Willowtide Hand Forged Damascus Steel Chinese Dao Sword | 36 Inch Overall with 27 Inch Blade | Martial Arts Collector Gift | RK-1304

If the jian was the gentleman of arms, the dao was the general issue soldier. Single edged and simple to learn, the dao was the standard sidearm of infantry and cavalry for well over a thousand years, and Ming period military writers made the point plainly. A recruit could be made useful with a dao in weeks. A jian took years. This one is the straight form of the dao: a single edged blade with a straight spine and an angled tip, closer to the straight dao of the Han and Tang periods than to the curved sabers that came later. A straight edge thrusts directly and chops hard.

This dao is forged and finished by hand in the Czech Republic. The blade is 1095 and 15N20 forge welded Damascus hardened to 58 to 60 HRC, single edged with a straight spine and the layered pattern running the full length of the blade. The hilt is a black cord wrapped grip with a brass guard and a brass pommel cap. It ships in a black scabbard, and shipping inside the United States is free.

Specifications

What a straight single edge does

On a straight blade the edge arrives more or less square on to the target, so the cut is a strong chop, and the point sits in line with the hand, so a thrust goes exactly where you aim it. You can still slice by drawing the blade through as it lands, but the blade does not do that for you the way a curved saber does.

The single edge leaves a thick, flat spine along the back, which stiffens the blade. The angled tip gives a strong point that resists chipping. Straight dao like this were the standard pattern in China for centuries before the curved willow leaf saber took over in the Ming period.

Why Damascus and not stainless

Two steels are used at this forge and no others. Plain blades are 1095 high carbon steel. Damascus blades are 1095 and 15N20 forge welded together.

A sword lives or dies on its edge, and this one is 1095 and 15N20 forge welded, etched so the layers show, and taken to 58 to 60 HRC. The 1095 carries the carbon for the edge and the nickel in the 15N20 toughens the billet, which is why a Damascus blade can be run harder than a plain one and still sharpen on an ordinary stone. Stainless steel resists rust by carrying a great deal of chromium, and chromium carbides are coarse and hard. They stop the edge going truly fine and they make a long blade brittle. For a sword meant to cut, that is the wrong trade. Carbon steel asks only that you keep it dry and oiled. Our page on Damascus versus stainless explains the metallurgy.

The cord wrapped grip

The grip is a wooden core with a black cord wrap over it, closed by a brass guard at the front and a brass cap at the pommel. Cord wrapping is used on Asian swords for a very practical reason. The raised diamonds of the wrap give the hand something to grip against, so the sword does not turn during a cut even when your palm is wet, and the wrap can be replaced without disturbing the rest of the hilt.

Keep the wrap dry. If it gets wet, let it dry naturally away from direct heat rather than forcing it, because heat shrinks cord unevenly and can loosen the tension. Where wood is exposed at the collar, the advice in our wooden handle care guide applies, and the same is true of the scabbard.

Engraving, runes and your own design

Use the rune converter on this page to turn a name, a date or a short phrase into Elder Futhark and we will cut it into the steel or the handle. If you would rather have a Viking pattern than a rune line, choose your own design in the engraving option above the add to cart button and tell us whether it goes on the blade or the handle. Where a piece already carries an engraved design, your chosen engraving replaces it rather than sitting alongside it. On a dao the flat above the edge is the natural place for an inscription, and the cut line reads bright against the etched pattern. See the engraving page.

Care and sharpening

Wipe the blade with an oiled cloth after handling and keep the dao out of its scabbard for long term storage. A close fitting scabbard traps humidity against the steel. Light spotting comes off with oil and a soft cloth. Our steel care page covers the rest.

A long straight single edge is sharpened in sections. Keep the bevel flat on the stone and work along the blade in overlapping passes so the whole edge gets the same attention. Medium stone first, then fine, then strop the burr off on the back. See sharpening with a whetstone.

Made in the Czech Republic

Every piece we sell is made by hand in the Czech Republic. The smiths there work the way the trade has been worked for a long time, heating and hammering the steel, taking the bevels down by eye, and fitting the handle and the leather one at a time. There is no automated line anywhere in it, so small differences from one piece to the next are normal and expected.

Ransack Viking is a United States company based in Chicago, Illinois. We bring the pieces in ourselves, inspect them on arrival and ship them from our own warehouse. If you add engraving, that is carried out here in the United States before your order goes out.

A note on handmade variation

This dao is hand forged. It is not machine made and it is not bulk produced, so what arrives will not be a pixel for pixel copy of the photograph. The exact line of the spine, the banding of the Damascus pattern, the tension and diamond spacing of the cord wrap and the tone of the brass all vary, because every part is worked by hand from natural materials. The dimensions, the steel and the build are the same every time. The character is not.

Frequently asked questions

Is the dao sharp when it arrives?

Yes, it ships with a working edge. Blunt versions are available for forms practice or display, just leave a note with the order.

Can I do cutting practice with it?

Yes. It is full tang and hardened through, and the straight edge suits mats and bottles well. Avoid steel to steel contact and heavy timber.

Is the Damascus pattern forge welded or applied?

Forge welded. The billet is 1095 and 15N20 welded and folded, so the pattern runs through the whole thickness of the blade rather than sitting on the surface.

Can I have runes engraved on the blade?

Yes. Use the rune converter above for an Elder Futhark line or choose your own Viking pattern in the engraving option, and tell us whether it goes on the blade or the grip.

Is the blade curved?

No. This dao has a straight single edged blade with an angled tip, as the photographs show. If you want a curved Chinese saber, look at the sabres range.

How long does delivery take?

Shipping is free within the United States and stock pieces arrive five to seven business days after dispatch. Engraved orders add two to three weeks.

What is in the box

• One hand forged 1095 and 15N20 Damascus Chinese dao, 36 inches overall
• One black scabbard
• Care card covering oiling, cord wrap care and sharpening the edge
• Your Elder Futhark rune line or chosen pattern, if engraving was ordered
• Forged and finished in the Czech Republic

Explore the range

See the other jian and dao Chinese swords, the sabres, the full sword range and the Damascus swords, or read the guides.

Near neighbours in the shop

Next along the rack is the Fellsaw movie sword, 30 inches overall. For a straight comparison, see the Notchfang movie sword, pattern welded Damascus. Worth putting side by side with this is the Slatehaven Chinese sword, 35 inches overall.

If you are putting a set together, the Plumescale arming sword sits alongside it. You can have this made your way instead on the design your own page.