I just wanted to take a moment to give special thanks to Howy and the entire crew at Albion for my new Reeve.

I've had this sword at the top of my short list since it was first announced and finally, everything fell into place: Albion was having their recent Templar sale, I happened to have a little bit extra money on hand and a wife who was asking what I wanted for my birthday.

As always, Mike was a great help and made sure I got the correct grip color (Red, thanks Mike!).

This sword is special to me for several reasons. First among them, I was fortunate enough to serve with an outstanding platoon commander whose last name was "Reeve" while in the Marine Corps. He was a strong, smart leader and tactically, very sharp (No pun intended). Every time I think of this sword, it reminds me the strength of solid leadership and the dedication that being an exceptional warrior demands.

Second, I have a growing interest in Viking, Anglo-Saxon, and Norman arms.

Third... well, just look at it! :D

Thanks again to Howy and the Albion crew!

---

 Attachment: 45.28 KB



 Attachment: 42.63 KB



 Attachment: 26.91 KB

Gods, thats a beautiful fuller..

Congrats.

Congratulations Matt. I love mine, it makes short work of tatami mats.

Thanks for the kind words, Gents.

Patrick, I was eyeballing the many great pics of your Reeve during the looooong ;) wait for mine to arrive (I think it took maybe a week from order to delivery, big wait, huh?). I appreciate you sharing your pictures and impressions of the various swords you've had the opportunity to handle, including the Reeve. That information came in handy when it came time to choose between the Reeve and the other swords being offered.

Best,

Matt

Wow, I really like that one :D

There's something very cool about those type X's with wide fullers. I miss my Gotland for that very reason.

You just can't beat a well designed type A Brazil nut pommel.


This is a very popular sword. I bet it won't take too long before Albion ships the 100th and final Reeve.

Your Reeve looks great, Matt, it was one of the two swords I was hemming
and hawwing about -- which to choose ? and now I know I would have really
liked the Reeve as much as I like my new Templar. I'd have gotten the red
grip too -- I like that broad muscular blade, and the pommel gives it a great
deal of personality ... Good choice, Sir !!! B-)

Congrats Matt,
The Reeve is a super sweet sword. Having handled Patrick's, I can say that it is a fun one to swing around, and they do look very nice.
Now - you just need a scabbard to match up with such a pretty blade, ahemm <cough cough> :lol:

Thanks All!

Matthew,
It's possible that between our swords, Albion might have run out of red leather dye. :D
Nice choice with the Templar. For me, it was a matter of choosing between several including the Templar, Hospitaller and Senlac. As Roger mentioned, the count on the Reeve was also a factor and I knew I'd kick myself if I passed it up. I'm also interested to see how the Chevalier turns out.

Greg Griggs wrote:

Congrats Matt, The Reeve is a super sweet sword. Having handled Patrick's, I can say that it is a fun one to swing around, and they do look very nice. Now - you just need a scabbard to match up with such a pretty blade, ahemm <cough cough> :lol:

Careful now, Greg! That sounds an awful lot like an offer to commission one from you! I may just take you up on that! :D
I've seen the outstanding work you did for Patrick's Reeve and I'd consider myself very fortunate to get my paws on some of your work.

Well, Matt ... the MORE I look at your Reeve with the red grip the more I'm thinking of keeping
it at the top of my Albion list . The Templar I recently purchased has a blade that's not quite
as wide as The Reeve -- a trait I like about the latter as well as the Viking swords on Albion's
website.

Beautiful sword!!

I've been half-heartedly playing with the idea of purchasing an Albion if I can sell a few things. I had been considering the Thegn but would prefer a slightly longer blade. The Reeve was a sword I never even gave a second look until seeing your pictures. This led me to do some research and find out that the Reeve is basically a lengthened Thegn blade (per Peter Johnson in a thread here). Now my half-hearted playing has become serious consideration!! And to make things even worse, Craig over at A&A has just anounced the viking spear as the November highlight item!!

Thanks Chris,

Glad my poorly composed pictures did more good than harm!

I too find the Thegn a very interesting sword and either way, Reeve or Thegn, you couldn't go wrong. Please make sure to share some pics of what you end up with!

Matt-

Congrat's on the Reeve. The red color really stands out and looks fantastic. I agree that it is a very fun to swing sword. After handling one at the shop this summer, Harlan said he had one just in need of a grip. Sure enough I got myself a birthday gift later that week. :) I've only used mine on various produce and squash, but man does it leave an impression on you!