When I started collecting, one of the objectives I set for myself was diversity – both in terms of types and makers of swords. As my tastes (and budget) continue to evolve, I find myself gravitating towards a single maker: Albion. This is happening for two reasons – they keep making designs that I feel are appealing and their NextGen swords fall in price/aesthetic/quality niche that I’m looking to buy in. On the one hand, this is great – they have a fantastic reputation and wonderful customer service. Sometimes I wonder, am I doing a disservice to the sword industry I love by limiting my purchases to only one maker? Or does it matter?

Questions:

Should we, as collectors and practitioners, purchase swords from many different makers in an effort to maintain the health of our hobby?

Do we owe it to the long-term health of this market to spread our buying dollars around?

Can one fully appreciate the quality of a sword without owning one made by a different maker?

Does an informed comparison of a new sword require one to own swords from multiple makers? Also, do aesthetics/workmanship/quality comparisons require apples vs. apples comparisons, or are apples vs. oranges enough? For example, comparing one XIIa to another XIIa by another maker, or can one compare a XIIa to a XVIII from different makers?

This is not to say that I’m an Albion man for life. I’m going to have to purchase another baskethilt and a Scottish Dirk in the next 12-18 months and Albion makes neither of these products. The other thread on competition just got me thinking. Do we have a collective responsibility to help maintain the fragile makers that feed our habit? Also, for the integrity of our collections, are swords by multiple makers required?

--Steve

Personally, I think it's up to the manufacturers and the makers to provide the diversity that you are talking about, not the patrons.

"If you build it...""" you know how that one goes. It's very true I believe.

There is nothing stopping another company or even individual from putting out the same considerable time and effort as Albion has to raise quality, authenticity, and diversity of it's own offerings. But it's costly, financially and emotionally... I know only too well. Some other folks on the continent DO care that much, they are working towards it... but many don't. It's not the swords, or the craft they love. It's the money. And money ain't enough to make stuff like the Peter/Albion creations happen. Like the willingness not to make any for a long while, for example.
Some of the stuff folks are getting from Albion right now I have watched come to being over the last TWO YEARS...hours apon hours of reasearch and expierimentation, mistakes, re-trys, on and on. They'll never recoup a great deal of that time if money is the only yardstick by which all that effort gets measured.

But still, the people at Albion, Gus, A&A, myself and other individual makers CHOSE to do this gig. So it's up to us to create the product that's demanded by the customer base, to listen to what's wanted and try to go in that direction. It's not up to the patron at all, at least in my thinking.

anyway, that's what i think FWIW

Gee Stephen, you make us sound like the Sierra Club, or Green Peace :D

It's a business, nothing more nothing less. Spend your money wherever and however you choose.

When judging the quality of a sword, be it antique or modern creation it does help to have as great an exposure as possible to others of similar type.

Hi Stephen

I have to go along with Geoff in entirety.

Like Randal said, its not up to the consumer to keep the business' alive. If we can't do it well enough to attract enough coin, then we don't deserve to stay in business......

My guess is we'll all still be here next year though.......

I agree there is no obligation on the customer to try different vendors.

However it can really help build expereince, appreciation, and eye for detail. Perhaps not so well as seeing originals, but there is something to be said for sampling a variety of products before deciding to concentrate on one or a few.

What we are talking about here is the biggest bang for the buck. If we can't provide it here than it will be provided elsewhere. There will always be a small nich for well made custom American blades but what happens when the foreigners see a market for that and start to fill it? If there is money to be made they will find it !

Tom

Tom,

I'm not really sure I agree with your assessment . There is truth to what you say, but I'm optomistic that there will be room in the market for the forseeable future, especially based on some of the discussion in other threads here.

Besides there is probably much more money to be had at a higher margin serving the people buying from HSN and such.

One area tho that I feel merits some spare cash is the up and comming smith area. Normally when they are trying to make a name for themselves the prices are good and if the weapon is of good quality then a good review and lots of Piccies can really help them out and benifits us all.


Just a thaught

C