The Black Knight
Price range: €7.00 through €249.00
Extrait de parfum
Accords: woody (vetiver), aromatic, smoky, powdery
Mood: gothic, intense, sophisticated
Renaissance captain Giovanni Dalle Bande Nere, together with his loyalty, spartan life-style, and moral commitment inspired this creation. Imagine the smell of a military camp: the sweetness of wild shrubs, the smoke of campfire, the smell of leather horse tacks. A powdery rose – symbolizing his secret mistress – rounds up an intense core of vetiver, the great protagonist of this perfume.
Description
NOTES: artemisia, caraway, honey, bulgarian rose, narcissus, iris butter, beeswax, cederwood, vetiver, patchouli, oakmoss, leather.
This is an extrait de parfum, so use sparingly as the concentration is 25%. It has a great longevity (an average of 12h).
The inspiration behind The Black Knight
The Black Knight is a gothic, intense, sophisticated perfume inspired by the historical character Giovanni Dalle Bande Nere (John of the Black Bands), an Italian condottiero (mercenary captain) of the Renaissance who belonged to the glorious Medici family.
I was charmed by this character for his stoic commitment to his cause, his loyalty, and his Spartan way of life – despite his noble origins.
The perfume tries to depict the atmosphere of a military camp, starting with the smell of wild shrubs, then the smoke of camp fire and the odor of horse tacks.
The evolution then delves deeper into the soul of this stern character, revealing the presence of a secret mistress, with a powdery rose rounding up the deep core made of vetiver.
I didn’t add any typical animalistic note as the intensity of Vetiver, together with the smokiness of leather, already carried it through.
I wanted to combine both the uncompromising and the human aspects of this fascinating character in a dark, medieval, meditative scent.
Alcohol Denat., Parfum, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Aqua, D-Limonene, Geraniol, Citronellol, Linalool, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Hydroxycitronellal, Isoeugenol, Eugenol, Citral, Amyl Cinnamal, Farnesol, Benzyl Benzoate, Coumarin, Benzyl Salicylate.
38 reviews for The Black Knight
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Michael –
Now, before you read this review here, let me preface this by saying, that I’m not a professional reviewer nor that my mother tongue is English (please keep this in mind, I try my best peeps).
In the first moments of THE BLACK KNIGHT you will get the Francesca leathery suede note which is quite similar to the leather note in THE LOVER’S TALE, but this time – it is different. Because in the background one can smell the vetiver waiting for attack. The vetiver is not an earthy one, rather fresh and green. And then you have the orris, which sweetens up the composition, makes it more airy, light.
After a while the leather/suede note goes in the background. But therefore it is now the hour of the vetiver. And hours it is… on a little side note: typical Bianchi power, one tiny spritz and I’m good to go for the whole day.
But now back to the vetiver – it is green, fresh and now it kinda starts to get earthy. The leather died down, but it didn’t say goodbye, it is still here (actually it never says goodbye, until the fragrance itself winks its last rounds). And it is beautiful.
Now, in my opinion, now it’s the time for THE BLACK KNIGHT to shine. But does he shine? Yes, because I left one note out: the orris. At this stage of the perfume, it adds again something floral, sweet (FYI: not cloying sweet – I hate sugary smells), airy and beautiful to the fragrance.
All in all it is a must-buy for me. I really encourage everyone out there to get your hands on a sample of THE BLACK KNIGHT.
admin –
I am really touched by your review, Michael! Thanks so much, Fraxxx ❤️❤️❤️
Adrian (verified owner) –
i’m not a professional fragrance reviewer, i can not tell you which notes are present or which ones are more predominant, but what i can tell you is that this scent is unique. Unique how? if you’re not ready for a strong, pungent, raw, amazing scent, then stick with cheap designer fragrances. This bottle arrived yesterday and upon spraying on my wrist the first impression was…what is this? I basically traveled back in time during the Ottoman Empire expansion throughout the world…To me this smells like the polished leather trunk in the tent of the sultan while on a campaign against European powers. After few hours it is still so different than anything else in my collection. If you like unique and long lasting juice, and you like the smell of raw leather (not the soft fancy jackets) that lasts 12-14 hours, this is a must!! Clearly it is not going to be my last Francesca Bianchi scent! What a fantastic fragrance! Memory making! This is on my short list of 5 scents to take on a desert island!..(who needs perfumes on a desert island???).
admin (verified owner) –
Thanks Adrian for the fantastic words! So glad you were this inspired by my creation!
Dan Watkins –
Purchased recently along with Lost in Heaven, having already owned the divine Under My Skin since February (Ill get roubd to reviewing all at some point). This is a gorgeous, sexy and intensely addictive animalic, more masculine than the other 2 and is not like anythibg else i have. You really do only need one spray (obviously, what you ‘need’ and what you ‘want’ are not the same LOL – i have been applying all day….sparingly, of course ;)) and I cant get enough. 30ml is more than enough so don’t be put off by size, because the power of this, much the same as the others in my collection (so far) is outstanding. Projection and longevity are unbelievable and the quality of the ingredients unmatched. This is exquisite perfumery, masterfully executed and although all three I have are different, they share an unmistaleable DNA that is is both intangible and genius. I wont go into notes, you can find these yourself.
I have said this before, but the FB fragrances will truely make even the most dedicated fraghead question what the point is in bothering with any other brand!
etil.lamut –
The Black Knight transitions into something unique, powerful. I feel he is always on my side. So dark, and a warm hug. Aura and longevity great. I adore this Black Knight … Olga
devosruby –
The Black Knight is an armour for cold and difficult days. The opening is perhaps my favorite: hard black leather and the smell of varnish, incredibly dense but not sharp. As all FB fragrances, this is extremely well-rounded. Some smoke runs through it as well. Gradually the scent mellows, remaining smoky for a good while, but softening with the honey and the orris root. In that drydown The Black Knight becomes more similar to other Bianchi scents, but when you put your nose closer to your skin the hard leatheriness remains. This duality of strength and softness is what makes this not only relatively easy to wear, but it also gives a very protective dimension to the fragrance. Reading into the story behind this scent it really evokes images in my head of this freezing military camp, the heat of breath of skin, staying warms under layers of fur and wearing boots to bed.
Wear it when you need to conquer the cold, or perhaps the world.
guildemily –
Francesca’s perfumes make me very emotional. The feeling I get from smelling them is similar to the way I feel after watching certain Pasolini films: that I ought to be living a poetic life, and that I can. This scent gave me a very vivid image in its opening of an earthenware pot filled with honey, buried with smoldering leaves in the ground on a cold, grey morning. I didn’t conjure up this image in an effort to be descriptive, it just appeared to me fully formed on the fourth wearing. It is a very magical and quietly powerful perfume. I bought my bottle from an American stockist called In Fieri. I hope to own all of her work one day, but this scent had to be my first full bottle as I have never reacted so cinematically to a perfume before.
jeanbaptiste.bel (verified owner) –
Just pass the order for this one.
This is really dark, need really to be try on skin and not only paper. I love this perfume so much…because it let me feel so strong…this is one of the most dark and unique by the feeling that procure this fragance when you wear it….(tested among 400 fragances during this year!). This is not for everyone for sure…..but wow….i love this fragrance not for what it smells (even it’s great for sure) but for the feeling. And i think it’s the most powerful fragrance tested in term of longevity !!!
Congratulations Francesca for this beautiful creation
Laura Ombler (verified owner) –
The Black night gives me great comfort on stressful days and on other days he makes me nervous in a very good way.
Mischa –
Black knight is my mysterious friend. He s always ready to listen to me. Altghough quite masculin (certainly in the beginning) he caresses me like a mother. The vetiver is not harsh here, but smooth and creamy. Leather and flowers add a very comforting feeling. I went yesterday to bed in company of this black knight and woke up today with a very beautiful residu of the fragrance on my arm. Black knight will make the most gloomy month of the year: November more bearable for me. It s a perfect autumnal fragrance. Thank you, Francesca for this exceptional creation. I ve tested a lot of fragrances in my life, but this one is really very special. It gives me peace and pleasure. Well done!
ronjesanbar (verified owner) –
Otra maravilla de Francesca , the Black knight te acompaña por largas horas es fantástica. Ronald
evangelos (verified owner) –
My favorite vetiver fragrance with Francesca’s perfume DNA.
Very long lasting and dense.
Anna Corradini (verified owner) –
Unique fragrance. I never smelled anything like this. Very masculine. It smells like a 5-star miltary camp: smoke, tobacco & leather but in a First-class arrangement.
tudor.bucur (verified owner) –
One of the best vetiver scents out there and that’s saying something as there are so many good vetivers out there.
This is a dark vetiver, almost raw, earthy-sweet, campfire-leather, lathered horse, lathered knight. Brooding, sobre and pitch black. With a waxy red rose in the middle.
fisio.juliofr –
Una fragancia de corte clasico pero modernizado al estilo de Francesca. Me gusta mucho cuando el caballero negro desvela su misterio en sus notas oscuras que quedan por debajo de una salida de corte mas clasico. Un gran perfume altamente recomendado que he disfrutado mucho en la version discovery set. Gracias por otra creacion sublime.
Louise Mallon (verified owner) –
I love this. Super smoky, a dry dusty smoke that I love, I use it when I want to feel properly medieval. It totally transports me to the outdoors and is very evocative of the scene Francesca describes. Recently there’s a note that’s a bit cloying (the beeswax I think, there at the start), but after that it’s just heavenly. I read that Francesca delegates this as her only purely masculine fragrance but as a woman who enjoys fragrances from across the spectrum but mostly veering on the side of femme, I actually disagree. The sweetness and rose note keeps this from going there for me, and it feels more “me” than most scents I’ve tried. I went on a medieval watching spree after I first sniffed this too, ha. 🖤
nicjamesbevan42 (verified owner) –
Dark and magnificent leather scent. It’s powerful and long lasting but not shouty.
Ábel Horváth (verified owner) –
This was my first scent from Francesca Bianchi, and I’ll tell you what, it won’t be my last one. This is such an amazing dirty – leathery scent, it truely makes you feel like a “black knight”. The longevity and projection for me is INSANE!!! I mean it is without a question my strongest perfume, and sometimes it can be too much and there are really few occasions you can pull this fragrance off, thats why I put a 4 star instead of 5.
Edyta (verified owner) –
At first, among this thick essence, which is not sweet at all, I felt buttery iris, dry skin, only after a long time the dry additives and smoke began to emerge.
A miracle that stays with us throughout the day and sometimes even into the next. Please note that the scent is very niche and rather for those who like heavy scents.
Juan Gómez (verified owner) –
Si mi fragancia número uno de Francesca es The Lover’s Tale, ésta es sin duda mi número dos. Su aroma oscuro me transporta como al interior de un castillo de la Edad Media, donde reina la oscuridad y por donde transitan caballeros con negras armaduras desgastadas por participar en muchas batallas. Otra obra de arte olfativa de Francesca Bianchi.
Hannah (verified owner) –
This one was a bit much for me. Not my taste – but high quality and unique as always!
Ordering is always a great experience!
ryuvssagat (verified owner) –
The vetiver sits under strong leather beautifully. This is daring and very masculine.
Hanif Darwish (verified owner) –
A potent masculine perfume with dark and raw cowhide leather which transforms into a wonderful smoky earthy vetiver fragrance. The longevity and projection are nuclear. It’s highly concentrated with amazing accords which I adore. A true masterpiece!
Liliana (verified owner) –
Where to begin? I have tested, like 200 perfumes in the last couple of years but none of them struck a chord in me like The Black Knight. I sprayed it when I went to bed and there, in the dark, my olfactory journey began: extinguished fireplaces, burnt leaves, the bitter greeting of a damp winter morning in the woods, the soil beneath heavy boots, mossy wooden doors and behind it, a lonesome little bed of furs and leather. And when the herbal-weedy middle note is almost overwhelming, there! A honeyed vanillic seam sneaks in, enwrapping it all, making it glow and soft.
This perfume is a masterpiece. Definitely not something I can wear every day. Too emotional, too intense, demanding all my attention, like a living entity. Edgy, uncompromising, introvert, platonic – no seduction, not seeking validation. Ultra-modern, focussing on virtues rather than carnal pleasures, androgynous. At the end of a hard day, the Black Knight is my perfect companion and protector, and being asked all the big questions, he only replies with the best thing possible: with utter silence.
Winifred Liu (verified owner) –
On me, The Black Knight is a linear, photorealistic leather – I don’t get any of the honey, bulgarian rose, narcissus, iris butter or beeswax, but I get a very specific scent from this fragrance: black leather biker jacket, still worn by someone leaning on their Harley motorcycle. I have no other words to describe the leather note on me, it smells precisely like those black jackets from the movie Grease, and as it develops it even smells a bit rubbery. It’s probably best to purchase a sample first to see if more notes can be detected. My biggest issue with leathers is that I don’t like vanillic or ambery leathers like those from Tom Ford; I prefer birch-tar burnt leathers and occasionally, animalic leathers if the weather’s cold enough, so those with similar preferences may be inclined to try The Black Knight.
Ushana (verified owner) –
This is a masterpiece. It feels like a dark, warm hug. The smoky leather and earthy warmth transport me to a medieval dream every time. I love wearing it to myself—it’s pure magic!
Good on you Francesca, this one tells a story, 10/10.
irma (verified owner) –
i love this rich, strong vetiver, which runs through the whole fragrance, deeply rooted in itself. i love the mix of the dark-black, greasy, heavy smoke, the light-hearted spiciness, the vetiver’s stability, the smooth blossom-honey, the thick, worn but, as it’s always been carefully nurtured with beeswax, still sleek leather and the alluring, spicy flavor of men’s skin sweaty from physical work. for me, the fragrance is deeply carnal, seductive, bold, concentrated, highly present and intense. just like an accomplished lover.
Winifred Liu (verified owner) –
On me, The Black Knight is a linear, photorealistic leather – I don’t get any of the honey, bulgarian rose, narcissus, iris butter or beeswax, but I get a very specific scent from this fragrance: black leather biker jacket, still worn by someone leaning on their Harley motorcycle. I have no other words to describe the leather note on me, it smells precisely like those black jackets from the movie Grease, and as it develops it even smells a bit rubbery. It’s probably best to purchase a sample first to see if more notes can be detected. My biggest issue with leathers is that I don’t like vanillic or ambery leathers; I prefer birch-tar burnt leathers and occasionally, animalic leathers if the weather’s cold enough, so those with similar preferences may be inclined to try The Black Knight.
shamaine.ann –
On my second bottle already—The Black Night is simply addictive! Dark, strong, and gothic, it exudes a bold personality. The leathery and earthy notes radiate sexiness, while the animalic undertone is intriguing without being overpowering. It’s a fragrance that leaves me speechless—mysterious and seductive in the best way.
Mr Nielsen (verified owner) –
The Black Knight is one of my favorite fragrances. When I wear it, it always create olkactory images that puzzles and intruige me. They affect my mood and feelings, and I feel like I am invited into a world of olfactory cinematografy. I cant wait to explore more FB luxury fagrances.
Tamás Szalai (verified owner) –
This perfume tricked me at first, but the more I smell it the more I like it.:) I think the black knight name is matching with the scent, it was a good choise. On paper I felt mostly the leather, but on my skin I felt much complex. Fine leather jacket, honey and iris butter were the main notes. The performance is also very good, even after 12 hours it is noticable.
cesar.pietro (verified owner) –
The Black Night is a love. Every time I get a new perfume, I get amazed of how unique and addictive FB creations can be. This is on my top 3 on 11. Love.
Elik (verified owner) –
Black Knight is a perfume that scared me at first, but it quickly won me over. I can’t let go of him anymore. A very powerful and charming perfume. Thank you Francesa.
majewska.s (verified owner) –
Black Knight is One of my fav! Deep, strong and Powerfull fragrance . Long-lasting on my skin . More autumn time use or evening but i Love them so much . Good job Francesca
Alexander Harsch (verified owner) –
„The Black Knight“ is dark, sensual, seductive and addictive.
It has the quality to melt with the skin. So you become one with the fragrance.
It creates a mystical aura that lingers all day.
Elysium.
Angello (verified owner) –
I discovered Francesca perfumes not long ago… As most would do, I ordered a few samples of what I thought could match my taste, and among those options was The Black Knight. If you read the reviews, old or new, you will notice many agree on boldness coming from Vetiver and Leather. These are not mere ideas, it is indeed present but in a unique way. To me this fragance opens mostly with leather and florals, lavender comes to mind. As time goes by, probably after 2-3hrs, it evolves towards a smokey, old leather smell. It reminds me of the type of raw leather you tend to smell on some estates, it lingers throughout the day accompanied with other notes that appear and go away momentarily, adding a mysterious vibe. The parfum description recommendeds applying this perfume sparingly. This is not just an idea, I’d say it is a requirement. Just 2 sprays are enough, 4 are risky, beyond that number it may be too much. Trust me, I went through that and I will stick between 2-4 max.
I wouldn’t say this is an everyday perfume, althought that is perhaps tied to the fact I am enjoying sweet, woody and fruity notes on my selections these days. However, I still enjoy how bold perfumes express themselves. Therefore, The Black Knight is something I would only use on special occasions, depending on my mood and what I am wearing. 2 sprays with a black outfit at night may be an interesting idea for a mysterious vibe.
Joshua Winter (verified owner) –
i love this perfume! a friend recommended it to me after receiving it as a gift. i love the smell and vibe. it makes me feel more gothic. perfect for me personally!
MOHAMMAD ALBUAINAIN (verified owner) –
a unique and distinctive perfume.
a leathery scent, earthy green, with honey. The perfume settles on these three notes clearly and beautifully.
strong diffusion, for men
Wim Vanheede (verified owner) –
This is one of my favorites. Simply put: It’s harsh leather combined with vetiver. This is a perfume for cooler weather. Perhaps less suitable for women. For me, this is a masterpiece.