Kilgorin, the Sword of Darkness in the eternal contest between the good and evil sides of a universe imagined by H.P. Lovecraft, comes to life yet again in this tenth anniversary version created by Kit Rae. Produced by United Cutlery, the commemorative Sword of Darkness comes with a low gloss black blade, proving that the dark side has good tactical sense.
Kit Rae’s Swords of the Ancients series follows no specific Lovecraft example but is inspired by his stories of long-ago battles between human heroes and the last of the Ancient Ones, a race which owned this world before our ancestors forced their way into history. These ancient blades channeled powerful magical energies as well as chopping and slashing and stabbing with mystically tempered steel. Kit Rae’s handiwork represents his concept of what these blades could have been, had they been real.
The earliest Kilgorin had a less fanciful shape and actually looked like a pretty good sword. The tenth model sports more hooks and scimitar-like blade guards or blade catchers and looks as though it would likely get caught on something if used. This sword is art, not function.
Thirty-four-and-a-half inches long overall, the Kilgorin sword’s handle is faux black ivory, and fittings are cast metal except for the horns of the hand guard. Talon-shaped prongs of polymer resin decorate the rear points of the guard. Demonic symbols and serpentine engravings decorate much of the dark sword. Although it’s an interesting piece of sculpture, the 420 stainless steel Sword of Darkness is a little mystifying as a sword. In the hand, it feels too light to be practical, but it looks good mounted on the wall beside the print of Valen confronting the Darkness, also included with this version of Kilgorin.
