Author Archives: Eyal Azerad

DARKSWORD ARMORY ENTERS 2019 WITH REINFORCED QUALITY

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After Correcting a Quality Control Issue in 2016 Darksword Armory’s Sword Assembly Technique is Stronger Than Ever! JAN. 3, 2019 – In 2016, Darksword Armory was made aware of a small number of swords that were produced with sub-standard tangs. The swords were recovered from customers and tested. Through staffing corrections and a thorough review […]

Royal Armouries Museum (Leeds): A Brief History of War

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An Overwhelming Experience from a Renowned Sword Collector.  Many enthusiasts of medieval and renaissance arms and armour have secretly longed to travel back in time, just to spend a day – to catch a glimpse – of the beautiful and functional articles of war that we find so fascinating. For those of us who lack […]

The Rise and Fall of Númenor Part 1

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In this article, Darksword Armory staff explore some of the ancient history of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Specifically, we take a look at the overthrow of the Dark Lord Morgoth, the fate of the half-elves, and the founding of the ancient kingdom of  Númenor – and what connection this kingdom has to a […]

Animatch Dog Adoption Fundraiser

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DSA Replica Sword Event Greetings, Darksword Armoury fans and friends! So a couple of weeks ago, I received an email from a Montreal based animal shelter that I donate to. Animatch is a non-profit canine ‘’no kill’’ adoption agency which matches responsible would-be pet owners with abandoned dogs. Recently, the organization, which receives minimal governmental […]

Amazon’s New Lord of the Rings TV Series – What We Know, and What We Hope For

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When Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings film trilogy concluded in 2003, everyone seemed to agree that it was a masterpiece. The fans loved it, the box office overflowed, even the critics approved. The final part in the trilogy – The Return of the King – swept the Academy Awards with a record-setting 11 Oscars, […]

New Halstein Forge Line of Damascus Steel Knives

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Welcome to Halstein Forge! High quality modern made Damascus pattern knives are typically rare, custom made at prices up to thousands of dollars. In taking on this new direction we were making an effort to bring the beauty of Pattern-Welded knives to the market, enabling collectors to purchase custom-quality Damascus knives at production prices. Each […]

Ten Highly Recognizable Swords from History

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Swords are an important part of human history. From their place on the battlefield to their role in the romanticised depiction of knighthood and chivalry, even people who have no interest in collecting sword for themselves will know one if they see one. Works of art, history books, trips to the museum – you almost […]

Oakeshott and his typology – Part III

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Filling in the Blanks Ewart Oakeshott’s typology may be one of the most useful tools in documenting and understanding the Medieval arms race, but it is far from a complete picture of the development of the Medieval sword.  In order to complete one’s picture of the sword, one must also look at the hilts of […]

Oakeshott and His Typology – Part II

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Tracking the Medieval Arms Race Ewart Oakeshott’s (1916-2002) typology is far more than just a means for cataloguing variations on the Medieval sword. It also tells a story – a chronicle of an arms race centuries ago that pitted armorers against bladesmiths in an ongoing battle to push military technology to its limits. One cannot […]

Oakeshott and His Typology – Part I

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  Debunking the Myth of the Medieval Sword When it comes to the study of the Medieval sword, Ewart Oakeshott ( 25 may 1916- 30th September 2002) was arguably the man who did more than any other to bring the study of arms and armour into the 20th century as a serious field of study. […]

A Guideline for proper Sword Maintenance

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The most common “how to” question sword collectors pose is categorically about sword maintenance. As such, we have written this brief overview to assist collectors protect their swords from rust corrosion and offer simple to follow tips to maintain their sword fittings and blades. It should first be noted however, that this blog article is […]

Top 10 Movie Swords of All Time

In Hollywood, Medieval battle scenes are fought with different weapons. However, very few weapons spur such intense clashes as the sword. Movie swords have long been popular among collectors. The following list is our staff’s top 10 favorite Hollywood swords of all time. #10 The Atlantean Sword, ‘’Conan the Barbarian’’ Arguably one of the ugliest […]

Gothic Gauntlets

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The origin of the expression ‘throwing down the gauntlet’ stems from medieval times and is literally a declaration of war. One look at the weapon, that often featured knuckledusters designed to maximize punishment when delivering a punch to an enemy and it’s easy to understand how the gauntlet became a symbolic call to arms. Early […]

Rediscovering The Ulfberht

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By Eyal Azerad     During the early Middle Ages, the primary metal available for the manufacture of swords was derived from bloomery iron, made by heating iron ore with charcoal in small furnaces. While sufficient for some applications, the finished iron was plagued with slag inclusions that weakened the metal, rendering a sword blade that […]