NORTHERN DYNASTIES DRAGON SPARROW DAO (386–589 AD)

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.

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