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Pros: Blade Material, Weight
Cons: Handle Material, Materials, Overall Quality
Just a little too cheap and tacky
Typically I like Cold Steel's weapons. They are a bit tasteless but they are real weapons, not wall decorations. I actually have two of their European daggers - the Italian Dagger and the rondel - and they are both excellent. Cold Steel has a certain reputation, but it's very hard to find acceptable old-style European blades under $1000. This one is just too cheap, like something from a sleazy Ren faire. The problem is the handle is pure decoration, using some sort of bottom-barrel alloy. I will grant that the wrap looks nice and is probably where all the cost went. But if you actually tried to block a blow with this thing, your opponent would shear right through the quillions. Look, I am not planning on getting in a dagger fight, and if you pulled out this particular dagger in a modern fight you'd deserve to shot. Of course it's decorative. But this one is too cheap for re-enactors. It's just not a viable weapon. Some nice things: the weight and balance are fun in hand, the scabbard wasn't too bad, and the steel on the blade actually seems fine. Good enough anyway. There were some burrs but it cleaned up after a quick stropping. Shame the blade is attached to a cheap hunk of tin.