|
Post by wstalcup on Dec 13, 2018 19:37:39 GMT
Hello all,
This is my 3rd sword and first review of any sword It is of the Albion Knight sword, type XII.
I choose this sword for it being one of the most classic examples of the European Knight swords.
This review might come off negative, which is really not my intent. I have no buyer's remorse and I do like the sword. This review is mainly for people on a tight budget and are considering to spend more than they should, just to get "one of the best".
The Good: 1) better quality in creation of the sword down to the details 2) You get to say you have an Albion sword
The Bad: 1) costs $880.. Compared to my Windlass Sword of Roven, and Cheness Katana.. it is better, but these other swords cost around $250-$350 for I'd say about 90% of the quality of the Albion. (Hanwei would be another manufacturer of inexpensive but good swords as well)..tons of swords out there that give more "bang for the buck" or "slash for the buck?". 2) Since spending so much, you may be likely be afraid to use it and do test cutting with it
The Ugly: 1) No scabbard! ( I guess you can hang it on the wall like I did though!)
long story short.. if you have no problem affording an Albion..go for it! if you are on the fence, or stretched for money, or even thinking about how you could have 2 good swords for the price of one Albion.. then look for other options.. you won't regret not getting an Albion.
Cheers!
Attachments:
|
|
|
Post by markus313 on Dec 13, 2018 19:45:11 GMT
Thanks for the review. Never handled the Knight, but from the stats the H/T EMSHS with some weight added to the pommel doesn’t seem too far off. Also it looks the part if you don’t look too close, lol. Still would love to own a Knight someday. Congrats!
|
|
|
Post by wstalcup on Dec 13, 2018 19:52:22 GMT
Thanks! you did make me think of other factors to consider... (i.e. weight, handling, balance) which "may" be superior with Albion swords and "may" be a reason to spend the extra money for them. I'm certainly not an expert.. but I'd say my cheaper swords do handle fairly well..as well!
|
|
|
Post by William Swiger on Dec 14, 2018 11:14:34 GMT
Sword collecting means different things to different people. I personally am an Albion fan for a quality sword. When I first started, I was in the group that thought they were overpriced. I filled my medieval collection with Windlass, Hanwei and many other imported swords. After a few years went by, I started buying up into the next price range like Del Tin and similar quality swords. Ended up into the Albion and custom sword range.
There is absolutely nothing wrong never taking that leap into the more expensive swords. There are some really good swords in the lower tier of buying and collecting. There are also quite a majority of swords that do not handle well and are pretty crappy. You just have to do your homework to find the decent ones. A few of the entry level swords in my collection are some of my favorites. They may not be as nice in all areas as my upper end ones but are darn good for what I paid for them.
There is something for all budgets in this hobby.
|
|
|
Post by Lionhardt on Nov 29, 2020 17:47:47 GMT
I'm with you wstalcup. I just got my first Albion sword in. I didn't care about the fancy finish, I just wanted a sword with their legendary fit and supposedly extremely historically accurate dimensions/design. So I went with the Knightly from their Squire line. While I am quite impressed with the fit and overall feeling of the handle/hilt, I am not impressed with the design of the blade. It is just waaay too floppy. It has a beautiful spring to it! So when you bend it quite far, it will indeed come back to true. But the fact that I can bend it practically in half is just way too floppy for me. So, if that is indeed true to the originals (which I doubt, as they wouldn't of had THAT flexible of a steel back then.), then I will choose a "less authentic" sword over that any day. I like a good stiff sword! It just handles better and gives me more confidence that if i stab something it isn't just going to bend in half rather than go through. A big part of the problem is that from where the fuller ends to the end of the blade is completely flat, almost no diamond profile at all.... So the result is a blade that has almost no stiffness there and just flexes when you try to stab with it...no good for a cut and THRUST sword. So, I will keep it for now, while I decide on the appropriate replacement. But, when I decide on that, I will be selling my Albion. From what I am reading, Valiant Armoury might produce more what I am looking for. About the same fit and finish, but perhaps slightly stiffer. I have several DSA swords and absolutely love them, but I will openly admit their fit is not up to how I want it to be. So, while I absolutely love and stand by their products, if I am trying to have a sword that handles as good as a DSA but with better fit, then I have to look elsewhere. Honestly I don't think i care for fullers at all in the end, is what it comes down to. Most of my fullered blades are just too floppy. The sword I like the handling of out of all my swords is my DSA Arming sword. It has a beautiful diamond profile the whole length and is nice and stiff. mmmm....that's what I'm talking about! I thought for sure the Albion would be good and stiff, but it just isn't. More of a wet noodle.....
|
|
Zen_Hydra
Moderator
Born with a heart full of neutrality
Posts: 2,625
|
Post by Zen_Hydra on Dec 1, 2020 4:11:05 GMT
I'm with you wstalcup. I just got my first Albion sword in. I didn't care about the fancy finish, I just wanted a sword with their legendary fit and supposedly extremely historically accurate dimensions/design. So I went with the Knightly from their Squire line. While I am quite impressed with the fit and overall feeling of the handle/hilt, I am not impressed with the design of the blade. It is just waaay too floppy. It has a beautiful spring to it! So when you bend it quite far, it will indeed come back to true. But the fact that I can bend it practically in half is just way too floppy for me. So, if that is indeed true to the originals (which I doubt, as they wouldn't of had THAT flexible of a steel back then.), then I will choose a "less authentic" sword over that any day. I like a good stiff sword! It just handles better and gives me more confidence that if i stab something it isn't just going to bend in half rather than go through. A big part of the problem is that from where the fuller ends to the end of the blade is completely flat, almost no diamond profile at all.... So the result is a blade that has almost no stiffness there and just flexes when you try to stab with it...no good for a cut and THRUST sword. So, I will keep it for now, while I decide on the appropriate replacement. But, when I decide on that, I will be selling my Albion. From what I am reading, Valiant Armoury might produce more what I am looking for. About the same fit and finish, but perhaps slightly stiffer. I have several DSA swords and absolutely love them, but I will openly admit their fit is not up to how I want it to be. So, while I absolutely love and stand by their products, if I am trying to have a sword that handles as good as a DSA but with better fit, then I have to look elsewhere. Honestly I don't think i care for fullers at all in the end, is what it comes down to. Most of my fullered blades are just too floppy. The sword I like the handling of out of all my swords is my DSA Arming sword. It has a beautiful diamond profile the whole length and is nice and stiff. mmmm....that's what I'm talking about! I thought for sure the Albion would be good and stiff, but it just isn't. More of a wet noodle..... The fault is in your expectation. The Abion Knightly and Knight are Oakeshott Type XII swords. They have a lenticular cross-section, not a flattened diamond. They aren't particularly stiff, because they aren't meant to be. Albion offers very stiff diamond cross-sectioned swords, but the one you chose to purchase isn't one of them. The link below describes the Oakeshott Type XII myarmoury.com/feature_spotxii.html
|
|
LeMal
Member
Posts: 1,085
|
Post by LeMal on Dec 1, 2020 6:59:37 GMT
And do NOT presume they cannot thrust lethally aequitas11. Try it on a piece of heavy meat. In fact not only will a lenticular Type XII thrust just fine on actual flesh and bone, it will provide a frighteningly gaping wound.
|
|
|
Post by mpsmith47304 on Dec 4, 2020 3:08:02 GMT
Value is always in the eye of the purchaser, but the idea that a Windlass sword is “90%” the quality of an Albion strikes me as.... very optimistic. I’ve own many Windlass swords and a good number of Albions. Windlass swords are often worth their price IMO, but they are not even close to the same class as an Albion. YMMV, but I feel confident in that assessment.
|
|
|
Post by mpsmith47304 on Dec 4, 2020 3:14:13 GMT
I'm with you wstalcup. I just got my first Albion sword in. I didn't care about the fancy finish, I just wanted a sword with their legendary fit and supposedly extremely historically accurate dimensions/design. So I went with the Knightly from their Squire line. While I am quite impressed with the fit and overall feeling of the handle/hilt, I am not impressed with the design of the blade. It is just waaay too floppy. It has a beautiful spring to it! So when you bend it quite far, it will indeed come back to true. But the fact that I can bend it practically in half is just way too floppy for me. So, if that is indeed true to the originals (which I doubt, as they wouldn't of had THAT flexible of a steel back then.), then I will choose a "less authentic" sword over that any day. I like a good stiff sword! It just handles better and gives me more confidence that if i stab something it isn't just going to bend in half rather than go through. A big part of the problem is that from where the fuller ends to the end of the blade is completely flat, almost no diamond profile at all.... So the result is a blade that has almost no stiffness there and just flexes when you try to stab with it...no good for a cut and THRUST sword. So, I will keep it for now, while I decide on the appropriate replacement. But, when I decide on that, I will be selling my Albion. From what I am reading, Valiant Armoury might produce more what I am looking for. About the same fit and finish, but perhaps slightly stiffer. I have several DSA swords and absolutely love them, but I will openly admit their fit is not up to how I want it to be. So, while I absolutely love and stand by their products, if I am trying to have a sword that handles as good as a DSA but with better fit, then I have to look elsewhere. Honestly I don't think i care for fullers at all in the end, is what it comes down to. Most of my fullered blades are just too floppy. The sword I like the handling of out of all my swords is my DSA Arming sword. It has a beautiful diamond profile the whole length and is nice and stiff. mmmm....that's what I'm talking about! I thought for sure the Albion would be good and stiff, but it just isn't. More of a wet noodle..... Wow. Well I’ll it take it off your hands for a few bucks. BTW a type XII is primarily a cutter with some thrusting capability. If you want a cut and thrust sword, get a XIV, XVI or XVIII. The Kingmaker sound like what you really want, but maybe out of your price range. The XV I have is good too but more thrust oriented. The stiffness of the sword will depend on the type, and the same is true for Valiant.
|
|
|
Post by illustry on Dec 4, 2020 14:30:50 GMT
|
|
|
Post by William Swiger on Dec 4, 2020 18:44:44 GMT
Well - once upon a time, I thought people were crazy paying higher prices for Albion, some Arms and Armor or God forbib a custom sword. I bought dozens of the lower priced swords. Still snubbed Albion as not not worth the money. I would only go as high as Del Tin. I did eventually finally get a preowned Albion. As a complete sword, it was far superior. The entry and lower end had a handful of fairly good swords. Windlass a few, Del Tin had several, Hanwei had a few and other makers maybe had a few but all were imported from China, Italy or somewhere else. Not knocking imports as some are really good.
As I gained a lot more experience with swords and history and evolution of blades, I ended up owning just about all the Albion swords at one time or another. Still have a fair number. Also some A&A models which are IMHO not as well done as Albion. Went into the custom world as well. Mixed bag of nuts with customs. Some smiths understand everything that makes a blade come together and the balance needed with the hilts. Some just make a sword that looks good but handles like crap. Now I am not talking about ordering something like a custom Conan sword and items like that which will be heavy.....lol The good smiths can even make totally functional and great handling fantasy swords. I have a few of these also from Jeffrey Robinson and John Lundemo.
So - the bottom line is if you are just looking for something close enough and want to cut some stuff, Hanwei is a great option along with a few other models from a few companies. I still have the cheaper swords in my collection that I thought were great value. If you really get into medieval arms and history and how they were developed to combat defenses and protection, you might move upwards in sword prices. I like the idea that I could go back in time with an Albion and not look out of place with the sword except it might be too shinny......lol
|
|
|
Post by Arthur Dayne on Dec 4, 2020 20:50:02 GMT
I'm with you wstalcup. I just got my first Albion sword in. I didn't care about the fancy finish, I just wanted a sword with their legendary fit and supposedly extremely historically accurate dimensions/design. So I went with the Knightly from their Squire line. While I am quite impressed with the fit and overall feeling of the handle/hilt, I am not impressed with the design of the blade. It is just waaay too floppy. It has a beautiful spring to it! So when you bend it quite far, it will indeed come back to true. But the fact that I can bend it practically in half is just way too floppy for me. So, if that is indeed true to the originals (which I doubt, as they wouldn't of had THAT flexible of a steel back then.), then I will choose a "less authentic" sword over that any day. I like a good stiff sword! It just handles better and gives me more confidence that if i stab something it isn't just going to bend in half rather than go through. A big part of the problem is that from where the fuller ends to the end of the blade is completely flat, almost no diamond profile at all.... So the result is a blade that has almost no stiffness there and just flexes when you try to stab with it...no good for a cut and THRUST sword. So, I will keep it for now, while I decide on the appropriate replacement. But, when I decide on that, I will be selling my Albion. From what I am reading, Valiant Armoury might produce more what I am looking for. About the same fit and finish, but perhaps slightly stiffer. I have several DSA swords and absolutely love them, but I will openly admit their fit is not up to how I want it to be. So, while I absolutely love and stand by their products, if I am trying to have a sword that handles as good as a DSA but with better fit, then I have to look elsewhere. Honestly I don't think i care for fullers at all in the end, is what it comes down to. Most of my fullered blades are just too floppy. The sword I like the handling of out of all my swords is my DSA Arming sword. It has a beautiful diamond profile the whole length and is nice and stiff. mmmm....that's what I'm talking about! I thought for sure the Albion would be good and stiff, but it just isn't. More of a wet noodle..... If you want to really get the "Albion Experience" and their reputation for exceptional fit and finish you should've spent the extra money on a Next Gen sword at the least. The Squire Line Knightly is basically their cheap Beater versions of the Next Gen swords with crappy grips and rough finishes that put it above a Hanwei Tinker Single Hand Medieval Sword. The SL Knightly is a better sword and product to me, but it still looks like barely a step above cheap entry level alternatives. The best things the SL Knightly has going for it: Guard & Pommel hammered onto the tang and peened like the Next Gen models, Balance is close approximation (4.85ish vs 4.5 inch that Next Gen version has). The blade is the same Type XII blade that the Next Gen Knight uses BUT it comes Roughly finished and Unsharpened so you have to pay extra to sharpen it. The con of the SL Knightly and SL lines are: Ugly Grip, Really Rough Finish, Unsharpened by default, Sharpened service is a obvious secondary bevel. They are Cheap and Quicker for Albion to crank out and the Customer Service afterwards for them are really half hearted or barely any response at all because it's a relatively cheap product to them and you get what you paid for. The Next Gen products get better after purchase support. If someone at Albion ----s up the quickie grip wrap on an SL sword and leaves a huge lump seam that looks like ---- then that's that! The SL Knightly isn't "Floppy", it's flexible which is how Type XII blades historically are, if you want stiffer blade and don't want to pay for a Next Gen there's also the SL The Bastard with a Type XVa blade that is stiffer for $539 but comes unsharpened by default. You'll need to pay extra for sharpening service. Or you can go Next Gen all the way and get exactly what you want but it won't be cheap. At this time even the SL swords will take 9-11 months, same time as the Next Gen... Personally I think the SL sword isn't worth waiting 9-11 month for. If you're gonna wait that long might as well get something really nice and exactly what you expect. If the buyer's remorse feeling is really strong I think you should post a sale ad for that SL Knightly with a pic of your username & date (to prove you have the item on hand) and if it's in really new condition can probably get the price you paid for or at least close to it, I'm sure someone will buy it and you'll get your money back and can put it towards something you Really Want. There's no shame in buying something only to regret it later, happens all the time.
|
|