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Post by BWDuty on Oct 24, 2021 12:36:55 GMT
Yes, that was a Supernatural reference. I've had cheap wall hangers my whole life, and finally decided to pull the trigger on an Albion Ringeck a couple of years ago. Then I kind of got addicted. I've purchased all of these except the Ringeck in the last few months either here or on EBay, while I've waited for the other Albions that I have on order. I expect two of them within the next few months (a Knight with blackened cross guard and pommel and dark brown wrap, and a Yeoman with oxblood wrap), and another in about a year since I just purchased it (a Crecy with blackened cross guard and pommel and green wrap). I'm looking forward to getting some more colorful hilts next. Blue is at the top of my list, followed by red and purple. I saw a light blue Vigil a couple of days ago (I would call it teal) and I'm crazy about it. From left to right in the first picture: Albion Bayeux with light brown wrap Albion Thegn with dark brown wrap Albion Ringeck with black wrap Albion Gaddhjalt with dark brown wrap Cold Steel Hand and a Half And in the second picture, an Arms and Armor Danish Axe. Attachments:
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Post by BWDuty on Oct 24, 2021 12:42:15 GMT
That picture really doesn't do the Danish Axe justice, because the computer monitor is pretty big (32"). It is really a beast. I almost didn't hang it horizontally because it takes up damn near 2/3 of the wall, but it looks so cool there.
I also have a *lot* of other.. tools.. but with the current state of society I'm not comfortable sharing them. What I mean to say is that I have umm.. two or three of them.. and I plan on getting rid of them any day..
I decided to finally show off because of the new paint job. I think I'm the only person in the house (or that I've shown for that matter) who likes it, but hey, it's my room and that's all that matters haha. The color is Kilkenny SW 6740 by Sherwin Williams.
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Post by demonskull on Oct 24, 2021 15:44:39 GMT
First, got the reference as soon as I read it (my wife's a big fan, even went to a Supernatural Con.) Nice swords. Finally, as regards to the other "tools" be careful when you take them fishing....so many boating accidents lately !  |
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Post by BWDuty on Oct 24, 2021 15:57:33 GMT
First, got the reference as soon as I read it (my wife's a big fan, even went to a Supernatural Con.) Nice swords. Finally, as regards to the other "tools" be careful when you take them fishing....so many boating accidents lately ! Yeah, I am super clumsy and I have a feeling that might happen. Thanks haha! |
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Greg E
Member
little bit of this... and a whole lot of that
Posts: 1,354 
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Post by Greg E on Oct 24, 2021 17:30:46 GMT
That Thegn sure has a dark grip if it is brown. Looks just like my Thegn with a black handle.
I just bought a Gaddhjalt with blackened furniture and a light brown grip off eBay. Hope it turns out as good as was told to me. I have gotten a couple second hand Albions with small areas of early rusting on the blade. Small black dots and some that look to have been cleaned slightly. Oh well. The dangers of eBay.
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Post by pellius on Oct 24, 2021 18:08:48 GMT
Nice collection
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Post by BWDuty on Oct 24, 2021 18:26:43 GMT
That Thegn sure has a dark grip if it is brown. Looks just like my Thegn with a black handle. I just bought a Gaddhjalt with blackened furniture and a light brown grip off eBay. Hope it turns out as good as was told to me. I have gotten a couple second hand Albions with small areas of early rusting on the blade. Small black dots and some that look to have been cleaned slightly. Oh well. The dangers of eBay. Yeah, I agree. You just about have to shine a flashlight on it to tell that it isn't black. Both of my dark brown grips from Albion are like that. That's why I'm wanting some different color grips next. I'm hoping the blackened hilt will provide some contrast for the dark brown grip with the Knight that I have on order. I have heard that the color lightens after a lot of handling and cleaning, but I pretty much only get them down to clean and oil them. I had to clean a bit of rust off of the Ringeck after about a year because I failed to maintain it. It wasn't too bad, I managed to buff it out. I've been oiling them all with a light coat of CLP Break-free like Albion recommends after that happened. Here is a picture of the Thegn with a lot of lighting, as well as a picture next to the black Ringeck for contrast. ![]() Attachments:
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Post by BWDuty on Oct 24, 2021 18:51:30 GMT
This is a picture I found of what the Knight *should* look like. I spoke with Mike and asked him to try to duplicate it. I ordered that one back on 3/10/21 and was quoted 8-10 months at the time so I'm hoping by early next year. I ordered the Yeoman with oxblood grip 5/12/21 and was also quoted 8-10 months, so hopefully it is finished relatively soon as well. I just ordered the Crecy with blackened hilt and green wrap 10/1/21 and was quoted a year, I'm super excited about that one! ![]() Attachments:
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Greg E
Member
little bit of this... and a whole lot of that
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Post by Greg E on Oct 24, 2021 19:24:06 GMT
Yes the lighting makes a world of difference, that is indeed brown on the Thegn. I had been using Break Free CLP for years and recently used Renaissance Wax. I display my axes and spears and they will collect dust and dog hair like crazy on the CLP. So far the wax has kept most of that off of my pieces. An experiment really.
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Post by BWDuty on Oct 24, 2021 19:41:23 GMT
Yes the lighting makes a world of difference, that is indeed brown on the Thegn. I had been using Break Free CLP for years and recently used Renaissance Wax. I display my axes and spears and they will collect dust and dog hair like crazy on the CLP. So far the wax has kept most of that off of my pieces. An experiment really. I have the exact same problem -- two German Shepherds, plus I live in a basement where dust is constantly on *everything*. I just cleaned them two days ago and I see dust and hair in my pictures. Didn't even notice it until I saw my post, and cleaned it off again haha. I've been considering Renaissance Wax, but since I display them I'm not too big on the way it looks. The Bayeux had a coat on it and it took a while to wipe it off since it dries so thick. Perhaps the person who sold it to me just had it on extra thick because it was in storage. I believe he has like 40 Albions and quite a few higher end pieces too, so I'm sure he doesn't display them all. |
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Post by BWDuty on Nov 10, 2021 10:12:13 GMT
I'll be trying Renaissance Wax for the first time today when I get them down to clean, I'm 99% sure that the sword I received just had a really thick coat on it for storage and that's what made it look streaky and hard to clean off.
I also contacted Albion and changed the dark brown dye to campaign brown on the Knight I'm waiting for after seeing your Gaddhjalt. That thing is freakin' gorgeous. Mike said "light brown" when he repeated it back to me. I'm not sure if they still make it look kind of aged like yours is -- like it was originally dark and became worn over time to mostly light. I might be reading too much into it. Those dark brown streaks are sexy!
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Greg E
Member
little bit of this... and a whole lot of that
Posts: 1,354
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Post by Greg E on Nov 10, 2021 13:42:34 GMT
I'll be trying Renaissance Wax for the first time today when I get them down to clean, I'm 99% sure that the sword I received just had a really thick coat on it for storage and that's what made it look streaky and hard to clean off. I also contacted Albion and changed the dark brown dye to campaign brown on the Knight I'm waiting for after seeing your Gaddhjalt. That thing is freakin' gorgeous. Mike said "light brown" when he repeated it back to me. I'm not sure if they still make it look kind of aged like yours is -- like it was originally dark and became worn over time to mostly light. I might be reading too much into it. Those dark brown streaks are sexy! Campaign brown is what they call it on their order form. Like it had been through a military campaign. I think each time they do it, it comes out fairly unique, so hopefully it will be to your liking. I am sure it will. And it sure looks different depending on light source. |
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Post by BWDuty on Nov 13, 2021 19:53:40 GMT
New addition, an Albion Arn! Now I have a dedicated Albion wall, and the Cold Steel Hand and a Half lives next to the Arms and Armor Danish Axe. Not sure what I'll do when the three other Albions on order are complete, but that's a good problem to have in my opinion! I still can't get over how seemingly minor differences make swords feel so incredibly different. For example, the Arn has the exact same blade (plus the three cross engravings) as the Gaddhjalt. The grips seem to be about the same size. The wheel pommel on the Arn is a bit bigger than the brazil nut on the Gaddhjalt. According to the website the Arn weighs about 5 ounces more. With that weight being in the hilt and pommel, I would be willing to bet that I could tell them apart 10/10 times with my eyes closed and gloves on. The Arn feels so much less blade heavy to me. Every time I get a new sword I get more excited about the finer details! Attachments:
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Post by BWDuty on Nov 14, 2021 6:33:43 GMT
I just picked up an Albion Baron at a really good price, the same day that the Arn arrived. That makes nine Albions, counting the three that I have on order directly with them as well.
When I think about how I could have bought a brand new motorcycle (I've had my eye on the KLR 650 for years, and it would be my first bike. Already got my "M" endorsement two years ago.) and still have money left over after all I've spent on swords, the only thing I can think is.. "man I love my swords, the motorcycle can wait" haha! The swords aren't exactly chick magnets, but I can certainly think of worse ways to go through a mid life crisis!
I'm a "Jeep Wrangler" kind of guy (even though I've never owned one, I've wanted one since I was 15 -- over 25 years ago) so the KLR 650 really caught my eye. It's kind of like the Wrangler of motorcycles. Pretty good on asphalt, pretty good exploring trails, easy to work on and pretty reliable, admittedly not horribly fast, and it will hold my fat ass. I don't need (or even really want) a big road bike or a crotch rocket. I want something I can just go on scenic rides in and even off the beaten path if the opportunity arises. Not to mention they are nearly impossible to kill, look good (in my opinion although I know that is highly debated), and ridiculously cheap at like $6700-$8000 brand new.
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pgandy
Moderator
Senior Forumite
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Post by pgandy on Nov 14, 2021 12:59:43 GMT
It sounds like the sword bug really bit you hard. 👍
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Post by pellius on Nov 14, 2021 16:05:49 GMT
Congratulations on your growing collection.
I spent many years riding. I grew up on dirt bikes. All thru college I was on either a cruiser or a bullet bike.
I miss it, sometimes.
As they say, there are only two kinds of riders - those that have crashed and those that are gonna. I’m a member of the former several times over. I don’t think my old body would heal up the way it did in my youth. Swords are good.
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Post by BWDuty on Nov 14, 2021 16:46:47 GMT
Congratulations on your growing collection. I spent many years riding. I grew up on dirt bikes. All thru college I was on either a cruiser or a bullet bike. I miss it, sometimes. As they say, there are only two kinds of riders - those that have crashed and those that are gonna. I’m a member of the former several times over. I don’t think my old body would heal up the way it did in my youth. Swords are good. I'm fortunate enough that I still have my parents around, although they are starting to get up there. My mom was shocked when I told her how much my Albions cost -- then I told her that if my money hadn't gone to them I would have a motorcycle by now. After that, she absolutely loves my swords and looks forward to seeing new ones  . I grew up on mopeds, which obviously aren't quite the same thing but I rode them a lot around a large property. I hadn't rode in about 25 years when I took a rider safety course to bypass all the hassle with the DMV. I was the only one out of the class of five who passed, so I guess I did fairly well. I just want something that I can take to state parks and stuff, and explore some of the more tame trails that allow bikes with motors. Maybe even take it to work sometimes. That was definitely put on hold when I got this Albion itch though haha! |
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Post by pellius on Nov 14, 2021 17:20:09 GMT
Ha! Nice.
That made me smile.
You are blessed to have your mother in your life.
Riding is an unreasonably good time. I do not discourage it.
You certainly don’t need advice or approval from some random person on the Internet. Nonetheless, having seen the melted mangled shattered mess that was my helmet after high-siding my sled, I would encourage you to at least wear a good helmet.
Anyway, you have joined quite the exclusive club, having an entire armory of Albion’s. I’m not a member, but congratulate you from the peanut gallery.
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Post by alientude on Nov 14, 2021 17:50:52 GMT
You have a stellar collection already! I saw that Baron sale posting and wished I had the money for it, then you snapped it up quickly.
Regarding mothers and motorcycles, I would've liked to try out a motorcycle at some point, but my uncle (mom's brother, who she said I resembled very closely) died from a motorcycle crash when he was a teenager. There's no way I could put her through the trauma of seeing me on a motorcycle. Now that she's passed away, I could try it out, I suppose, but I feel like it would be hurtful to her memory.
As an addendum to that little story, treasure your mom! I told mine I loved her pretty shortly before she passed, and still wish I could have told her again. And again.
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Post by BWDuty on Nov 19, 2021 7:21:53 GMT
New addition to the Albion wall -- The Baron. The first word that came to mind (after "wow" of course, we all know that feeling!) was "Commanding". It has some real presence! Attachments:
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