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Post by takitam on Aug 15, 2023 18:49:26 GMT
Or buy the first Albion that strikes your fancy in the forum's marketplace and go from there I'm glad that so many posters gave their educated opinions on the subject. This should be useful for other interested people as well.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2023 21:22:35 GMT
Listen to Eastman, he speaks wisely. --Although visiting the Albion showroom is quite a drive for many of us--
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Post by curiomansion on Aug 15, 2023 23:08:57 GMT
eastman Have you been to their showroom recently? How complete is it? What's the best city to fly into?
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Post by curiomansion on Aug 15, 2023 23:10:19 GMT
I said differences in robustness of build between these models is a moot point if you are not doing test cutting (ie, it is for display/costume). True, but there is something to "I could if I had to." That feeling is worth something!
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Post by madirish on Aug 15, 2023 23:30:54 GMT
I said differences in robustness of build between these models is a moot point if you are not doing test cutting (ie, it is for display/costume). True, but there is something to "I could if I had to." That feeling is worth something! Sure it is...but you have to decide what is most important to you. Best Airport to fly into would be Chicago (most options, fewest connections, and lowest cost, most likely compared to Milwaukee) and drive 2:10 to New Glarus or Dane County Airport in Madison, WI and drive.
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Post by eastman on Aug 16, 2023 1:31:21 GMT
eastman Have you been to their showroom recently? How complete is it? What's the best city to fly into? I was last there in late June to pick up my Ringeck and Landgraf. the wall was pretty well stocked, but it doesn't have one of everything.
They did have several of the Museum Line swords (Solingen, maybe a Tritonia, a Ljubljana, a Cluny and the one that I had to fall in love with, the single most expensive Albion Sword - the Svante Nilsson).
After handling the one on the wall, I added the Vassal to my current orders.
madirish gave a pretty good summary on travel options. The closest airport is going to be in Madison WI but I think it has a lot less flight options than Milwaukee and far less than O'Hare. For me, it is slightly over a 2 hour drive (there may be shorter routes, but all of the drive up until the last 15 minutes is the same highway using my simple route).
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Post by murman1983 on Aug 16, 2023 15:30:11 GMT
leviathansteak
That's great to hear. I find the Ringeck to be absolutely stunning, and the blade length and thickness is very attractive. I do have concerns about its cutting ability, and I know others do as well. But my size/weight (low skill level) is something I have to consider when buying a sword that fits me, and hopefully my strength would help with some of the maneuverability issues others might have with the sword. Thanks for the insight.
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Post by toddstratton1 on Aug 16, 2023 15:36:42 GMT
leviathansteak That's great to hear. I find the Ringeck to be absolutely stunning, and the blade length and thickness is very attractive. I do have concerns about its cutting ability, and I know others do as well. But my size/weight (low skill level) is something I have to consider when buying a sword that fits me, and hopefully my strength would help with some of the maneuverability issues others might have with the sword. Thanks for the insight. Two other swords worth considering for you. The Warwick, and Viceroy. The Viceroy is a brutal cutter but more durable than the Principe. The Warwick is a more stout and sturdy sword similar in blade typology to the Crecy, but with a much longer grip.
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Post by murman1983 on Aug 16, 2023 15:42:06 GMT
madirish Oh, I'm sorry to misquote you, I get what your saying now. That is a very good point. If Im not cutting, then i dont have to worry about robustness as much. My worry, is that when I do cut, and with my low skill level, that the risk of me seriously damaging the blade is quite high. I'm glad you see my point of view. I am generally a gun and knife guy, with limited experience with real swords ( I was raised a hunter), and holding a finely machined piece of weaponry and art is something that some people just don't understand. The history, and capability of these things ignites such a primal feeling inside of me. I love it. Takes one to know one. I am an engineer as well.
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Post by murman1983 on Aug 16, 2023 15:56:02 GMT
curiomansion
You are talking my language now. I know some may find durability a non issue when speaking about swords, I have also gave the impression that I wont be doing much cutting to some on here. That is a mistake on my part. I feel like the allure to cut with a real sword will win out. I have never examined a real swords cutting edge, and frankly cannot quantify/conceptualize in any intuitive way the amount of force it would take to chip an edge. So things like "how long can it last in a sword fight" is very helpful to me. And although I dont plan on getting into any real sword fights, its still a nice way to gauge the durability.
I have looked at the Barron, and may need to look again. Good point about a XViiis slowly becoming XV after years of use. But my god, that would take some work. That is a VERY interesting point I have never thought about. Thanks!
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Post by murman1983 on Aug 16, 2023 15:57:30 GMT
leviathansteak Again, exactly what i was looking, the hard decisive choices. Thanks. I am a large and relatively strong man. (I need to get back in the gym tho, aging sucks) Would you say that the Ringeck could be wielded comfortably one handed for a 220lb, 6'2" man? Thanks I am smaller than you, but can reasonably wield the ringeck one handed, though with less effectiveness But yes some of my larger sized hema club members have cut with my ringeck one handed and perform really well. I don't think you'll have an issue using it in one hand This is very good information, thanks.
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Post by murman1983 on Aug 16, 2023 16:19:01 GMT
toddstratton1
My thought process goes like this. If an average size man can use an arming swords as a one handed sword...Sorry for redundancy. Then I should be able to use a bastard, or long sword one handed to the same effect. And two handed to great effect. This is why I only have 1 one-handed sword on my list. And although I am not a giant, and you are probably right about weight and height not being a major factor. I am pretty strong, which I think should have some effect. God I hate saying that, but it is a determining factor. My reach is not as much as yours, and I bet your hands are bigger than mine. Both these are things I was concerned about in my own self, so this is a relief to here that the shorter hilts can still be use to great effect by you. Which is definitely a different experience to what others have said on the matter. I have considered the barron over the duke and other larger hand and a half swords. I need to revisit it. Thanks
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Post by murman1983 on Aug 16, 2023 16:25:52 GMT
eastman
I was just at Oshkoch Wi airshow (amazing experience btw) , and wish I could have visited the showroom. I drove from Texas, and was on a time crunch, damn.
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Post by murman1983 on Aug 16, 2023 16:31:58 GMT
Or buy the first Albion that strikes your fancy in the forum's marketplace and go from there I'm glad that so many posters gave their educated opinions on the subject. This should be useful for other interested people as well. I hope others find this helpful. The wealth of info you guys have is staggering, and I hope yall are enjoying as much sharing your experiences, as I am reading and learning from them. I feel like such a newb asking newb questions, and hope I am not an annoyance. I am the ype to over analyze and nerd out on a topic for years, before making pulling the trigger, its a curse. But its time to pull that trigger, and truly join the community, and give back for one. But this is deeply satisfying to me, and yall are very accommodating, so thank you all.
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Post by murman1983 on Aug 16, 2023 16:45:49 GMT
takitam Thanks so much for the long and thoughtful reply. It's very helpful, and I appreciate that you gave me counter points to some of the cons on the list. I'm kind of a dooms day prepper, so that why durability is so high up. You know SHTF scenario, you want something beefy. That is not why I want a sword though. I love the history, and impact of swords. That is why Im going Albion, not.....BudK zombie machette. LOL. You are right. Ive waited 10 years being indecisive, (and waiting on funds) so I am going to take your advice and not wait much longer, and just get one. Invaluable info, I'll no doubt read several times. Thanks You say there are more interesting swords available. I wonder if you would kindly elaborate a little? I'm going to briefly cover a few points. Let's start with 'durability'. You mention Skallagrim's video. He made a very bad cut on that branch. What happened was that the edge got stuck in the wood a little bit and afterwards, the whole power of his strike twisted the sword in his hand and got transferred into that part of the edge that was in the branch. That was a lot of force on a very small area and explains the deformation. Then he paid the price for his first mistake on the zombie skull. And a story was born... I have cut with Alexandria and my impression is that this is a sword that kills in one strike. Most swords could do that in trained hands against an unarmed opponent, but this could do it more than others And I wouldn't be afraid of its durability in any SHTF fighting context. Would Ringeck fail in the same way as Skallagrim's Principe in the same situation? 99% no but you pay the price for it with comparably weak cutting power. Now. let's use some imagination. It's probably easier to kill with a thrust than a cut but if you make a powerful thrust, your sword may get stuck in the target. With a cutting sword, you can keep going, strike after strike. It's up to you to decide what your 'hero vision' is I had the Caithness and I considered it to be a non-finesse sword. A solid and well balanced weapon but without a 'spark'. I imagine I would have the same opinion of the Knight. It doesn't help that I don't like it visually. If you want a durable sword, another one I would recommend is the Landgraf/Sempach. I have not handled either but would prefer one over the Crecy. I would personally choose the Landgraf, but it's because I know that I like the the 'interface' a wheel pommel provides. For one handers that I consider finesse weapons, my favourites are the Vigil and Chevalier. They both surprise you with their handling as they combine seemingly contradictory traits, like forward heavy power and nimbleness/speed. These are the only two one handers from Albion that I handled that gave me this feeling. I also appreciate historical inspirations that brought these swords to life. You could also choose something more unique. Thegn is a very quick sword, but short and definitely not as durable as others. You might want to go for extended reach, why not pick the Gaddhjalt then. Something I have not handled but might suit your imagination - Saint Maurice sword. It's supposed to be tough and extremely powerful but hard to wield. Imagine a fully armored mounted knight smiting his enemies from above. Choosing a one hander leaves you the option of having a shield in your left hand. It is probably a better idea than a longsowrd for a zombie apocalypse Last but not least, you could combine a sword with a spear, a longsword with a great sword and choose the very unique Dane. I'm sure it's a very durable beast as well. And one more - the Longseax is a bar of steel, very different from most swords, but if you just want to smash things, it could be (along with maybe the Cherusker) an interesting choice. Some food for thought edit: btw there were some threads about cutting recently. If you look at my post history (I don't have that many of them;) you will find some observations about cutting cloth from several forum members. This should provide some extra context to think about. This is an excellence post, thanks. You are speaking to my heart.
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Post by Lionhardt on Aug 16, 2023 17:13:46 GMT
My 2 cents: I hated my Knight. It looks great, but it was a wet noodle to me. Way too floppy to actually use. Cutting pool noodles, Sure. But anything harder and it doesn't give me the confidence to trust it. Again my opinion. It just doesn't feel how I like my swords to feel. Instead I would recommend the Squire. Very similar look in blade profile and handle shape, being a straight guarded crusader style with round pommel. But decently stiffer. Still a little floppy for me, but much better. It is now one of my favorites. One of Albion's better looking swords and performs amazingly in the cut and thrust. Hope that is simple and helps!
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Post by murman1983 on Aug 16, 2023 17:31:25 GMT
tomtx,
Do you not find the disk pommel to dig into the your hand, especially on a shorter grip? And just by looking, I would not expect the Sempach to cut, but I didn't realize it was hexagonal shaped. I wrongly thought it was diamond. I could defiantly see Fingofin using this blade, as he hewed the Morgoths foot. Interesting.
I have not heard of the Sankt Annen. That is exiting. Ill have to check it out.
I was strongly considering VA, even more so than Albion. But that was mainly for the scabbard. Ive since decided to make my own. Now Alibon is back on the menu. Because of the historical accuracy like you mentioned.
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Post by murman1983 on Aug 16, 2023 17:33:42 GMT
My 2 cents: I hated my Knight. It looks great, but it was a wet noodle to me. Way too floppy to actually use. Cutting pool noodles, Sure. But anything harder and it doesn't give me the confidence to trust it. Again my opinion. It just doesn't feel how I like my swords to feel. Instead I would recommend the Squire. Very similar look in blade profile and handle shape, being a straight guarded crusader style with round pommel. But decently stiffer. Still a little floppy for me, but much better. It is now one of my favorites. One of Albion's better looking swords and performs amazingly in the cut and thrust. Hope that is simple and helps! Yesterday I was trying to find first hand experience and the difference with the Knight, and Squire, but to no avail. This is perfect.
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Post by Lionhardt on Aug 16, 2023 19:25:53 GMT
My 2 cents: I hated my Knight. It looks great, but it was a wet noodle to me. Way too floppy to actually use. Cutting pool noodles, Sure. But anything harder and it doesn't give me the confidence to trust it. Again my opinion. It just doesn't feel how I like my swords to feel. Instead I would recommend the Squire. Very similar look in blade profile and handle shape, being a straight guarded crusader style with round pommel. But decently stiffer. Still a little floppy for me, but much better. It is now one of my favorites. One of Albion's better looking swords and performs amazingly in the cut and thrust. Hope that is simple and helps! Yesterday I was trying to find first hand experience and the difference with the Knight, and Squire, but to no avail. This is perfect. Great! That's why I figured I'd chime in. A lot of the crew here know I like stiff swords, but that is for good reason. The squire has a slightly pointier blade, but I like the look of that better than the knight as well. But both cruciform, similar weight, fullered. Of course they both are going to have the gap at the guard by the fuller that you say you don't like. And I can definitely understand that! So you need to see if that is a deal-breaker or not. If so, the Mercenary or other non-fullered swords others suggested are going to be the way to go! I have a Mercenary on the way, but haven't ever handled one. Can't wait to hear what you go with!
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Post by curiomansion on Aug 16, 2023 19:51:48 GMT
curiomansion You are talking my language now. I know some may find durability a non issue when speaking about swords, I have also gave the impression that I wont be doing much cutting to some on here. That is a mistake on my part. I feel like the allure to cut with a real sword will win out. I have never examined a real swords cutting edge, and frankly cannot quantity/conceptualize in any intuitive way the amount of force it would take to chip an edge. So things like "how long can it last in a sword fight" is very helpful to me. And although I dont plan on getting into any real sword fights, its still a nice way to gauge the durability. I have looked at the Barron, and may need to look again. Good point about a XViiis slowly becoming XV after years of use. But my god, that would take some work. That is a VERY interesting point I have never thought about. Thanks! My friend hunts hogs every year and has generously harvested hog skulls for my cutting pleasure. I've done at least three dozen cuts into fresh hog skulls (day old) and at least four dozen into fresh deer skulls (noticeably softer, but not soft). Thin edges do cut deeper into skulls but the do come out damaged. I don't consider bone to be an unrealistic target when testing your sword, so I think it's a relevant test to an edge's durability. Edge geometry is the most significant factor when it comes to durability, so again if that's your concern, the type xvii's will be your best bet. Also, you say you're a gun/knife guy. In that hobby were you able to stop at just one? You're definitely going to end up cutting a lot. My suggestion would be to go with a durable sword and play with it a bunch. Maybe consider one of the Windlass RA longsword (both of them are "anti-armor" sword, therefore tough) as a beater. In the meantime, maybe get a wooden waster from Purpleheart Armory to practice. I ordered an Albion Wallace mid-last year and it's still not here so you got a while to wait.
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