I am looking into buying my first sword and always seem to be drawn to the Albion line of swords.

My question regarding Albion swords is: What exactly is the difference between the squire and next generation lines of swords? Is it in the detail of the sword, or the handling and weight? For instance the squire 13th century knightly sword compared to The Knight OR the Late 15th Cent. Bastard sword compared to the Ringeck or Agincourt.

Seeing how I most likely won’t get to use it too often functionally and more for decoration\admiration – is it worth it to go up a line? Thanks.

There are a few main differences.

Difference #1: SL swords are built around a blunted blade. Similar to A NG, but designed from the ground up to be blunted. While sharpenable, it might not be quite as good an edge as a NG edge.

Difference #2: Grip wrap. No choice of leather colors, no cord wrap. Leather doesn't seem as nice as on a NG.

Difference #3: Finish of hilt furniture. SL swords are a *little* rougher in hilt finish than NG swords.

We have reviews and pics of three Squire Line swords on our reviews page, too. They're worth checking out. :)

Well, you get what you pay for. That being said, having owned members of each, both are excellent lines. The squire line is designed around a blunt blade and not as high of a finish, but have the same great balance etc of the Next Gens. Visually I prefer the Next Gens (you're comparing the Knight and the 13th century knightly sword, so i'll use them as examples.) I prefer the slightly higher finish on the blade and hilt components, the grip with risers and overwrap detailing and the higher complexity of the octagonal style 2 cross and type I pommel on the knight compared to the straight bar style 1
cross, type h and plain leather grip on the 13th century knightly. However, that's only my opinion;either one would make a great example of a knightly sword. However, it's hard to answer your question. Visually I find the knight more attractive, and since you don't want to use it for cutting (an advantage of the next gens) but the final decision of if you find them more attrctive enough to cough up the extra dough is up to you, both look great, so you decide.

I have the Agincourt (just got it today in fact). It's wonderful to handle and a great display piece. When you look at it you know it's a real weapon (unlike some other repros out there). It's like having an M16 next to a BB gun that looks like one. You just don't get the same feeling of....awe or respect that a real weapon evokes.
So, I would say spend the extra for the NG sword you'll probably be happier. If you look at the pics of the antiqued version fo the NG Knight on the Albion website you'll get a hint of what I'm talking about. I don't think they charge too much extra to do that. I just ordered a Kingmaker with blued furniture and that was only $50 extra.

I own the Squire Line Bastard sword, and in my opinion, the differences between the Next Gens and the SQ Line are negligable, save for the difference in edge thickness between the two. The Squire Line swords both look (in terms of blade type and hilt furniture) and handle like other Next Gen swords. There are people who state that they prefer the feeling of Next Gen swords to the Squire Line versions, but this is similar to saying that you prefer a Porsche to a Corvette- both are nice, high-end cars. It's true that a sword like the Knight has more complex hilt designs than the Squire Line version, but the hilt furniture on the latter is accurate for a medieval sword, and may even be a better choice if you're interested in an earlier Type XII sword.

I don't consider my Bastard to be "different" from my Knight or Sempach in any meaningful way, save for the fact the Bastard can be used as a blunt sword, albeit not as safely as the Maestro Line weapons. I can confidently say that I have not regretted ordering a Squire Line sword, and if you don't necessarily have or want to spend money on a full Next Gen line sword, the Squire Line is undoubtedly your best bet (although I'd still purchase from the Squire Line even though I am buying Next Gens too).

I have to agree with what most people have stated. The Next Gens are finished more, but the Squire Line swords are still very nice. For me, the biggest difference is the grip wrap. I re-did the grip on my SL Knightly and my SL Great Sword to make them more like the Next Gen swords, and I feel that that makes purchasing the Next Gen versions unnecessary. Besides, I have several swords with style 2 guards, and the Squire Line swords add some variety. The style 5 guard on my SL Great Sword makes it unique in my collection, and actually is an eye-catcher for that reason if no other.

So, what I am trying to get at is that I think the Squire Line swords are a perfectly good choice. Even more so if you re-do the grip (a project that is explained in several places on this website).

-Grey

One question I have wondered about, does anyone know if the Squire Viking has a two part pommel construction? It looks to have rivets but it is hard to tell.

Neil.

Thanks for the replies guys, it sure helps with making this tough decision. I will most likely get a Next Gen since the selection for the squire line is so limited although I do like the SL knightly sword quite a bit.

I am still changing my mind constantly though - not because of which line to pick from. But instead, which sword to start with!!! There are too many to choose from - I guess I'll have to just jump in somewhere.

Thanks again.