I'm planning on setting up a study group for medieval longsword this summer, and will be utilizing firstly Ringeck's glossa of Liechtenauer. I would like to order either a Maestro line Liechtenauer or Epee de Geurre soon, and intend to follow up with an appropriate live blade later in the year (my first albion!). I would be perfectly happy pairing up a Liechtenauer training sword with a Talhoffer, Ringeck, or Sempach, but I'm faced with a troubling conundrum.

I've wanted to own a Baron for years. I've studied Japanese koryu for about a decade, and absolutely adore tameshigiri. I would love to get my hands on a Baron and do some test cutting.

At this point in my career, I cannot afford to buy more than one sword (which would solve my problem), but am reticent to commit to a Baron for fear of not making the most of our study of Ringeck's glossa. I'm also wondering if the Crecy wouldn't be a good middle ground between the two.

Any thoughts?





:D :D :D :D

If it helps, I own both a Baron and a Talhoffer. The Talhoffer is very nice and has a great feel to it, but it is primarily a thrusting sword as I'm sure you know, and so you won't get much mileage out of it as a test-cutter. The Baron lays waste to all manner of cutting targets. Despite it's size and weight, it still retains a good feel in the hand, and cuts most materials better than I had expected. So if test-cutting is the primary concern, the Baron is the one you want.

There is nothing wrong with how the Talhoffer cuts. It cuts great and it thrusts much better. Of course it doesn't cut as well as the Baron; the Talhoffer won't break through maille, but it will give incapacitating cuts in unarmoured fighting. But get the Albion sharp you want! Both swords are very very nice. And if you prefer the earlier greatsword you might look into Albion's Maestro line Epee de Guerre. It handles very nicely and is suitable for Liechtenauer longsword practice while it is balanced somewhere between the Baron and the Steward.