSA is junk who should a guy look to online?
Check out this video where I do a tier ranking for Euro-sword makers:
th-cam.com/video/jMn5ZLkbNC0/w-d-xo.html
Or other videos! I release a new review every 2 weeks, so there's a lot to choose from.
You obviously know NOTHING about DSA as they manufacture EVERYTHING in their own shop from raw metals. Hand made individual pieces of anything has some variances but I own a few of their swords and have purchased from your recommended distributors. I will buy from DSA again if I like a product they offer. I think DSA is an awesome small business doing a great job and whenever I've contacted them I've never had an issue with their customer service. In fact, their service is one of the stronger points I've found with their business.
I am glad you have had good experiences with DSA. However, just like my experience is not representative of all of DSA's work, neither are yours.The lack of consistency is the biggest problem, and its something other makers in this price range do not have nearly as many problems with.
@@alientudeThat's because they are made by machines not people. I ordered another DSA sword that is expected to arrive on Monday. I'll let you know what I think of that one when I see it.
Lmfao you are an idiot who knows nothing
This statement sounds like a hostage video recorded and released by Al Qaeda members standing just outside the frame with AK47 aiming at your head. I mean if DSA really wants this so badly, can't they at least find a competent AI to write the statement for hostage to read?
Darksword swords are some of the finest inexpensive swords made. They are balanced and almost indestructible. A back yard cutter with obviously no knowledge or experience has no place reviewing such a fine instrument. He thinks a heavy clunker is better than a light balanced real weapon for trained swordmanship. No wonder they didn’t want to send this made up wannabe. I hate fake martial artists. This guy isn’t even up to that level. He really should S…
Keep shilling buddy.
Did DSA hire you on Fiverr to spout that nonsense or do they coerce their employees into trolling reviews? 🤣🤣🤣
Are you out of your mind? The sword wouldn't cut anything, the blade is not tempered correctly, and the geometries are far from being a functional sword. There are loads of lightweight swords made by Angus Trim, none of them are floppy and they cut and thrust like dreams, which is the reason why people take them to Historical European Martial Arts tournaments to win cutting competitions. This Darksword Armory sword can't cut even the more flimsy tiny bottle let alone any serious target. The blade is floppy and overly flexible but not durable in the slightest. The blade took a set on a small water bottle. Absolutely zero functional sword should behave like that.
I don't own a DSA and I have no dog in the fight (and I don't really care for their aesthetic overall). I generally enjoy your reviews (and have learned from them) and I've been looking forward to this review, but I am disappointed that you've trotted out the same old tropes, issues and speculations and flogged the same old dead horses. A review should not be about supposition and guesses...but facts. All you do with the supposition is imply something negative and muddy the water, your "take it with a grain of salt" does no more to remove a potential stain than a warning buy a judge to ignore a comment that has been objected to in court drives the comment out of a jury's mind. A solid review of the sword and shredding it if it deserves it...cool. Talk about verified issues with their old tang design compared to now, perfectly legit. Criticize their lack of historicity in their designs, absolutely. That it is as rigid as a wet noodle....absolutely valid complaint. Dull and no fun....sure. The issue of whether or not they make swords in Canada? Who really cares? Does it really matter? I argue that it does not and I don't understand why this is such a bugbear for so many detractors. I don't care about it the same way I don't care where or from what breed of cow Albion sources its leather. It is more important to know if those components are of good quality, fit together well, and function properly.....and if it isn't, say so...if it is, commend them for such. Re the peen...you don't know the shape of the void in the pommel and how the peen collapses the tang to fill that void...but it certainly doesn't look great. Commenting on patina on a 3 yr old sword that has changed hands a few times is also unfair, lol. Unfortunately, I think the comments on hilt construction need to be backed up with deconstruction...there is simply too much supposition and outright guessing than is fair and indicates bias. I also wonder what changes may have been made by them today on a sword that was sold for almost 1/2 the price three years ago (if any...I certainly hope there would be....but I have my doubts, too). I haven't dug through your reviews, but have you reviewed an actual new DSA swords in the year or two?
I have not reviewed a sword new from DSA, and I am not interested in dropping that much of my hard-earned money to do so.
Many of your complaints here are specifically already addressed in the review. I comment on the patina and say it's not a big deal for me. I comment on it so I can explain to viewers that it came to me like that, that it doesn't bother me. I could clean it up easily, but I haven't bothered.
Do they make swords in Canada? Doubtful, and as I said in the review, it's perfectly fine for them to import everything. Just own it. Don't pretend to make the swords by hand in Canada if they're actually importing them. Again, I cover this.
Please realize that I'm not tailoring my review to your tastes. I try to cover a wide variety of topics and go over the history of the company, because to many people, it is relevant. It appears that it's not to you, and that's fine - I have chapter markings in the video so you can skip right past the parts that don't interest you.
@@alientude I watched it from beginning to end and it interested me...never insinuated otherwise. You are missing the point and are clearly getting your back up regarding something I intended as constructive and a prompt to greater objectivity that gives greater weight to your content. I'd be happy to talk to you about it in the Discord channel at some point, but I'm away for 2 weeks. Re some points you make here: OK, so why did you even MENTION the patina as it has nothing whatsoever to do with build quality from DSA, but, rather, the PO's storage/use? Is the history from 13 years ago that's been endlessly (truly ad nauseum) flogged in the forums truly relevant to what is being made today? Or is verified fact about what happens now relevant to someone looking at a DSA today? Anyway, your content, your choice. But you stacked so much supposition and guess work into it that it doesn't reflect well and isn't what I've come to expect from your reviews. I'm not even saying your suppositions or guesses are wrong....I'm just saying you can't just leave that stuff out there without backing it up or it just looks like sour grapes.
@AOWGroundBeef As I said in my previous comment, I explain that the patina is there because if I don't, people will likely ask about it. Did it come like that from DSA? Did I neglect the sword and let it rust? etc. I'm being thorough, that's all.
As for the history behind DSA, I would ask you to acknowledge that not everybody has the knowledge from a dozen years of sword collecting and trawling through the SBG forum. There are new people to the hobby all the time, and this video might be their first exposure to information about Darksword Armory. I do believe the company's history is relevant, because it goes to their reliability and honesty. You are free to disagree, of course.
I'm sorry you disliked parts of the review.
I sold Kyle this sword. The state the sword was in prior to cutting was identical to what it was when it arrived, even the patinas. This is actually a replacement sword they sent after the first one they shipped was covered in heavy rust patches. The first one they sent also have the exact same amount of over-the-top flex, and the non-existent sharpness. The edge geometry and the apexing is the singular worst among the several hundred swords I have handled and owned. And this is what they 30 extra dollars for.
@@FortuneFavoursTheBold Kane...no where did I negate the actual flaws show in the sword or disagree with them. Your point about as received condition is good add'l info. Again, none of that is my point. Detract all you want for actual, demonstrable flaws, that's utterly fair and right as I said.
Sharpen it and stop swinging it like a baseball bat.
This video concerns me a lot. Since I can't justify to myself the cost of an Albion Principe, I was thinking about buying the Darksword Armory Alexandria sword.
Even though I will probably never do any actual cutting with the sword, the inconsistancey and poor QC bothers me. 🫤
Have you looked at the Balaur Arms Alexandria? I did a review of it here: th-cam.com/video/LBtzKiPdPTc/w-d-xo.html
Kane Shen and Unsheathed Sword Reviews also did reviews of it.
I second what Kyle recommended. The Balaur Arms offerings made by LK Chen (not the two previous makers) beat any DSA by a thousand leagues, and only costs 2/3 of the price. DSA swords look like kindergartener projects comparing to LK Chen’s work.
@alientude thanks for the recommendations of Balaur Arms. I saw both Baluar and Darksword on Kult of Athena, but the Balaur sword was OOS so I was considering the Darksword. It sounds like I should just wait for the Balaur version to become available again!