by WarAngel

The advent of the motion picture Highlander and its spinoff television series created a worldwide thirst for dragonheaded swords. The famous dragon-headed Japanese sword may be the most popular and mass-manufactured of Hollywood memorabilia in the decorative replica sword market. However, movie fans have been longing for a version of the famous katana that can withstand a degree of use in stage combat re-enactment. This has been unavailable until now.

Sal D'Aquila is one of the prop-makers of the first season of Highlander: The Series. Among various props that can be seen in the beginning episodes, the most significant is the katana - originally given to Duncan MacLeod by his mentor, Connor MacLeod - which later was "rewritten" to have been a gift from Hideo Koto, a samurai who had saved Duncan Macleod's life off the shores of - not Loch Shiel - but of feudal Japan.

From the second season of Highlander: The Series onwards, the dragon-headed sword took a slightly different shape and design, and was ultimately produced as the "Sword of the Dragon" by replica sword manufacturer Marto of Spain.

I've just received an evaluation prototype of the "Musashi" sword that Sal D'Aquila will be releasing in a limited edition of ten. The "Musashi" is based on the first season prop sword, but with various detailed refinements and enough changes to merit its stand as an original product apart from Marto's "Sword of the Dragon".

Here are a few observations, but keep in mind that this is the prototype and the final version will be somewhat more evolved and better done, featuring paint detailing to create an antiqued look.

Fans will also be pleased to know that the underside of the head is the same recessed design as the prop sword as it appears in publicity photographs, thus marking a key characteristic difference between this first season prop sword, and the "Sword of the Dragon" by Marto of Spain which was used in subsequent seasons.

As opposed to the "Sword of the Dragon" which features a plastic ivory material which occasionally cracks under use (keep in mind that the Marto sword is purely decorative, sporting a stainless steel blade, and is not designed as a weapon), the "Musashi" features a carbon-fiber composite reinforced with kevlar. Sal D'Aquila had related to me that he had taken a three pound hammer to it, and it still held without cracking. Again, the prototype is pure white, as shown in the photo (left), but antiquing painted details adorns the final version to more closely resemble a sword that is several hundreds of years old. The top of its head is smooth and undetailed, as opposed to the Marto sword. In this case, Sal decided to remain true to hardcore fans who want a sword as close to identical to the original television prop as possible - which sported a smooth top.

The blade is fastened into the tang by an almost unnoticeable metal pin that uses a hex "L" shaped tool to unscrew out, similar to that used in combat folders. This hole is located 2 inches away from the tsuba, though the final version may have a second hole for added security.

The Kris Cutlery 29" blade was perfect for my 6 foot height, as I held the blade downwards and it didn't quite touch the ground. The balance was on this prototype was about 5" after the habaki, though Cecil Quierno of Kris Cutlery is providing some lighter versions of the blade. The blade isn't as bad-looking as I had thought. While there are some surface imperfections, there are no grind marks per se. The edge seems to be a bit of a cross between a saber grind and a moran edge. The moran edge is a concave cross sectional design which gives traditional Japanese sword edges their toughness and cutting power. This Kris Cutlery blade does not have a beveled edge that we've come to associate with Taiwanese fakes. It's finish is not as attractive as that of a World War II gunto but the blade appears to be very solid.

Somewhat tip heavy, the sword seems to be slightly better balanced than the Marto "Sword of the Dragon", though the final version may have superior balance with the lighter blade.

The habaki of the prototype sword is made of copper which I can't stand, though Sal will be receiving brass habaki with the new batch of 29" blades from Kris Cutlery.

The tsuba is a rooster pattern similar to the one used on the TV series and similar but non-identical to the Marto sword. The fitting comes from D. R. Langenbacker who used brass. Brass is a bit goldish and yellowish, so Marto lovers may take some getting used to, though we're looking into the possibility of having these cast in bronze.

Sal had originally supplied these handles in pure white, and so the prop department may have added some antiquing paint details prior to filming. The kevlar compound is tough and will not yellow to UV light in the long run. In its use, knowing that the tangs will be 7" long and the handle material is tough, I have no qualms holding the dragon head and maneuvering the blade. I found this necessary to counter the heaviness of the Kris Cutlery blade, but again when it is lighter, this may be unnecessary.

In short, this prototype is of sturdy quality and what I've come to expect of a sword that is tougher for swinging around and using inasmuch as Kris Cutlery blades can be used for sparring or re-enactment. If used for this purpose, use extreme caution as the edge of the KC 29" blade is quite sharp and can result in serious injury. (Featured left is the tsuba used for the prototype; note that while very similar, this tsuba is not identical to the Marto product. Cast from an original.)

In its current state, the prototype is not as attractive as the Marto Sword of the Dragon, but it's getting there, and the sword looks promising. The design is most certainly true to the First Season Prop sword. Paint detailing and "antiquing" can bring that "Muramasa" or "Hideo Koto" feel to this sword. With the lighter KC blade that's coming with a verified 7" tang, this sword may turn out to be a light maneuvering miracle, which will be made from 5160 spring steel and sport a spine of 40 Rockwell "C" scale hardness and an edge of 60 Rockwells.

Sal D'Aquila is open to customizations, such as if you decide to provide him with a different blade or guard. I had recommended to Sal the use of the Kris Cultery blade, as the Kris Cutlery blades have performed well as "beater" swords in our past reviews and help reduce the overall cost of a sword. Understand that custom swords generally start at US$1,500 - our objective was to make a durable sword at a price that people could afford. For an affordable forged blade of superb performance, I highly recommend Randal Graham though any custom blades will increase the cost of the sword.

Priced at US$600, I have no doubts that this sword will satisfy those who want a Duncan MacLeod style sword that is close to the First Season Prop and that is also combatworthy to an extent. While the sword cannot be marketed as "battleworthy" for safety legal reasons (with the likihood there will always be people who will abuse a sword), the ability to be able to hold near-original memorabilia that can be wielded without fear of breaking is a Highlander fan's dream come true.

Please direct all questions to Sal D'Aquila's Website.

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