Albion The Knight Sword Review
Jan 2, 2021 4:31:19 GMT
Post by Arthur Dayne on Jan 2, 2021 4:31:19 GMT
Alright so I've had this Albion Knight for at least 5 years now and its had some bit of wear and tear but overall looks pretty new since I've taken good care of it. This isn't a new sword review.
Anyone remember this How an Albion is made video?
When I first saw this video and The Knight sword that was featured I knew I really had to have one but couldn't afford it. Man that sword was really cool, ---- if only I could justify the expense somehow.
Anyway, life happened, salaries went up and I bought one in brown leather grip. It was like finally getting that Xmas/Bday/Coveted Grail present!
At 2 LB 11.6 Ounces this Knight sword wasn't light but with its 4.5" POB it felt really great in the hand. Cuts were authoritative and point control was precise and quick. Being that it was a Type XII with nicely profiled tapered tip and wide cutting blade geometry- this All Purpose sword became my benchmark reference point for all single handers going forward.
If I wanted a pointier blade I'd expect a POB closer to the guard, if I wanted to favor the cut I would look for a wider blade with a POB similar or slightly further from the guard. The Knight's 4.5" POB was just perfect for me, a neutral balance.
Albion Listed Specs:
Overall length: 38.125" (96.8 cm)
Blade length: 31.5" (80 cm)
Blade width: 2.0625" (5.24 cm)
CoG: 4.5" (11.43 cm)
CoP: 21" (53.34 cm)
Weight: 2 lbs 10.4 oz (1.2 kilos)
My Specs: Everything seems to match except the Blade Width & Weight, very insignificant differences and impressive.
Overall length: 38.125"
Blade length: 31.5"
Blade width: 2.125"
CoG: 4.5"
CoP: 21"
Weight: 2 lbs 11.6 oz
Distal Taper: Blade thickness at Guard is 4.8mm, Blade Thickness 1 inch from Tip is 1.88mm
So how's this sword cut? Is it just a fancy display piece?
The Knight seems fine for all target types Light/Medium/Heavy. All Rounder. It can cut paper if you stab the blade through the paper and slice through but this sword seems meant for heavier duties.
The Albion factory edge that I maintained isn't good for delicate slicing but it can draw cut/chop/hack into soft mats, plastic bottles & jugs, cloth & fabric pretty decently but really shines against targets with some rigidity like harder mats/bamboo and 1" or so tree branches. It eats into hardwood too.
It can handle botched cuts and half ass edge alignment. I've tried to show how meaty the edge geometry is by putting a Post It pack on the blade and letting the shadows show the curves. The Type XII blade is lenticular and favors the cut and this edge is significantly obtuse, heavy duty fighting edge.
Blade is Stiff enough for thrusting and has flex if you actively press against it. No blade wobbles at all stationary or while in motion and flex only becomes more obvious on medium and hard targets.
Just look at the angle of the shadows right at the edge, see how it becomes even thicker! And the way the light hits the tip too. That's edge meat, thick angles, Reinforced all around. The blade seems delicate just going by the Distal taper Spec numbers but in person there's no denying how sturdy it is.
The edge retention is very good and the most I've had to do is touch it up or hone it with a smooth fine stone & oil. But that might not have been necessary since the obtuse thick edge doesn't wear easily. Probably wasted time I didn't have to since it made no difference in performance.
Hilt looks awesome. The leather grip is thick & top quality, shaped comfortably. Guard & Pommel is smooth with no sharp edges or any issues whatsoever. Perfect. You might've noticed the color looks black. Originally it looked more brown but overtime the leather darkened and now looks close to black or really dark brown.
Pommel and Guard has all the right curves in the right places. Peen is so well done that it's blended with the peen block. Almost no guard gap whatsoever. Guard & Pommel are both wedged & hammered tight onto the blade tang and self supporting, no rattle or looseness.
So is The Knight worth it and are all Albion swords super tough?
Yes. I'd say the Knight is one of the best single handers you can get for all purpose cutting and poking. The way Albion does the Type XII blade geometry is historically correct & excellent for all manner of soft and hard objects the sword would come in contact with. It's a great My First Albion Sword that didn't disappoint and exceeded expectations. With how obtuse and reinforced the edge & tip is, you won't have to worry about chipping or rolling either edge or tip on bad cuts. The Knight is not overbuilt or underbuilt, it is built just right. 10/10 Aesthetics, 10/10 Handling & Performance.
Not all Albion Swords are this tough because not all blade geometries of historic periods were intended to take that kind of abuse and buyers should keep this in mind to avoid disappointment. I really wish Albion would put a small disclaimer for each of their swords i.e. Soft/Medium targets only, Hard targets etc so people who want a top tier production sword are better informed about what they are getting. This is good for the buyer and vendor.
Anyone remember this How an Albion is made video?
When I first saw this video and The Knight sword that was featured I knew I really had to have one but couldn't afford it. Man that sword was really cool, ---- if only I could justify the expense somehow.
Anyway, life happened, salaries went up and I bought one in brown leather grip. It was like finally getting that Xmas/Bday/Coveted Grail present!
At 2 LB 11.6 Ounces this Knight sword wasn't light but with its 4.5" POB it felt really great in the hand. Cuts were authoritative and point control was precise and quick. Being that it was a Type XII with nicely profiled tapered tip and wide cutting blade geometry- this All Purpose sword became my benchmark reference point for all single handers going forward.
If I wanted a pointier blade I'd expect a POB closer to the guard, if I wanted to favor the cut I would look for a wider blade with a POB similar or slightly further from the guard. The Knight's 4.5" POB was just perfect for me, a neutral balance.
Albion Listed Specs:
Overall length: 38.125" (96.8 cm)
Blade length: 31.5" (80 cm)
Blade width: 2.0625" (5.24 cm)
CoG: 4.5" (11.43 cm)
CoP: 21" (53.34 cm)
Weight: 2 lbs 10.4 oz (1.2 kilos)
My Specs: Everything seems to match except the Blade Width & Weight, very insignificant differences and impressive.
Overall length: 38.125"
Blade length: 31.5"
Blade width: 2.125"
CoG: 4.5"
CoP: 21"
Weight: 2 lbs 11.6 oz
Distal Taper: Blade thickness at Guard is 4.8mm, Blade Thickness 1 inch from Tip is 1.88mm
So how's this sword cut? Is it just a fancy display piece?
The Knight seems fine for all target types Light/Medium/Heavy. All Rounder. It can cut paper if you stab the blade through the paper and slice through but this sword seems meant for heavier duties.
The Albion factory edge that I maintained isn't good for delicate slicing but it can draw cut/chop/hack into soft mats, plastic bottles & jugs, cloth & fabric pretty decently but really shines against targets with some rigidity like harder mats/bamboo and 1" or so tree branches. It eats into hardwood too.
It can handle botched cuts and half ass edge alignment. I've tried to show how meaty the edge geometry is by putting a Post It pack on the blade and letting the shadows show the curves. The Type XII blade is lenticular and favors the cut and this edge is significantly obtuse, heavy duty fighting edge.
Blade is Stiff enough for thrusting and has flex if you actively press against it. No blade wobbles at all stationary or while in motion and flex only becomes more obvious on medium and hard targets.
Just look at the angle of the shadows right at the edge, see how it becomes even thicker! And the way the light hits the tip too. That's edge meat, thick angles, Reinforced all around. The blade seems delicate just going by the Distal taper Spec numbers but in person there's no denying how sturdy it is.
The edge retention is very good and the most I've had to do is touch it up or hone it with a smooth fine stone & oil. But that might not have been necessary since the obtuse thick edge doesn't wear easily. Probably wasted time I didn't have to since it made no difference in performance.
Hilt looks awesome. The leather grip is thick & top quality, shaped comfortably. Guard & Pommel is smooth with no sharp edges or any issues whatsoever. Perfect. You might've noticed the color looks black. Originally it looked more brown but overtime the leather darkened and now looks close to black or really dark brown.
Pommel and Guard has all the right curves in the right places. Peen is so well done that it's blended with the peen block. Almost no guard gap whatsoever. Guard & Pommel are both wedged & hammered tight onto the blade tang and self supporting, no rattle or looseness.
So is The Knight worth it and are all Albion swords super tough?
Yes. I'd say the Knight is one of the best single handers you can get for all purpose cutting and poking. The way Albion does the Type XII blade geometry is historically correct & excellent for all manner of soft and hard objects the sword would come in contact with. It's a great My First Albion Sword that didn't disappoint and exceeded expectations. With how obtuse and reinforced the edge & tip is, you won't have to worry about chipping or rolling either edge or tip on bad cuts. The Knight is not overbuilt or underbuilt, it is built just right. 10/10 Aesthetics, 10/10 Handling & Performance.
Not all Albion Swords are this tough because not all blade geometries of historic periods were intended to take that kind of abuse and buyers should keep this in mind to avoid disappointment. I really wish Albion would put a small disclaimer for each of their swords i.e. Soft/Medium targets only, Hard targets etc so people who want a top tier production sword are better informed about what they are getting. This is good for the buyer and vendor.