This sword comes straight from the 15th Century during the Hundred Years War between
England and France. The sword is modeled after the one carried by Johannes Von Eglofstein. I tried to do some research on him, but I unfortunately couldn't find much. From what I understand, he was apparently a German Prince Bishop during the Hundred Years War.
First, let's talk about the handle. The handle is made of wood with a layered leather wrapping. This gives the sword a great grip so you can swing it with total confidence. The pommel is a circular design and gives the sword a very nice balance. The cross guard however is where I find the first problem, though it is minor. The cross guard is designed in such a way where there is a squarish area where the blade meets the handle, then two long octagonal pieces jut out of the square on either end. This makes the cross guard very beautiful, but it does tend to make the knuckle on your thumb a bit sore. After a while, you learn how to hold it more correctly so that doesn't happen, and you can always wear a glove as well so it's certainly not a huge problem.
The blade is about twenty seven inches long, making it an overall of thirty four inches. The sword is a bit on the heavy side for it's length, but not enough to cause any real problems when striking. Though heavy, I find the blade to be pretty well balanced. The blade is made out of carbon steel and have a very nice flex. (Pictures of the flex soon to come.) There is a very noticeable "D/S" crest on the lower right side of the blade that I at first thought would really disrupt the look of the blade, but now I wear that crest on the blade proudly, as Darksword Armory has truly done a great job at this sword.
From Darksword Armory you can get this sword for $305 sharpened and with a matching scabbard. For $275, you can get the sword unsharpened with the scabbard. It is also worth mentioning that Darksword Armory offers a matching dagger for $135 unsharpend or $160 sharpened. For the amazing quality of this sword, the price is definitely a bargain. I would recommend this sword not only for it's great quality but also it's absolutely beautiful design.
Stay tuned for part 2, I will be conducting some cutting tests with this sword.
