We have been working in secret for a long time to produce this sword for the "L'Epée. Usages, mythes et symboles" exhibition at the Cluny Museum - which opened today.

[ Linked Image ]

More here:

http://www.albion-swords.com/swords/johnsson/...-cluny.htm

and more photos here:

http://www.albion-swords.com/swords/johnsson/...photos.htm

This is an amazing sword - truly a "feather sword" in the hands - light, fast and deadly. Peter, Eric and Joe outdid themselves on this one!

More on the Cluny Exhibit:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Exposition-LEp%...22?sk=wall

Not only can you see the original of this sword at this great exhibit, but the originals of the Svante, Turin and Valkyrja as well.

Best,

Howy

Very, very pretty! I really appreciate seeing a sword so faithfully made from the original. Well done to everyone involved. It's a beauty!

Yes! That's perfect.

Beautiful longsword, well done everyone!

Hooray! Don't you just love stitching the chappe? :lol:

That is a truly beautiful sword!

Looks like I found my next longsword purchase...now I just have to save enough money for it. Fantastic project and great design guys!

WOW! Is that sword light or what!?! It's really very beautiful. Great job fellas!

What an extraordinarily beautiful sword! I have a feeling from the swords appearance, weight, and description that this is one of the sweetest, if not the sweetest, handling longswords produced by Albion. It looks like it is amazingly agile and lively, and at the same time, it is elegant and deadly. The guard shares the understated geometric beauty that many of the finest medieval swords possess, and I really like the rain guard, which for me is one of the distinctive characteristics that I associate with 15th C swords. The waisted grip and the leather wrap looks like they're perfect for the hands, and the metalwork on the disk pommel is very aesthetically appealing. All in all, a marvelous piece!

Looks awesome. I really like the detail work on the pommel.

There goes more of my money :eek:

Just got off the phone with Mike earlier...

That is one beautiful sword, if I say so myself. So elegant looking, with wonderful lines and details so extraordinary. Albion has outdone themselves once more. Congratulations to Albion. I truly hope to have the privilege to one day enjoy this sword in person.

Great-looking, light (2.5 lbs!), and fast - a worthy addition to the Museum Line.

Brian, I'd like to see the scabbard you could make for this sword.

Oh well, looks like Christmas 2011 is covered for me. Really wonderful Howie. My congratulations to the whole team i this one. I think I like it more then the Brescia, and that's saying a lot. Good job guys!!!! :D

Wow! Between this one, the Munich, and more custom offerings of late 15th/early 16th swords of late (like A&A's recent Kolnishces Museum piece), we're now very spoilt for choice.

And hooray! A production sword with a chappe .... given the reserach on the martial applications by Roland and others, and the research into their prominence in period art by Sean and others, any sword of this period without a chappe now seems 'naked' to me ...

And I'm now on a personal quest to have scabbard makers offer chappes as a standard choice - Russ is on board, and Brian has an Earl and Munich in the waiting! I hope to work on Tod next! :)

I'm wondering, though, whether a production sword supplied with a chappe might make commissioning scabbards slightly tricky, given the chicken-and-egg design processs that goes into making scabbard mouths and chappes fit together ... I'd be interested to hear what Sean and Russ have to say about this, based on their experience.

Not that that's an impediment, though. As Chris said:

Chris Artman wrote:

There goes more of my money :eek:

It is indeed a very nice sword :)


As for the exhibit, well, it's not too bad either ;).........

Hello all!

Thank you for your responses and kind words.

There is perhaps no need for me to say that I am very exited to see this sword in production as a Museum Line sword...
As I write this I am getting prepared for this year´s knife maker show in Solingen. Last touch up and secure packing of two swords and a dagger. Leaving early tomorrow morning. Always seems to forget something...?
(What is it this time?)

It has been an eventful beginning of the year. On of the really exiting projects has been the development of the Cluny long sword.
It is a lovely sword. I have done my best to describe it in the text that presents it on the Albion page. If you have any further questions about details in shape or handling, please feel free to bring them up here. I shall do my best to answer when I return home from Solingen on Tuesday next week.

One thing that made this project unusually interesting is the open and welcoming attitude we were rewarded from the Museum. Since we were allowed access to the original, not only at my initial documentation, but also during a return visit, it was possible to double check the waxes against the original, side by side.
The waxes has to be made a few percent larger than the actual size to allow for shrinkage in the casting process.
Seeing the carved waxes next to the original, I could make notes of how my hand carved prototypes matched the shape and character of the original guard and pommel.
This resulted in a completely new pommel being made as I got home... <:-)

Below you can see some close ups of the wax guard alongside the original. Note that this is before some minor adjustments in shape.

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The file work is extremely well made on the original.

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It was a challenge to get as close as possible without loosing the vitality of the lines.

Peter-

The crispness and character of the antique sword even in its antique condition is stellar to see. This sword along with the version that Albion and you have made is a welcome site for me, too.

Please let me tell you that it's these types of projects, and the tiny bit of a peek that we outsiders get into them, that creates excitement and interest in the subject matter of arms and armour as a whole. Indeed, it's the willingness to share that has caused a greater appreciation for the subject. From all that I've read and seen, the collection at the Cluny has some beautiful pieces within it and knowing that they have a culture of sharing makes me even more drawn to it. When I am able to travel again, I will be certain to spend time there.

Cheers

Please stop, I have a mortgage to pay off.

It is incredible that a sword of such proportion is only 2.5 lb's. I note that the blade profile is quite narrow, how thick is the spine at the base?

All aspects of this look fantastic, I especially like the location and detail of the chord risers, they give the grip very appealing proportions.

Based on the description of the damage the original sword was exhibiting it sounds like someone probably lost a hand and a fight using it.

Peter any chance of posting pictures of your Solingen swords?

Crap...this is one I was actually hoping would not become a excellent reproduction sword! Its great that its being made but I liked it being something that was nearly unattainable. Talk about conflicted now since this reproduction looks great! At least the price of admission is suitable. :wtf:

If that ridged gilded delight from the Cluny shows up next I'll probably not know what to do!

Definitely picked the right line for this one too...and in that line...really a nice price overall.