Pellius and His Happy Home for Budget Blades

All the “pending” swords have arrived except for a very special custom still being crafted. It may be a while for that one, which is perfectly fine with me.

The Machiavelli does indeed handle better than the Kern for some reason. Both are great, with a reserved sophistication.

The art’y is basically a Swedish 1796 with a Montmorency inspired profile. It is in very good condition, though the distal fuller termination has been polished near to death.

The L Driggers falchions are the stars of the show.

All three are “full size,” with the 1A being of about Conyers proportions. It is impressive to behold, yet is fast and nimble in the hand with just the right amount of presence; suitable for dueling and Kung Fu fighting.

The 1C is a bit beefier, and leans closer to a chopper than the other 1C I have from Lyn. It is fast and ferocious, the welterweight brawler of the group.

And at last I have a 3A! The breadth of the foible just fills one’s view, seeming to stretch on to the horizon. This sword is like no other in my collection. It even dwarfs the Driggers 3B; no easy achievement. I commissioned one of these from Lyn years ago, but changed my mind and opted for a 5A. The 5A is still one of my very favorites, a true masterwork. That said, this 3A is gorgeous. And it’s also a top athlete. My brain can’t seem to process how fast and fluid such a visually imposing piece of steel can be.

Of course, the fit and finish are also outstanding on each. Beautiful polish, seamless tolerances, aesthetic elegance, and buttery ergonomics. The wood grips are sophisticated and smooth, yet confident in grip and orientation.

And the balance if each is perfect as always.

Each is a joy to the senses, yet fearsome in demeanor. Truly great workmanship.

Cheers!

It will still be a few years until my son is old enough to safely handle a sword. If the last few years are any indication, the next few will absolutely fly by. ‘Till then, they will have to stay tucked away in the weapons locker. 

Yeah, you know I’ll be wanting the 3B and 3C! 

I just shipped you a 3A do you mean a 3B. I'll finishing up a 3B right now.

I was fortunate enough to score an Albion Soldat messer.

In my opinion, it is much nicer than photos let on.

There is a lot of subtle craftsmanship in the details, and overall proportions that just massage the retinas. To my eye, it is the best looking Albion I’ve seen. No need to dress this one up with a wire-wrapped grip or blade engraving. It is the ‘luxe model right out of the box.

With a blade just a tad over two feet and a single hand grip, it is a bit small for a sword. This is an up-close-and-personal kind of a weapon. I haven’t read any historical treatises, but I would imagine using this as a big knife from grappling range rather than a fend here poke there kind of weapon.

It feels robust in the hand; athletic and serious. It doesn’t “float” or move with telepathic precision, but moves with purpose. On the inside, it would be ferocious.

The guard offers good protection without hindering movement even at snarling range.

Overall, I think the Albion Vassal falchion is much more sword like, and boasts the glorious handling for which Albion is so rightfully admired. In it, one can imagine distinguishing forte from foible, and landing some sophisticated maneuver worthy of a gentleman scholar.

The Soldat is far more beautiful to my eye, but much more a brawler to my hand.

The Tod Cutler messer arrived today, safe and sound. 

My initial reaction is that it is very nice.

Nine days, door to door; UK to Florida. Very impressive! I think this was the best packaging I’ve ever encountered for a cardboard box. Flat layers of bubble wrap filling the space in the box, and extra wraps around the sensitive hilt and chape bits. 

The messer handles nicely, with a good feel in the hand. 

Fit and finish is also good, with tight tolerances and a nice uniform blade. It has appropriate distal taper, and a sharp edge. 

There are some nice details in the hilt, too. 

The scabbard is better than I hoped, with attractive leather work. Incidentally, my Albion Soldat fits it almost perfectly. I may hit Tod up for another scabbard sans messer. 

All in all, this is a very nice package for the money.  I didn’t see any issues while unboxing.

The hilt is big enough for my average size hands, but might be a bit snug for XL paws. 

To my hand, the Albion is both more maneuverable and more authoritative in the hand. Not sure how that’s possible, but there it is. 

The Albion hilt is only a tiny bit bigger, yet feels considerably more spacious to me. 

The Albion boasts a more nuanced hilt shape with more shaping work and a nicer finish. 

Handling the two side by side highlights the unreasonable awesomeness of the Albion. Still, at about twice the price, I’m not sure it’s twice as good as the Tod’s. Plus Tod provides a very respectable scabbard and rig. And you can get one with only a very modest wait. 

Overall, I would highly recommend the Tod’s messer.  


(Albion on bottom)

I’ll try to do a more in-depth review or comparison at some point.