Albion Kingmaker
Feb 9, 2020 20:17:34 GMT
Post by mpsmith47304 on Feb 9, 2020 20:17:34 GMT
Note:
I had taken some pictures of this sword for the review, but seem to have misplaced them. However, with the exception of the grip color, it looks essentially identical to the picture found on Kult of Athena, where I purchased the sword. Here's a link: www.kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=ANS14&name=Albion+Kingmaker+Sword
Background
The 14th century in Europe saw dramatic developments in swords. Increased quality and availability of armor made the cut-oriented swords of earlier centuries less and less effective on the battlefield. Sword design responded to this by evolving into more thrust oriented swords designed to find the gaps in plate armor and possibly punch through mail and textile armor. The sword was increasingly a side arm… a back-up weapon used when the primary weapon was lost or damaged.
The Oakeshott typology accounts for this evolution reasonably well. The Type XIV sword retained the cut as it’s primary attack, but added a more dramatic taper than previously, leading to an acute point to make the thrust a more credible threat. The Type XV shifted emphasis to the thrust, adopting a more severe taper, a stiff diamond cross section and an almost needle-like point. The Type XVI was an attempt at a compromise design. It adopted a more convex edge profile to put some meet at the center or percussion (COP), and to move that point out further as compared to the Type XV. The upper portion of the blade resembles a Type XIV and lower portion has a very stiff diamond cross section and acute point.
The Type XVIII emerges sometime in the mid to late 14th century and attempted to meld the best features of some of the earlier designs. The profile of the blade uses the more convex edge profile of a Type XVI but maintains a stiff diamond cross section the entire length and the tip is usually a reinforced awl-like point well suited for attacking heavy clothing or light armor. In the early part of the 15th century, the cross section is often hollow-ground, or has flat primary bevels with a strong, raised central ridge. This effectively lightens the blade, increasing its agility, while maintaining the blade’s stiffness.
This is the briefest of typological context. I encourage you to read more of the many resources available describing Oakeshott’s typology in greater detail.
Standard for Review
As a nice bloke on the internet says, context matters. My expectations for a sword are based heavily on the context in which I bought it. The maker, price, and target market are all relevant in evaluating a sword. In this case, I am evaluating this sword as a high-end production sword focused on the historical accuracy of design, handling and performance, but using modern materials and production methods.
Albion Swords is a company located in New Glarus, Wisconsin, USA that produces a number of sword product lines. The Next Generation line is the Albion’s largest line and includes a wide variety of swords from before the Roman Era through the early Renaissance. The Next Gen line do not recreate specific historical examples (see the Museum Line for that), but rather create exemplar pieces representative of type of swords that appear in the archaeological record.
To assist in that task, Albion has collaborated with renowned master swordsmith Peter Johnsson to design the pieces and to carve the masters for the hilt fittings. Johnsson is well known for meticulously measuring and analyzing original pieces to not only capture the original’s physical appearance, but to understand the principles that drove their design, and the implications of the design choice on performance and dynamic properties of the sword.
The Kingmaker, named for the powerful Ralph Neville, Earl of Warwick from the War of the Roses, is the Next Gen sword which represents a Type XVIII arming sword of the 15th century.
The Sword
The Kingmaker is a very handsome sword indeed. To my eye, it is the ideal 15th century arming sword (that is, of course, subjective). The pommel is a classic type J1 and the guard is an elegant Style 9. The blade is 82 cm (32.25 in) long and the sword has a mass of 1269 grams (2 lbs, 13 oz). The blade has an eye-catching hollow-ground diamond cross section which transitions into a very stout, very acute point. The center of mass (point of balance) is 11.4 cm (4.5 in) and the COP is 51.8 cm (20.4 in) below the hilt. The primary pivot point is about 20 cm (7.9 in) above the point, and the action point right above the guard, where the wielder’s first finger would be.
Handling
Handling is very consistent with what you’d expect from those measurements. Point control is rapid and accurate. Not as accurate as with the Type XV Poitiers, perhaps, but shifting guards, I always felt like I was confident in being to accurately place a thrust. For some reason, despite the published stats I had expected the sword to feel less substantial in the hand, perhaps because of the piece’s elegant appearance. But the sword feels substantial in the hand, with a pleasant blade presence. This does not feel like a fragile dress piece. This feels like a sword that means business. It feels active in the hand, like it WANTS to move. Handling reminds me a bit of the Albion Prince, though the Kingmaker has more inertia in the swing. I have not yet cut with it, but it feels like it will be an effective cutter. I could not, however, resist a couple casual thrusts. The point passes though a milk jug full of water cleanly and accurately, and the sword wants to follow the point. In short, this is a sword that is easy to move, but will hit with authority.
Fit and Finish
Albion is rightly famous for its fit and finish. In fact, some purists would argue that Albion swords, when compared to originals, are too perfect. Tod has a great video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVL46CM9k80) on the topic. In short, most modern consumers would not accept the imperfections seen on even high-status originals at the price point the Next Gen sells for. In addition, the cost would probably go UP since much of the dimensional perfection of Albion swords is related to the manufacturing process they use to reduce cost and maintain high quality.
Albion sword blades are milled to shape by a CNC mill (stock removal), and then heat-treated very precisely using a molten salts bath. This ensures that the blade stats fall within a fairly narrow band. However, the blades are finished by hand on a grinder. The hilt furniture is investment cast from original waxes carved by Peter Johnsson, and cleaned up and finished by hand. The grip is of typical Albion construction: a wood grip covered with wood, covered with calf skin and overwrapped with cord that leaves an impression on the grip.
This example is a fantastic example of Albion finish work. The blade has even hollow grinds which fade evenly towards the tip for the very strong point. The central ridge is straight with no discernible wavers. It has a high-satin, near low-mirror finish. The hollow grind blade has a secondary bevel proper for the type. That edge is difficult to apply evenly and correctly, and it’s perfectly executed and no doubt accounts for some of the Kingmaker’s considerable price tag. The hilt fittings are essentially perfect. The only exception being the inset portions of the pommel. These inset portions were often (usually?) filled with decorative or meaningful items. They might include religious “relics,” coins, gem stones, and heraldic or other decorative markers. Both pommel and guard are aligned properly. The pommel is secured with a precisely fitted and attractive peen block and the peen itself is undetectable. The grip is near perfect. The only evidence of the seam is the discoloration of the edges of the leather. The seam cannot be felt in the hand at all. The wrap has very crisp impressions from the over-wrap, which makes the grip feel extremely secure in the hand. My grip is a dyed a deep red, which I find quite attractive.
Conclusion
I am blown away by this sword. More so than I even expected. I am reluctant to pick my favorite Albion sword because they are all incredible in one way or another. But I will say this is the best Type XVIII arming sword I have ever personally owned or handled. At $1320, the price is a bit salty for a production arming sword, but a custom sword of similar quality and with the same features would cost much more. Value is always in the eye of the purchaser, but in my view the cost of this sword is justified. For comparison, Arms & Armor produces a similar sword (slightly smaller) for $1285.
I highly recommend this sword to anyone interested in a high-quality sword of this type. I find the proportions, and detailing of the sword to be very pleasing to the eye, and the sword is a delight to wield. It’s a keeper!
I had taken some pictures of this sword for the review, but seem to have misplaced them. However, with the exception of the grip color, it looks essentially identical to the picture found on Kult of Athena, where I purchased the sword. Here's a link: www.kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=ANS14&name=Albion+Kingmaker+Sword
Background
The 14th century in Europe saw dramatic developments in swords. Increased quality and availability of armor made the cut-oriented swords of earlier centuries less and less effective on the battlefield. Sword design responded to this by evolving into more thrust oriented swords designed to find the gaps in plate armor and possibly punch through mail and textile armor. The sword was increasingly a side arm… a back-up weapon used when the primary weapon was lost or damaged.
The Oakeshott typology accounts for this evolution reasonably well. The Type XIV sword retained the cut as it’s primary attack, but added a more dramatic taper than previously, leading to an acute point to make the thrust a more credible threat. The Type XV shifted emphasis to the thrust, adopting a more severe taper, a stiff diamond cross section and an almost needle-like point. The Type XVI was an attempt at a compromise design. It adopted a more convex edge profile to put some meet at the center or percussion (COP), and to move that point out further as compared to the Type XV. The upper portion of the blade resembles a Type XIV and lower portion has a very stiff diamond cross section and acute point.
The Type XVIII emerges sometime in the mid to late 14th century and attempted to meld the best features of some of the earlier designs. The profile of the blade uses the more convex edge profile of a Type XVI but maintains a stiff diamond cross section the entire length and the tip is usually a reinforced awl-like point well suited for attacking heavy clothing or light armor. In the early part of the 15th century, the cross section is often hollow-ground, or has flat primary bevels with a strong, raised central ridge. This effectively lightens the blade, increasing its agility, while maintaining the blade’s stiffness.
This is the briefest of typological context. I encourage you to read more of the many resources available describing Oakeshott’s typology in greater detail.
Standard for Review
As a nice bloke on the internet says, context matters. My expectations for a sword are based heavily on the context in which I bought it. The maker, price, and target market are all relevant in evaluating a sword. In this case, I am evaluating this sword as a high-end production sword focused on the historical accuracy of design, handling and performance, but using modern materials and production methods.
Albion Swords is a company located in New Glarus, Wisconsin, USA that produces a number of sword product lines. The Next Generation line is the Albion’s largest line and includes a wide variety of swords from before the Roman Era through the early Renaissance. The Next Gen line do not recreate specific historical examples (see the Museum Line for that), but rather create exemplar pieces representative of type of swords that appear in the archaeological record.
To assist in that task, Albion has collaborated with renowned master swordsmith Peter Johnsson to design the pieces and to carve the masters for the hilt fittings. Johnsson is well known for meticulously measuring and analyzing original pieces to not only capture the original’s physical appearance, but to understand the principles that drove their design, and the implications of the design choice on performance and dynamic properties of the sword.
The Kingmaker, named for the powerful Ralph Neville, Earl of Warwick from the War of the Roses, is the Next Gen sword which represents a Type XVIII arming sword of the 15th century.
The Sword
The Kingmaker is a very handsome sword indeed. To my eye, it is the ideal 15th century arming sword (that is, of course, subjective). The pommel is a classic type J1 and the guard is an elegant Style 9. The blade is 82 cm (32.25 in) long and the sword has a mass of 1269 grams (2 lbs, 13 oz). The blade has an eye-catching hollow-ground diamond cross section which transitions into a very stout, very acute point. The center of mass (point of balance) is 11.4 cm (4.5 in) and the COP is 51.8 cm (20.4 in) below the hilt. The primary pivot point is about 20 cm (7.9 in) above the point, and the action point right above the guard, where the wielder’s first finger would be.
Handling
Handling is very consistent with what you’d expect from those measurements. Point control is rapid and accurate. Not as accurate as with the Type XV Poitiers, perhaps, but shifting guards, I always felt like I was confident in being to accurately place a thrust. For some reason, despite the published stats I had expected the sword to feel less substantial in the hand, perhaps because of the piece’s elegant appearance. But the sword feels substantial in the hand, with a pleasant blade presence. This does not feel like a fragile dress piece. This feels like a sword that means business. It feels active in the hand, like it WANTS to move. Handling reminds me a bit of the Albion Prince, though the Kingmaker has more inertia in the swing. I have not yet cut with it, but it feels like it will be an effective cutter. I could not, however, resist a couple casual thrusts. The point passes though a milk jug full of water cleanly and accurately, and the sword wants to follow the point. In short, this is a sword that is easy to move, but will hit with authority.
Fit and Finish
Albion is rightly famous for its fit and finish. In fact, some purists would argue that Albion swords, when compared to originals, are too perfect. Tod has a great video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVL46CM9k80) on the topic. In short, most modern consumers would not accept the imperfections seen on even high-status originals at the price point the Next Gen sells for. In addition, the cost would probably go UP since much of the dimensional perfection of Albion swords is related to the manufacturing process they use to reduce cost and maintain high quality.
Albion sword blades are milled to shape by a CNC mill (stock removal), and then heat-treated very precisely using a molten salts bath. This ensures that the blade stats fall within a fairly narrow band. However, the blades are finished by hand on a grinder. The hilt furniture is investment cast from original waxes carved by Peter Johnsson, and cleaned up and finished by hand. The grip is of typical Albion construction: a wood grip covered with wood, covered with calf skin and overwrapped with cord that leaves an impression on the grip.
This example is a fantastic example of Albion finish work. The blade has even hollow grinds which fade evenly towards the tip for the very strong point. The central ridge is straight with no discernible wavers. It has a high-satin, near low-mirror finish. The hollow grind blade has a secondary bevel proper for the type. That edge is difficult to apply evenly and correctly, and it’s perfectly executed and no doubt accounts for some of the Kingmaker’s considerable price tag. The hilt fittings are essentially perfect. The only exception being the inset portions of the pommel. These inset portions were often (usually?) filled with decorative or meaningful items. They might include religious “relics,” coins, gem stones, and heraldic or other decorative markers. Both pommel and guard are aligned properly. The pommel is secured with a precisely fitted and attractive peen block and the peen itself is undetectable. The grip is near perfect. The only evidence of the seam is the discoloration of the edges of the leather. The seam cannot be felt in the hand at all. The wrap has very crisp impressions from the over-wrap, which makes the grip feel extremely secure in the hand. My grip is a dyed a deep red, which I find quite attractive.
Conclusion
I am blown away by this sword. More so than I even expected. I am reluctant to pick my favorite Albion sword because they are all incredible in one way or another. But I will say this is the best Type XVIII arming sword I have ever personally owned or handled. At $1320, the price is a bit salty for a production arming sword, but a custom sword of similar quality and with the same features would cost much more. Value is always in the eye of the purchaser, but in my view the cost of this sword is justified. For comparison, Arms & Armor produces a similar sword (slightly smaller) for $1285.
I highly recommend this sword to anyone interested in a high-quality sword of this type. I find the proportions, and detailing of the sword to be very pleasing to the eye, and the sword is a delight to wield. It’s a keeper!