Hanwei Albrecht II Hand-and-a-Half Sword
Nov 25, 2020 20:48:35 GMT
Post by alientude on Nov 25, 2020 20:48:35 GMT
I love medieval swords, especially arming swords and longswords. When I bought the Hanwei Albrecht II Hand-and-a-Half Sword, I didn’t own a bastard sword, so it was a perfect fit to add to my collection. It certainly didn’t hurt that the blade profile is one of my favorites. I bought this from the SBG store when it was deeply discounted to $229.99.
This sword is based off a historical find. It’s unknown where the original currently resides, but it was documented by Ewart Oakeshott in Records of the Medieval Sword (page 186). The original sword is a Type XVIIIa with a Type J pommel and Type 2 crossguard, and is dated to the early 15th century. It’s believed to have been owned by emperor Albrecht II in 1438/1439.
Full Disclosure
I’m not good at edge alignment when cutting. I’m working on it, but I’ve got a long ways to go.
Initial Impressions
The sword shipped from Tennessee via USPS, and was delivered in California 3 days later. The sword was well-wrapped and the box packed nicely. My first impression was “wow, that’s a big pommel.” It’s historically accurate, however. When I finished unwrapping the sword, I was struck by just how beautiful the blade is. I love the Type XVIIIa blade profile.
Statistics
Blade length: 34 9/16” (87.8 cm)
Blade width at guard: 2” (5 cm)
Blade width near tip: 1” (2.5 cm)
Fuller length: 9 1/16” (23 cm)
Fuller width: 1/2" (1.3 cm)
Fuller depth: 0.06” (1.5 mm)
Grip length: 6 13/16” (17.3 cm)
Pommel length: 2.5” (6.3 cm)
Guard length: 7” (17.8 cm)
Overall length: 44 1/2" (113 cm)
PoB: 4 5/8” (11.7 cm)
Distal taper: 0.26” (6.6 mm) at guard, 0.236” (6 mm) midway, 0.179” (4.5 mm) near tip
Weight (blade only): 3.4 lbs (1.54 kg)
Weight (with scabbard): 4.2 lbs (1.9 kg)
Blade length: 34 9/16” (87.8 cm)
Blade width at guard: 2” (5 cm)
Blade width near tip: 1” (2.5 cm)
Fuller length: 9 1/16” (23 cm)
Fuller width: 1/2" (1.3 cm)
Fuller depth: 0.06” (1.5 mm)
Grip length: 6 13/16” (17.3 cm)
Pommel length: 2.5” (6.3 cm)
Guard length: 7” (17.8 cm)
Overall length: 44 1/2" (113 cm)
PoB: 4 5/8” (11.7 cm)
Distal taper: 0.26” (6.6 mm) at guard, 0.236” (6 mm) midway, 0.179” (4.5 mm) near tip
Weight (blade only): 3.4 lbs (1.54 kg)
Weight (with scabbard): 4.2 lbs (1.9 kg)
Components
Blade
Type XVIIIa
1566 Spring Steel, monotempered. Factory sharpened blade.
The blade has a short fuller and a diamond cross section. There are two marks stamped into the fuller on each side – a Passau “Running Wolf” and a daisy or marigold-like mark. These are duplicated from the original sword.
The factory sharpening is decent. There’s no secondary bevel, so the blade geometry is quite nice. The ricasso is intentionally unsharpened. The sword struggles to cut paper, and even when it does cut, usually ends up tearing quite a bit of it. That’s not necessarily a bad thing in a sword. The Type XVIIIa is a blend between cutting and thrusting focus, with, in my opinion, a bit more focus on thrusting.
The fullers on this blade are pretty rough, especially at the end. The grind is not sharp, and it doesn’t align with the center of the sword.
The original sword is listed at about 35” (88.8 cm), so this blade is slightly shorter.
Blade
Type XVIIIa
1566 Spring Steel, monotempered. Factory sharpened blade.
The blade has a short fuller and a diamond cross section. There are two marks stamped into the fuller on each side – a Passau “Running Wolf” and a daisy or marigold-like mark. These are duplicated from the original sword.
The factory sharpening is decent. There’s no secondary bevel, so the blade geometry is quite nice. The ricasso is intentionally unsharpened. The sword struggles to cut paper, and even when it does cut, usually ends up tearing quite a bit of it. That’s not necessarily a bad thing in a sword. The Type XVIIIa is a blend between cutting and thrusting focus, with, in my opinion, a bit more focus on thrusting.
The fullers on this blade are pretty rough, especially at the end. The grind is not sharp, and it doesn’t align with the center of the sword.
The original sword is listed at about 35” (88.8 cm), so this blade is slightly shorter.
Pommel
Type J
I don’t know what type of steel the pommel (and guard) are made of, but I’d guess stainless steel. It’s peened on pretty nicely. Like the original, there’s a lion rampant engraved in the pommel, which is really quite beautiful.
When gripping the sword two-handed, the pommel feels a bit too large to grip completely comfortably.
Type J
I don’t know what type of steel the pommel (and guard) are made of, but I’d guess stainless steel. It’s peened on pretty nicely. Like the original, there’s a lion rampant engraved in the pommel, which is really quite beautiful.
When gripping the sword two-handed, the pommel feels a bit too large to grip completely comfortably.
Grip
The grip is wood, bound with fine cord and covered with leather, just like the original. It has three risers – one at each end and one in the middle. The grip tapers in a waisted manner towards the pommel. Overall, it feels great in the hand. There’s no exposed stitching on the leather, and you have to search to find the seam. I really like the grip on this blade.
The grip is wood, bound with fine cord and covered with leather, just like the original. It has three risers – one at each end and one in the middle. The grip tapers in a waisted manner towards the pommel. Overall, it feels great in the hand. There’s no exposed stitching on the leather, and you have to search to find the seam. I really like the grip on this blade.
Crossguard
Type 2
The crossguard is attractive and well made. The fit on the sword is decent. There’s definitely a few gaps, but they’re not huge. Some epoxy is visible.
Type 2
The crossguard is attractive and well made. The fit on the sword is decent. There’s definitely a few gaps, but they’re not huge. Some epoxy is visible.
Scabbard
The scabbard material feels like it’s made in exactly the same way as the grip. It’s definitely got a wood core, and the leather texture feels like it has a fine cord wrap underneath it. There’s a steel chape and collar that serve to accentuate the simplicity of the scabbard.
The fit to the sword is excellent. It requires almost no force to draw the blade. I can hold the sword upside down and the blade doesn’t leave the scabbard, although it will gently slide out with some shaking.
The scabbard material feels like it’s made in exactly the same way as the grip. It’s definitely got a wood core, and the leather texture feels like it has a fine cord wrap underneath it. There’s a steel chape and collar that serve to accentuate the simplicity of the scabbard.
The fit to the sword is excellent. It requires almost no force to draw the blade. I can hold the sword upside down and the blade doesn’t leave the scabbard, although it will gently slide out with some shaking.
Handling Characteristics
Wielding this sword two-handed is just a touch awkward, because the pommel feels a bit too large in the hand. I am able to hold it with both hands on the grip, but the off hand still uses the pommel a bit, which still feels a little awkward. The blade is very light when wielded in two hands.
One handed, the sword definitely feels a little heavy. However, it is balanced well and does not feel cumbersome.
Test Cutting
I cut some water bottles and a milk jug filled with water. My edge alignment skills are pretty terrible, so I wasn’t able to cut the bottles all that well. I did manage one very decent cut on a milk jug with a one-handed swing.
Wielding this sword two-handed is just a touch awkward, because the pommel feels a bit too large in the hand. I am able to hold it with both hands on the grip, but the off hand still uses the pommel a bit, which still feels a little awkward. The blade is very light when wielded in two hands.
One handed, the sword definitely feels a little heavy. However, it is balanced well and does not feel cumbersome.
Test Cutting
I cut some water bottles and a milk jug filled with water. My edge alignment skills are pretty terrible, so I wasn’t able to cut the bottles all that well. I did manage one very decent cut on a milk jug with a one-handed swing.
Conclusions
Finding reproductions of actual historical swords at a budget price is not very easy. This blade is pretty faithful to the original sword (keeping in mind that it’s unclear where that original actually is at this point), and it’s a beautiful blade to look at. The factory edge could be a touch sharper, but it’s not dull by any means.
Pros
- Beautiful reproduction of a historical sword, at a budget price
- Handles well
- Overall fit and finish is quite nice
Cons
- Pommel feels a little large (keeping in mind that this is true to the original)
- Fullers are not very crisp
- Edge could be a little sharper
The Bottom Line
Definitely a good buy at the price I paid, and I think still a good buy at the ~$300 range it’s normally listed at. I certainly enjoy having this sword in my collection.
The full gallery of photos I took of this sword can be viewed here.