Albion Custom XII, Knight and Caithness Comparison
Oct 4, 2013 7:42:41 GMT
Post by William Swiger on Oct 4, 2013 7:42:41 GMT
I purchased the Custom XII from Albion and the 2-Knights and Caithness from the original owners.
Custom Type XII
Specifications
Overall length: 37.5"
Blade length: 31 3/8"
Blade width (at base): 2"
POB: 4.5"
Grip Length: 4 1/4"
Weight: 2 lbs 6 oz
Background: Awhile back, Albion released a few custom swords that are not part of their regular production line. Since I am a big fan of brazil nut pommels, I bought this one. This sword is not based an any historical sword but was inspired by the smiths at Albion.
Knight
Specifications
Overall length: 38.125"
Blade length: 31.5"
Blade width (at base): 2.0625"
POB: 4.5"
Grip Length: 4 1/4"
Weight: 2 lbs 10.4 oz
Background: This is perhaps the most classic of all blade styles. So much so that it is close to being the very archetype of the European knightly sword. A weapon that is broad and bold with understated elegance in shapes, lines and volumes. The heft of the sword is managed by an effective use of nonlinear distal taper and a deep and well defined fuller. This results in a lively and responsive feel that invites you to strike with the sword. The pommel of this sword is of type J: a deep wheel pommel with concave bevels. It is crowned by a high rivet block. The cross is a version of style 2: a straight type of octagonal section that swell at the ends and in the middle.
The outer third of the blade towards the point curves gradually to a sharp point. This gives a visual balance to the broad base of the blade and also helps in establishing sweet handling characteristics.
Caithness
Specifications
Overall length: 38.5"
Blade length: 31.375"
Blade width (at base): 2.125"
POB: 4.25"
Grip Length: 3 5/8"
Weight: 2 lbs 8.4 oz
Background: There has been contact between Scotland and Scandinavia from early times and this has left traces in the type and style of weapons used. The five lobed pommel on the Caithness is inspired from grave effigies on display in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. These are from late medieval period but show arms and armor that would be out of date on continental Europe. This mix of up-to-date blades mounted on hilts with a blend of age old traditions and Norse influences, give swords of Scottish type a character that goes well with the fierce and individualistic Scottish warriors.
Type XII: Oakeshott characterized the Type XII as "having a broad, flat, evenly tapering blade, generally with a good sharp point and tending to widen perceptibly below the hilt." The fuller will be well defined, generally extending from below the guard for two-thirds to three-quarters of the blade's length. The blade's cross-section will be of lenticular design and the blade will typically be from thirty to thirty-two inches long. The grip will be a bit longer than previous types, usually measuring around four and a half inches. The style of guard is not a defining feature of the type, with almost any style being possible. However, a short, straight guard is the most common, often with a round or octagonal cross-section. The pommel can also be of nearly any type.
Impressions:
The Custom XII feels the lightest in hand and is a very quick and nimble sword. I love the brazil nut pommel and the grip wrap is excellent. For my tastes, it is just a little too light in hand. The sword came with quite a few small scratches on the guard and pommel.
The Caithness feels the most heavy in hand. I love the pommel on this sword as Viking swords are my favorite sword types. The small area of the leather grip makes one end up with some of the hand on the metal of the guard. It just feels weird to me when handling. I wish they would have brought the leather wrap further down.
The Knight feels the best in hand for me. It has a very plain look and handles wonderfully. There is nothing about this sword that I don't like.
Even though they are basically the same blade that Albion uses for their XII swords, they all handle differently due to the hilt configurations. Even the 2-Knights are not identical in handling. The point sections are not identical as well. There are hand finishing on the blades that ensures that no 2-swords of the same model will be exactly identical. I like that as even though it is a production model, there still will be slight differences.
Winner In Class: I would have to pick the Knight as the overall best handling sword. This is a personal choice and others might pick a different model than I did.
Custom Type XII
Specifications
Overall length: 37.5"
Blade length: 31 3/8"
Blade width (at base): 2"
POB: 4.5"
Grip Length: 4 1/4"
Weight: 2 lbs 6 oz
Background: Awhile back, Albion released a few custom swords that are not part of their regular production line. Since I am a big fan of brazil nut pommels, I bought this one. This sword is not based an any historical sword but was inspired by the smiths at Albion.
Knight
Specifications
Overall length: 38.125"
Blade length: 31.5"
Blade width (at base): 2.0625"
POB: 4.5"
Grip Length: 4 1/4"
Weight: 2 lbs 10.4 oz
Background: This is perhaps the most classic of all blade styles. So much so that it is close to being the very archetype of the European knightly sword. A weapon that is broad and bold with understated elegance in shapes, lines and volumes. The heft of the sword is managed by an effective use of nonlinear distal taper and a deep and well defined fuller. This results in a lively and responsive feel that invites you to strike with the sword. The pommel of this sword is of type J: a deep wheel pommel with concave bevels. It is crowned by a high rivet block. The cross is a version of style 2: a straight type of octagonal section that swell at the ends and in the middle.
The outer third of the blade towards the point curves gradually to a sharp point. This gives a visual balance to the broad base of the blade and also helps in establishing sweet handling characteristics.
Caithness
Specifications
Overall length: 38.5"
Blade length: 31.375"
Blade width (at base): 2.125"
POB: 4.25"
Grip Length: 3 5/8"
Weight: 2 lbs 8.4 oz
Background: There has been contact between Scotland and Scandinavia from early times and this has left traces in the type and style of weapons used. The five lobed pommel on the Caithness is inspired from grave effigies on display in the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. These are from late medieval period but show arms and armor that would be out of date on continental Europe. This mix of up-to-date blades mounted on hilts with a blend of age old traditions and Norse influences, give swords of Scottish type a character that goes well with the fierce and individualistic Scottish warriors.
Type XII: Oakeshott characterized the Type XII as "having a broad, flat, evenly tapering blade, generally with a good sharp point and tending to widen perceptibly below the hilt." The fuller will be well defined, generally extending from below the guard for two-thirds to three-quarters of the blade's length. The blade's cross-section will be of lenticular design and the blade will typically be from thirty to thirty-two inches long. The grip will be a bit longer than previous types, usually measuring around four and a half inches. The style of guard is not a defining feature of the type, with almost any style being possible. However, a short, straight guard is the most common, often with a round or octagonal cross-section. The pommel can also be of nearly any type.
Impressions:
The Custom XII feels the lightest in hand and is a very quick and nimble sword. I love the brazil nut pommel and the grip wrap is excellent. For my tastes, it is just a little too light in hand. The sword came with quite a few small scratches on the guard and pommel.
The Caithness feels the most heavy in hand. I love the pommel on this sword as Viking swords are my favorite sword types. The small area of the leather grip makes one end up with some of the hand on the metal of the guard. It just feels weird to me when handling. I wish they would have brought the leather wrap further down.
The Knight feels the best in hand for me. It has a very plain look and handles wonderfully. There is nothing about this sword that I don't like.
Even though they are basically the same blade that Albion uses for their XII swords, they all handle differently due to the hilt configurations. Even the 2-Knights are not identical in handling. The point sections are not identical as well. There are hand finishing on the blades that ensures that no 2-swords of the same model will be exactly identical. I like that as even though it is a production model, there still will be slight differences.
Winner In Class: I would have to pick the Knight as the overall best handling sword. This is a personal choice and others might pick a different model than I did.