i am thinking of two swords to buy i can only choose one Albion Sword Next Generation are they as good as i have heard

one is The Squire

the other is The Knight

are they both sharpened when shipped

Dan,
Hello and welcome to myArmoury.com. :) The Knight and Squire have been discussed many times before. The forum Search button should yield many results. All NG swords are sharpened though they can be made blunt (for an extra fee, I believe).

I have handled both and they are fine swords. You won't go wrong either way. :)

Both of the swords you're interested in have some very well written reviews here as well. I've had the chance to handle a few Albion Next Gens myself, and they are excellent swords. I'll be ordering a semi-custom Landgraf through Christian Fletcher soon; I'm already dreading the wait. :p

it is good input for i need the info and i say thanks to all who can help

this will be my first Albion sword

i have 2 samurai swords 1 could be ww 2 the stamping on the tang looks to be stamped but the other is etched not stamped
and is has razer edge but a slight warp in the blade
and my bayonet is a french Chassepot 1867

after this next sword i feel it is all complete or is it we all say

Well, what are you going to do with them? Are you just a collector, or do you intend to study European Martial Arts?

Both are great weapons, and worthy of anyones attention. They have differences between them (Squire being of a later design), so if you're collecting a particular "kit", you might be limited there.

M.

Having not handled any Albions, and speaking only from what I can tell of the specs on the site, the differences between these two swords seem minor to me, and mostly due to being of different typologies. I don't think one can be said to be a better sword then the other.

From an entirely personal viewpoint, I would pick the Squire. (Well, actually I'd pick the Prince, since I'm not big on the whole utalitarian look, but whatever.) But that's simply because I find type XVI swords to be more aestethically appealing then type XII swords.

In other words, Dan, assuming the exact price isn't a big issue (the Squire being more expensive then the Knight) you should simply go with the one you fancy the most.

I own a Knight but have never handled a Squire so I can not directly compare the two. It is enough to say that the Knight is very ready in hand. Some people have said that this type of sword may feel a bit heavier in hand than later swords but that is not the case. It is simply that the blade prescence is more noticable and once the sword is moving this adds to the swords ability to strike For example holding my Regent (clearly a completely different sword) it feels more "balanced" and some would say this leads to it feeling lighter, but it is not and trying to swing it single handed is no where near as efficient as doing the same with the Knight. The point of this is that if you are choosing between the two swords do not rely on statistics or even how the sword feels when static in hand if you get the chance to handle them.

I have no training apart from backyard cutting and although the targets I use are not challenging, I can get many quick, consecutive cuts out of one bottle due to the accurate handling ability of the Knight, the sword easily allows you to place strike after strike exactly where you want it. I find the Knights appearance attractive in it's simplicity with enough detail to make it interesting without being to showy.

I dug up this very helpful quote from Chad Arnow on another thread:


I've handled and cut with the Knight, Laird, and Caithness as well as the Squire, though not together or even within a few months of each other is some cases.

If I recall all my experiences correctly, the Squire is faster at the tip and slightly more maneuverable than the Type XII's. It may cede a little authority in the cut, but not much. The Squire may be faster in the cut, but loses a little pop to the slightly beefier blades.

The XII's will carry a little more momentum in the blades during a cut, though, which may make them feel a little faster in some swings. With a little less blade presence, the Squire won't pull itself through the cut as naturally as a Type XII, but it's no slouch of course.


If this doesn't help with any decisions about the handling of the Squire vs Knight I don't know what will.

I would wager either sword will make you very happy.

Although my tastes are a bit earlier than the Knight I must say that handling this sword is a dream. To me it feels so "right". I know that many others feel the same way- it's just a joy to wield.

I do love the aesthetics of the Squire and I would not describe it as utilitarian- it mirrors the austere beauty of many type XIV's and I "personally" find it's looks more interesting than the Knight. I have never handled the Squire.

I do feel that these are very different swords and meet different needs with some overlap. At least by appearance the Squire seems very suited to I:33 though the knight could be used for this purpose- I think.

As others have said- you can't go wrong. Once you have one Albion- chances are that later on you will want another. . .

Jeremy

the choice is simple after i order it .i will let you know of my choice and when i get it i will let you of how i feel to own a sword of history and honor

thanks to all to everyone your advice is welcomed and well put and to the point

this forum is the place to come

thanks to you all who knows might buy another lol

I don't remember handling the Squire, but I was really tempted to buy the Knight as soon as I picked it up at the 2006 NYC Blade Show. It just felt great in my hand, not even swinging it. I ended up getting the Gallowglass instead (which I ended up selling and buying a Mercenary, but never mind), but the Knight just barely came in second.

Either way, you can't go wrong with an Albion. Great products, great people, great company. :)