This sword is a creation of Jose de Braga, who carved the handles for Connor Macleod and Kane the Sorcerer in the Highlander III film. The background of Dark Magic (featured left) is interesting.

When Canadian knifemaker Jose de Braga watched the first Highlander film (released in 1985) he found it odd to pitch a Japanese katana against a longsword. Being inspired by the film, he pondered a handle design for a katana that would have been an effective posession for an adversary to use against the Highlander.

Producers Davis and Panzer aproached de Braga for the design of Kane - Connor MacLeod's nemesis in Highlander III. Ironically, they chose the Dark Magic handle that de Braga had carved for himself out of inspiration by the first film.

My report on Dark Magic is however, unfavorable. Made by Art Gladius of Spain, the handle material did not seem strong and durable enough to withstand a few swings in the air. In short, I was afraid the blade would come out of the handle, or that the sword might break. The detailing, however, did not come as close as the photograph featured left. My original impression was that perhaps this was a Taiwanese fake and not the real Dark Magic sword, but upon contacting Jose de Braga, my fears were confirmed.

The length of the tang, like most of Art Gladius swords, is a mere 3 to 3.5 inches, which means that where the tang ends creates a very great pressure point in the handle which the plastic cannot withstand, which will result in breakage in no time.

The blade features grooves that were traditionally placed by the Japanese in the back ridge on either side of the blade. The purpose of these were actually to lighten the sword without compromising structural integrity (think of an "I" beam used in buildings for support). These are not blood grooves. The Japanese sword was first and foremost a cutting weapon and not a thrusting weapon.

The Noble Collection has a variant of this sword, as they could not secure the rights to distribute de Braga's sword design (those rights went to United Cutlery that contracted Art Gladius to make them). Notice that there is a red gem in the demon's forehead. The Noble Collection's version features two red eyes instead.