Albion Augustus
Mar 17, 2013 11:37:49 GMT
Post by Ninjadave89 on Mar 17, 2013 11:37:49 GMT
INTRODUCTION.
As someone with a keen interest in ancient history, i've always been fascinated with Roman and greek weaponry. Short swords in particular have always been a favourite of mine and so I am always on the lookout for any good looking reproductions I can get hold of. I have purchased quite a lot of the gladii currently on the market from various companies such as Deepeeka, Windlass, Gen2, Valiant armoury etc, but I knew eventually I would need to save up to get an Albion, as they are supposedly the best production gladii in regards to historical accuracy. Luckily (and surprisingly) I recieved the Albion Augustus gladius as a Christmas present from my parents last year! Needless to say I was very very happy especially as I wasn't expecting any swords or sword related presents at all! As it was a present I cannot comment on how good or bad the buying process was, but I know that it was not bought directly from Albion but purchased second hand from elsewhere. Even so I could tell that it had never been used for anything but display as there were no marks or scratches on the blade. I've always liked this type of Gladius (mainz), not only because it looks great but also because it was the type used during the invasion of Britain, which began all around the area that I live.
HISTORICAL OVERVIEW
The Roman gladius was the main weapon for the Roman army for hundreds of years. In this time the sword went through many different changes in blade and hilt design, and the Mainz type that I am reviewing was around roughly from 20 or 30bc until around 50ad. Of course swords that would have been handed down through families may have been around for longer. The Mainz type has a wide waisted shape blade and would have been used primarily to stab at vital areas of an enemy from behind the large Roman shield.
FULL DISCLOSURE
This sword was a gift so I didn't pay anything for it but I have no affiliation with Albion and will give my honest opinion.
INITIAL IMPRESSIONS
The first thing I noticed about this sword was the weight. It seemed so light compared to my windlass and gen2 gladii, but at the same time still had a nice heft and felt much more alive in the hand due to being very well balanced. The grip is the perfect length for me and the shape provides a comfortable grip with hardly any chance of it slipping out of hand when confronting hordes of barbarians. There were a few dents in the guard but as I am not the first owner I cannot say if it was originally purchased like this or something the previous owner had done. Either way they are hardly noticeable and would not affect the structural integrity of the hilt. The sword has a very dangerous feel to it, every aspect seems to be specifically designed for the purpose of ending lives as efficiently as possible.
STATS
BLADE LENGTH - 51.5CM (20.27 inches)
HILT LENGTH - 18CM (7 inches)
BLADE WIDTH AT GUARD - 6.35cm (2.5 INCHES)
GUARD WIDTH - 8cm (3.15 inches)
P.O.B. - 10cm (4 inches from guard)
WEIGHT - Just over 800 grams.
BLADE - Blade has a very nice even satin finish and is very sharp. It has a nicely done edge which starts 1 inch from the guard and passes the paper cutting test easily. It does have a secondary bevel but a very well done secondary bevel which is hardly noticeable unless you look closely. I don't mind secondary bevels on my swords so it doesn't bother me. From just using my eyes there seems to be some distal taper but I have not measured it exactly.
The main thing I like about this blade is that it gets slightly thicker towards the end of the point, resulting in a point that could withstand quite a lot of stabbing without bending. This is something that I have not seen on any other production gladius so far, except of course the Albion Trajan with its reinforced point. With its wide but short blade it can have some difficulty in cleanly cutting through milk bottles but more about that later.
The tang on this sword has a rather odd shape to it and at first glance it reminds me of the commonly seen rat-tail tangs with their wider stub at the base of the blade and a thinner part extending the rest of the way. Of course this is NOT a rat-tail tang at all, it just reminds me of the shape of one. It is infact a very thick and almost square tang and I have no question that it is strong enough for anything this sword was intended to do.
GUARD - Nicely shaped guard with bronze guard plate properly inset into the guard instead of just resting on top like you see on most production gladii. The hilt is made of walnut.
GRIP - Very comfortable to hold and provides a sure grip when swinging the sword. One thing I don't quite like about the grip is its absolute uniformity. Each ridge is exactly the same size and depth as the next one, giving it a bit of a machined look to it. Apparently the grip contains lugs that lock onto the guard and pommel, I would like to see this but theres no way i'm taking this sword apart! As well as the lugs the grip seems to be glued to the rest of the hilt. The wood on the grip has been left slightly rougher than the guard or pommel, no doubt to increase grippiness which I thought was a nice touch and shows Albions attention to detail.
POMMEL - a slightly squashed sphere shape, nicely finished but again it looks a bit too perfect. Has a bronze rivet button and the peen is nicely finished. The tang is burned onto the wooden hilt to provide a tight fit and ensure that there are no gaps within the hilt that could potentially cause weak points.
HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS
This is a very fast sword! It can change direction easily when cutting and is easy to control. For a sword of this size some people may find it a little bit heavy when first using it, even if it is still lighter than a lot of other production gladii. As I have previously done a lot of cutting and training with heavier Deepeeka gladii, this one felt very light in comparison. Even so as long as you are reasonably strong, I cannot see any problem with having to use this sword for extended periods of time.
CUTTING TEST
I don't know if it is the blade shape or just my technique, but this sword demands perfect edge alignment. If you are slightly off on your cut, it is difficult to cleanly get through even soft plastic milk bottles. I managed one silent cut on a small bottle a but have not been able to do it again. Keep in mind that it would still cut off arms and heads with relative ease, and its not as if plastic bottles were an enemy of the Roman Empire (even if they are mine)! The sword is best suited to quick stabs and has excellent point control, and in my opinion most of the cutting done with this type of sword would be short quick cuts using the wrist instead of the arm. When you do have good edge alignment the sword cuts through most targets easily.
PROS
Very well made
Great attention to detail
Historically accurate (obviously made using better quality materials than originals)
Very sharp
CONS
Expensive if purchased new.
Some parts are a bit too perfect dont look hand made
Does not come with a scabbard as standard
BOTTOM LINE
This is the best gladius I currently have in my collection and the best handling gladius I have used so far. Is it worth the high price tag, no. But then you are not paying just for the sword, you are paying for the years of research that went into creating the sword in the first place. So even if I hadn't received it as a gift, sooner or later I would have purchased one from Albion anyway. I would not hesitate to reccommend this sword to anyone with an interest in Roman history and warfare, as I don't think you can get a better made gladius for the price.