Looking to get an "entry level" Viking sword, and I am having some trouble deciding in between the two. I want a sharp sword - and I know the Albion is not necessarily designed around a sharp edge but can be sharpened - so should I opt for the Kris Cutlery? On the other hand, I find the Albion more aesthetically pleasing, and I understand it is more historically accurate...the kris cutlery also comes with a leather sheath, although it's not the nicest, it's better than nothing. So, opinions?

Joshua P. < The Albion Type H Wins hands down in my book !


Jens Butler

I don't really know anything about Kris Cutlery but I know that Albion's Squire Line is excellent. I think that especially if you pay for them to sharpen it (I think it's only $25 extra), it will probably be sharp enough for most purposes. The Squire Line is attractive, quite historically accurate, and really durable.

Max

Go for Albion, what you will get is a Petersen type H hilt, Oakeshott type X blade and Geibig 4 blade in a nice combination,
and i belive Peter have design it after this sword (see pic) + history in your hand. :cool:

[ Linked Image ]

I actually think the Kris Cutlery one is awesome. I have owned both. The Kris Cutlery piece is an heck of a cutter, has a two piece pommel, and handles pretty well. Both are good choices, but my vote goes to the KC Viking. Save some money, get a scabbard as well.

Can't comment on the KC, but I was very impressed with the Squire line, looked and felt better than I imagined it would. Nice sword.

I've also been curious about the Kris Cutlery Viking. As Mike Arledge noted, it has a two piece pommel, and that is an historic feature that interests me. However, I wonder about the historic accuracy, or lack thereof, regarding other aspects of the Kris Cutlery offering. Can anyone else comment on that?

The scabbard obviously leaves a lot to be desired, but it is probably useful for transport.

Here is a mini review I did on SFI:
http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.php?t...ery+viking

Weight: 2 lbs 14.8 ounces
Total Length: 37 inches
Blade length: 30 and 5/8 inches
Hilt Length: 6 and 3/8 inches
Blade Width at hilt: 1 and 7/8 inches
Blade Width at COP: 1 and ¾ inches
POB: approx. 6 inches from hilt
COP: approx. 21 inches from hilt

This sword is a pretty solid and nice representation of a Viking blade. In appearance it closely resembles a Peterson Type H, although proportionally that is likely a loose terminology. Kris Cutlery advertises the piece as:

"Early Viking sword styles first appeared around 700-800 A.D. in the Denmark-Norway area. The blade has a wide fuller that extends near the tip making the sword light enough for one hand use. Flexible and durable, the blade was hardened and tempered properly. A mark is stamped near the base of the blade. It has a two piece blackened iron guard and a wooden grip wrapped in thick brown leather stitched on one side. The blackened two piece iron pommel is attached to the tang."

My first impressions upon handling the sword were that it was a heavy piece, and this was confirmed when I weighed it at nearly 3 lbs. But that was not to mean that the sword was poorly balanced or difficult to wield, merely that it was heavy. After several weeks of taking it through both dry and cutting exercises, I feel much more comfortable handling the sword, and find it to be fairly quick and responsive. Using a ham fisted grip and wrist techniques, the blade does control well for its weight. Appearance wise, the blade is very well polished, and the blackened guard and pommel are very attractive when matched with the dark red leather of the handle. All of the hilt pieces are tight and show no movement. The sword shipped standard KC sharp. Another thing I noticed was the stiffness of the blade. Compared to the other Viking blades I have owned I felt this blade was stiffer than the others. It was actually fairly difficult to find the COP from the smack to the pommel method. I was interested to see how this affected cutting. To my surprise, this sword cuts like a dream for such a stiff blade. I don’t know if it has a better edge than other swords I have owned, or if it is the mass behind the blade, but I feel this sword cuts extremely well. When loosely comparing it to the Albion Norman I recently owned, it cuts soft targets better.

After studying Viking blades further, and trying to discover how the tang fir into the pommel, I believe I am correct in confirming that the pommel is indeed of two piece construction (see photos). Further, the tang appears to be pretty beefy. Having owned a Kris Cutlery Gladius in the past, I fully expected this sword to be solid and tough. Its construction seems very solid, and it is quite frankly incredible that Kris Cutlery is selling a Viking sword with the two piece pommel construction for this price.

The leather grip is very comfortable and I have experienced excellent traction in all of my handling of this sword. However, aesthetically, I do wish that the stitching had been a bit less obtrusive.

Overall, I am becoming more and more pleased with this purchase. I think it is a terrific cutter, and an attractive sword. I do wish that it came with a nicer scabbard though, but for the price, I think it will be cost effective to commission a more period correct scabbard. It is still a heavy sword for its size, and that ought to be a consideration of anyone purchasing this sword for cutting/training purposes.

If anyone wants any more measurements or info, just post what you want to know.

Hm, is that dark finish gun blue? It kindof looks like it...That's the only part I don't like, I suppose it wouldn't be very difficult to remove.

I don't like the diamond section tip of the KC, as it isn't historical. Even with that, it may be a good value for the money. Kris Cutlery blades have a good reputation for durability, though no one talks about them much anymore.

Well, I ended up with an albion - but not the squire line one. A first generation Gaddhjalt :)