What do you guys think about this construction method compared to the production methods of Albion swords.
From Rob Miller's Castle Keep website, Castle Keep, Isle of Skye, Scotland:

"OK,OK...so its time to get a new camera,this one has had its day i think,it has a hand cranked mechanism and a lareg black cloth over the back of it. anyway,this is to illustrate a new construction method that i shall be using from now on,the tang fits tight into the slotted pommel as in all Medieaval swords,but without being peened over at the top.The advantage of this method is two-fold,it allows the sword to be completely dissembled for cleaning etc,and a heated and peened tang on a modern tool steel blade will be brittle due to the heat used in the peening without the ability to anneal it afterwards.Some makers my weld a mild steel end onto the tang to overcome this but that is a further weakness in the construction,so i have provided a tang nut on top that can be undone and tightened up again after re-construction of the sword.I shall be using this in all future Knights swords and Claymores,which will add a little to the price,but worth it i think.. "

Rob's Philosophy as noted on his website:
""When a sword is hand forged it becomes more than a dead piece of steel. The structure of the blade comes awake and crystalises under the hammer blade to produce a tough and far superior weapon to those made by mass production methods. When I started my training as a Bladesmith I began a search for excellence in this field; to try and reproduce acurately the finest blades of history, as living, working pieces, both beautiful and functional."

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Marketing message.

Nothing more, nothing less.

This kind of assembly method can give satisfactory results but it's not my preferred choice. This is basically a method of compression-fit assembly. Everything is held together under tension by either a locking nut or some kind of screw. This results in quite a bit of tension on that screw or nut and failure could possibly occur. It also puts added tension on the individual components that doesn't need to be there. In a construction method like the one Albion uses the components are secured individually. Consequently they aren't under any unnecessary tension. I'm not saying that Robs method is a bad one necessarily. A sword like this, if properly constructed in every other sense, could give years of satisfactory service. It just that this method causes stresses that don't absolutely have to be there.

As for disassembly being a selling point, well, a sword shouldn't be taken apart for "routine" maintenance. Just because you can take it apart doesn't mean you should take it apart. Every time you disassemble a sword it causes unnecessary wear and tear on the components. If a component needs replacement (which is more likely with Robs construction method due to the added stresses placed on the components) that's fine, otherwise it should be left alone.

I've often been intrigued by Castle Keeps work and have thought of doing business with them on more than one occasion.

Also, the last part about forging "awakening" the crystalline structure of the steel has no scientific basis. Iron and steel have a crystalline structure to begin with, and while it is possible to mechanically refine grain, ya aint gonna do it with a hand hammer. It really has more to do with how the steel is heat treated than how it is forged or fabricated.

There are a lot more variables that can throw a wrench into the works, but that's it in a nutshell.

EDIT: I'm not knocking his stuff, just commenting on what metal is like :)

I've posted this before but it seems like a logical place to show it again. This is a drawing I put together that shows two basic forms of hilt contruction.

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Thanks guys, basically I just curious about Rob's remark that by peening the end of the tang, it would make the overall blade more brittle. Also his remark that heat treated blades are not as strong as hand hamered, forged blades.

If I may be so bold as to make a slight correction, forging at one time did make a superior product compared to stock removal, because it did tend to help align the already existing grain with the forging, but in any steel made since basically the 60s, it doesn't hold true. It could be said that it's not so much a myth, as an unnecessary holdover from an earlier era, although some of the reasons individuals hold on to are myths, such as edge packing, ect.

Thanks Patrick. Nice stuff to know. I am not really considering a purchase from Castle Keep, as much as I am looking at what different companies offer. Right now Albion is my company of choice, seems they keep making swords that are not only premium quality, but also appeal to me in such a way that I get that "I want, I must have" feeling. Also I am looking for knowledgable answers, which you have provided. So thanks very much. Oh and I've got two historical scabbards on the way from Christian Fletcher, one for my Count, and my Knight, which I have'nt even seen yet because its going right from Albion into Christians' hands. Can't wait to see how they turn out and I cant wait to post some pics. Thanks again,
Charles

Interesting thread. I didn't know Albion used the sandwhich grip construction. From the point of view of the maker I think that would be harder to do correctly. I'm actually in the process of making new hilts for a couple of my older swords, and this makes me wonder which option I'll use.

It depends. From what I understand, most period blades used pine rosin (cutlers resin) as a glue. I've used that stuff a bit, and believe it or not, the sandwich method is easier with cutlers resin, since it has such a short working time. With epoxy, you just get the 20 minute stuff and it's easy to peen the tang or screw it on and get a good fit while the glue is setting.

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Out of curiosity, what is "the hype"?

The main post quotation. It's marketing. Sure it's one area of beliefe, but too easily can it have holes punched in it. Thus: Hype.