Dragon Sparrow is a gem. You feel it the moment you hold Dragon Sparrow in your hand. From the thick chiseled pattern steel blade, unique hidden hilt, smooth teak tapered scabbard, solid brass scabbard mount, to the precision cast Dragon Sparrow bronze ring, every thing about this compaq sword is a statement of quiet luxury.
Dragon Sparrow is a reproduction of a hidden hilt Dao, first appeared during the Northern Dynasties (386–589 AD). Very few such swords exist today and LK Chen had the rare opportunity to base the design on an intact specimen. Some speculate the distinctive hidden hilt feature was designed to minimized the chance that the sword fell out of the scabbard when riding a galloping horse.
The double hung loop scabbard was influenced by Sassanian sabers and this sword mark the transition from Warring State - Han Dynasty single buckle system to double loop system that hang the sword from a leather waist belt in a 45 degree angle, make it easy to draw the sword out of the scabbard when on horse back.
Dragon Sparrow Dao
Total weight: 1354 g (3 lb)
Sword only weight: 830 g (1 lb. 13.3 oz)
Blade Length: 65 cm (25.6")
Total Handle Length: 18 cm (7")
Hidden Handle Length: 13.3 cm (5.2")
Total Length without ring: 83 cm (32.7")
Total Length including ring: 87 cm (34.3")
Gradual tapering
Width at hand guard: 26.5 mm,
Width at the tip: 19.5 mm,
Thickness at hand guard: 7.5 mm
Thickness at the tip: 3.5 mm
Point of balance from end of wood handle : 15 cm (6")
Blade cross section profile: rectangular spine with acute triangular cross profile,
Blade length wide profile: straight blade with 130.5 degree chiseled tip.
Folded pattern steel:
1060 carbon steel + T9 tungsten-vanadium high-speed tool steel.
1060 carbon steel
Element %
Carbon 0.55-0.660
Manganese 0.60-0.90
Phosphorus <=0.040
Sulfur <=0.050
T9 tungsten-vanadium high-speed tool steel.
Element %
Carbon 0.85-0.94
Silicon <=0.35
Manganese <=0.40
Phosphorus <=0.035
Sulfur <=0.030
Tungsten <= 0.30
Vanadium <= 0.02
Chromium <=0.25
Nickel <=0.20
Copper <=0.25
Molybdenum <= 0.20
Superior heat treatment:
Hardness 54-55 HRC.
Blade rebounds to true after bending,
Cut bamboo with ease.
Hand polish to smooth soft shine and sword sharp edge.
Fittings
Precision cast brass Dragon Sparrow Ring Pommel. Solid brass handle and scabbard fittings.
Scabbard
High quality teak scabbard.
Fit and finish
We perfected the fit and finish of our swords and the assembly is meticulously performed by our senior craft masters. It takes one whole working day for a craftsman to assemble our swords.
Sword Dynamics is first conceived by Peter Johnsson to objectively record the dynamics properties of medieval swords he encountered.
To learn how to interpret the Sword Dynamics Graph, click here!
Sword Dynamics was implemented by applied mathematician Dr. Vincent Le Chevalier as a free Weapons Dynamics Computer.
To learn how to measure basic data for the Weapons Dynamics Computer click here!
In the time of the Dragon Sparrow
BY SWORD LAB
Tsiek tsiek and again tsiek tsiek,
Mulan weaves, facing the door.
You don’t hear the shuttle’s sound,
You only hear Daughter’s sighs.
They ask Daughter who’s in her heart,
They ask Daughter who’s on her mind.
“No one is on Daughter’s heart,
No one is on Daughter’s mind.
Last night I saw the draft posters,
The Khan is calling many troops,
The army list is in twelve scrolls,
On every scroll there’s Father’s name.
Father has no grown‑up son,
Mulan has no elder brother.
I want to buy a saddle and horse,
And serve in the army in Father’s place.”
In the East Market she buys a spirited horse,
In the West Market she buys a saddle,
In the South Market she buys a bridle,
In the North Market she buys a long whip.
At dawn she takes leave of Father and Mother,
In the evening camps on the Yellow River’s bank.
She doesn’t hear the sound of Father and Mother calling,
She only hears the Yellow River’s flowing water cry tsien tsien.
At dawn she takes leave of the Yellow River,
In the evening she arrives at Black Mountain.
She doesn’t hear the sound of Father and Mother calling,
She only hears Mount Yen’s nomad horses cry tsiu tsiu.
She goes ten thousand miles on the business of war,
She crosses passes and mountains like flying.
Northern gust s carry the rattle of army pots,
Chilly light shines on iron armor.
Generals die in a hundred battles,
Stout soldiers return after ten years.
On her return she sees the Son of Heaven,
The Son of Heaven sits in the Splendid Hall.
He gives out promotions in twelve ranks
And prizes of a hundred thousand and more.
The Khan asks her what she desires.
“Mulan has no use for a minister’s post.
I wish to ride a swift mount
To take me back to my home.”
When Father and Mother hear Daughter is coming
They go outside the wall to meet her, leaning on each other.
When Elder Sister hears Younger Sister is coming
She fixes her rouge, facing the door.
When Little Brother hears Elder Sister is coming
He whets the knife, quick quick, for pig and sheep.
“I open the door to my east chamber,
I sit on my couch in the west room,
I take off my wartime gown
And put on my old‑time clothes.”
Facing the window she fixes her cloud like hair,
Hanging up a mirror she dabs on yellow flower powder
She goes out the door and sees her comrades.
Her comrades are all amazed and perplexed.
Traveling together for twelve years
They didn’t know Mulan was a girl.
“The he‑hare’s feet go hop and skip,
The she‑hare’s eyes are muddled and fuddled.
Two hares running side by side close to the ground,
How can they tell if I am he or she ?”
木蘭辭 - 南北朝
唧唧復唧唧
木蘭當戶織
不聞機杼聲
惟聞女嘆息
問女何所思
問女何所憶
女亦無所思
女亦無所憶
昨夜見軍帖
可汗大點兵
軍書十二卷
卷卷有爺名
阿爺無大兒
木蘭無長兄
願爲市鞍馬
從此替爺徵
東市買駿馬
西市買鞍韉
南市買轡頭
北市買長鞭
旦辭爺孃去
暮宿黃河邊
不聞爺孃喚女聲
但聞黃河流水鳴濺濺
旦辭黃河去
暮至黑山頭
不聞爺孃喚女聲
但聞燕山胡騎鳴啾啾
萬里赴戎機
關山度若飛
朔氣傳金柝
寒光照鐵衣
將軍百戰死
壯士十年歸
歸來見天子
天子坐明堂
策勳十二轉
賞賜百千強
可汗問所欲
木蘭不用尚書郎
願馳千里足
送兒還故鄉
爺孃聞女來
出郭相扶將
阿姊聞妹來
當戶理紅妝
小弟聞姊來
磨刀霍霍向豬羊
開我東閣門
坐我西閣牀
脫我戰時袍
著我舊時裳
當窗理雲鬢
對鏡貼花黃
出門看火伴
火伴皆驚惶
同行十二年
不知木蘭是女郎
雄兔腳撲朔
雌兔眼迷離
雙兔傍地走
安能辨我是雄雌
Leather waist belt with one short and one long vertical suspension straps that tie to the P shape fittings on the scabbard.
This 2 point suspension system allow the sword to hung at 45 degree or more and was first adopted in China during the Northern Dynasties. Since then it was used throughout the Sui and Tang Dynasties until today
YUNGANG GROTTOES, SHANXI, NORTHERN CHINA
A Brief Introduction of the Northern and Southern Dynasties
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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