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Post by Dave Kelly on Sept 24, 2018 5:02:31 GMT
COMPARISON OF TYPE 18C SWORDS: ALBION PRINCIPE, RONIN ALEXANDRIA AND WINDLASS ARBEDO
INTRODUCTION: This all started with buying the new Ronin Alexandria about 5 weeks ago. I had owned the Albion Principe for 6 mos then realized my taxes for were in trouble due to overtime that had put me in another tax bracket. Sold my studiously acquired Albions to make the difference. Since I have been lucky enough to make good on 4 of the 5 I wanted back. Shortly after making the arrangements for payment of these two, Ronin announced the release of it's own version of the Alexandria 18c. A week later Windlass announced that it was reissuing a number of old popular swords, among which was the Arbedo. I have an old model that was deliberated weathered for a display montage. I wanted a new one.
DISCLAIMER: All swords presented in this report are the private purchases of the author. No affiliation or compensation has been offered for the opinions expressed here in. Those who are familiar to the site know that I am a private collector whose primary focus is 19th Century European Cavalry Swords. I have a professional interest in the history of what I collect. I don't claim any academic standing. I have a pretty good handle on what I collect, but do occasionally over reach in trying to relate to swords I really don't know enough about. I was old when I started collecting a decade ago and I ain't getting any better in that category. Take me with a grain of salt.
CHARACTERISTICS:
The Albion Principe: This XVIIIc is a variant to the Alexandria. Both are expressly attributed to Italian form in the 15th Century. The Sword is an ample 4lbs in gross weight. The severely triangular, diamond shaped blade is over 34 inches long. Over 3 inches wide at the guard and .4 inch as it develops a point. The diamond character of the blade is well defined, but is not terribly thick. It is also well tapered; from 4.95 mm at the guard to 2.4 mm near the point.
The cross guard of the hilt is just over 10 inches and thick. The leather grip is 7.5 inches long, falling off in thickness from front to rear. The pommel piece is a beautifully shaped bottle stopper ellipse.
Albion has recently done some work in providing scabbards to a few types. This was not one of them.
Purchase price for the sword is 1400.00. There are a number of specialized scabbard makers who can produce varied degrees of scabbard to match the sword. The Ronin Alexandria: This sword represents one of the select gifts presented to the Ottoman Bey of Egypt by the Venetians. The gift is described in arabic and wound up in the Alexandria arsenal until purchased by American collectors in the 20th Century.
The profile of the sword differs. The blade is 35.5 inches long. The taper is slightly thicker and wider down the blade. The diamond shape appears less well defined. The foible point is longer and develops further down the blade.
The cross guard is shorter and thicker. Both guard and pommel are made of stainless steel. The grips are of similar design but the Ronin lacks mass and is more angular than the Albion barrel. The pommel disk is the smallest of the three swords.
End result the Ronin is .7 lb lighter than the Albion, with a PoB of 7.25 inches down the blade.
A scabbard and belt comes with purchase.
Package price is 450.00
The Windlass Arbedo: Arbedo is reference to a military victory by the Milanese over the old Swiss Confederacy, in 1422.
As you can see in the pics, the Arbedo is systemically smaller than the other two. It succeeds in stature because the pommel disk of the hilt draws the PoB back to 4.5 inches.
The blade has the least temper of the three, and the foible is not as stiff as either of the other swords.
A scabbard comes with purchase.
Package price is 209.00 HANDLING:
Albion Principe: What immediately impresses you about this sword is how easy it is to handle. The counter weight of the hilt pulls the PoB back to a low 2.75 inches. Sword feels comfortable single handed. Two handed the sword handles crisply. Offensively and defensibly it moves very well. The blade is stiff. Ronin Alexandria: Picking up the Ronin second, what is immediately noticeable is it's percussive, nose heavy feel. The sword is not comfortable or as easily handled with one hand. It is too sluggish for defense. The blade is stiff.
Windlass Arbedo: Smaller than it's cousins, the Arbedo has a sidesword scale. The sword handles very well. The pommel disk on this sword is twice the mass of the Ronin's. The foible hear does flex, early. This would no do as well against light armor. A good chopper and a maneuverable fighting sword. CONCLUSION:Albion Principe: This is the king of the three. Power and handling are there. Design aesthetics also. Always opine for at least a sheath to go with these, but no regrets in any case.
Ronin Alexandria: This is an excellent package and a bargain price. But the sword cries out for a proper sized pommel disk to give it the sort of handling its competitors have built into their swords. If you just want a cutter this will work quite well.
Windlass Arbedo: As they stand, the Arbedo is my second choice, thanks to a friendly handling profile. For the price it does what Windlass can offer. Low price, free accessories and the occasional design brilliance of more expensive options. The blade is stiff thru mid section. The foible flexes dangerously close to a turning point, but recovers.
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stormmaster
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Post by stormmaster on Sept 24, 2018 5:30:48 GMT
thanks for the indept comparison dave cant wait to see the rest, surprising the alexandria's guard is only 9.5 inches i really thought it was alot bigger then that, it can actually fit in my display case so i might need to consider it now hmm
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pgandy
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Post by pgandy on Sept 24, 2018 12:56:00 GMT
This is an interesting subject and am waiting for completion. Talking about another tax bracket; some years ago the boss approached me and gave me the good news that I would be getting a raise and should see it in the next check. That made my day, hot damn more money. The next payday was all too slow in arriving but in time it did. The check was for less money than before. There had to be a mistake, I knew that I hadn’t misunderstood and wasted no time in finding boss man. I told him of the problem and showed him my check. His answer was that I was now in a new tax bracket. My request to return to the old pay scale was denied.
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Post by Bryan Heff on Sept 25, 2018 13:11:06 GMT
Excellent comparison Dave. I couldn't agree more in the Ronin pommel being too small and seemingly too light. It's a heafty blade that is screaming for more counter balance.
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Post by mpsmith47304 on Sept 25, 2018 19:49:08 GMT
Nice post! I didn't realize the Arbedo was so much smaller than the other two. It's no surprise the Albion top of the heap, but it is interesting to see the Windlass do so well. I've actually felt they've hit a nice price/performance point for an excellent entry-level option, if they can avoid the ugly over-embellished models that seems to have come from them lately. A heavily embellished sword takes a lot of time and attention to do well. But a simple model like the Arbedo can actually look pretty good and perform well at a nice price point.
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pgandy
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Post by pgandy on Sept 25, 2018 20:04:48 GMT
Thanks for completing the review. It was very informative. And again your collection is most impressive.
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Post by William Swiger on Sept 25, 2018 23:43:22 GMT
Good comparisons. I own the Ronin and Windlass. The Ronin is definitely a 2-handed sword but manageable. Agree it could use a POB closer to the hilt. I had the other Albion with the same blade and it was a nice sword. The Windlass is a decent sword and this newer version does not have the really floppy blade like my last one.
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stormmaster
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I like viking/migration era swords
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Post by stormmaster on Sept 26, 2018 0:25:24 GMT
james curry did a modification on the ronin alexandria by changing out the pommel for a bigger one and while the overall weight increased it actually made the sword alot more nimble and better in the swing, definitely something one should do if they have one
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Post by zabazagobo on Sept 26, 2018 1:11:31 GMT
Thanks for typing up this review. It's good to hear how favorably you view the Windlass, the Arbedo is a sword that has crept up on my list of possible buys.
I also like how the Arbedo is a bit shorter, helps it fit the mold of a more compact hand and a half sword rather than shoot for the 34 in. or so a lot seem to hover at. A blade of that length with that weight and design is probably a really fun sword to cut with.
The Albion looks killer though, easily the most attractive of the three, and the blade just looks perfect. The color of the handle wrap is also pretty nice.
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Post by Dave Kelly on Sept 26, 2018 1:39:43 GMT
james curry did a modification on the ronin alexandria by changing out the pommel for a bigger one and while the overall weight increased it actually made the sword alot more nimble and better in the swing, definitely something one should do if they have one Nice to know. As stated, the Albions rattle around 4 lbs, but the weight is drawn "to the hand", making blade management more precise and quicker. ( You do sacrifice some striking power in the process, but it's a 4 lb sword, not a 2.5 lb sword. :)
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Post by leviathansteak on Sept 26, 2018 6:57:32 GMT
Is it possible for you to measure the inner diameter of that recess in the ronin sword's pommel? I think a pommel marker or coin would look nice in there
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Zen_Hydra
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Post by Zen_Hydra on Sept 26, 2018 16:03:57 GMT
I just received my Principe from Albion earlier this month (SEP-2018), and it very quickly has become one of my favorite swords. It really is a testament to quality engineering, because it moves like a sword much lighter than its nearly 4 lbs. Its flattened diamond cross-section promotes some of the easiest cutting I've experienced, but it somehow isn't whippy or floppy (and is actually rigid enough to be decent in the thrust).
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Post by Dave Kelly on Sept 26, 2018 20:48:43 GMT
Is it possible for you to measure the inner diameter of that recess in the ronin sword's pommel? I think a pommel marker or coin would look nice in there 23.5 mm
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Post by leviathansteak on Sept 27, 2018 0:56:23 GMT
Is it possible for you to measure the inner diameter of that recess in the ronin sword's pommel? I think a pommel marker or coin would look nice in there 23.5 mm Thank you!
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Post by viece on Sept 27, 2018 12:40:49 GMT
james curry did a modification on the ronin alexandria by changing out the pommel for a bigger one and while the overall weight increased it actually made the sword alot more nimble and better in the swing, definitely something one should do if they have one Does anyone have contact info for Mr. Curry? I would like to get a quote for modifying/re-hilting a Ronin Alexandria like this. Thanks to everyone for the great insights.
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stormmaster
Member
I like viking/migration era swords
Posts: 7,647
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Post by stormmaster on Sept 27, 2018 14:29:59 GMT
Facebook all swords group
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Post by viece on Sept 27, 2018 14:38:19 GMT
Any non-Facebook site or contact? I am not on Facebook. I know I'm a dinosaur.
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stormmaster
Member
I like viking/migration era swords
Posts: 7,647
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Post by stormmaster on Sept 27, 2018 14:39:23 GMT
He is on here but i dont think he checks often
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Post by theophilus736 on Sept 27, 2018 21:02:51 GMT
Any non-Facebook site or contact? I am not on Facebook. I know I'm a dinosaur. I'm under 30 and dont use it more than a couple times a month. It's kind of dumb. Outside of the purpose described here (groups) it's a time waster. Even if you get it for "networking" that can quickly turn into an hour on FB each day.
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Aikidoka
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Post by Aikidoka on Sept 29, 2018 6:53:52 GMT
I received my Arbedo a week or so ago and just got around to opening the box tonight. My measurements are basically the same as yours, Dave. And the blade is very stiff!
This is a very exciting development if Windlass has really made an effort to fix the whippyness in these swords. Can other members who ordered one of these swords, such as William Swiger , please measure the distal taper and report back as to the stiffness of your Arbedo's blade?
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