[Michael Edelson]

While updating my Earl review, I thought I'd also let people know how the Albion Talhoffer fared against tatami mats.

As with the Earl, I will break the results down into three categories; feel, results, and durability.


Feel
-----
I did not expect the Talhoffer to fare well at all. It is, after all, a type XV with a very narrow profile and a thick edge. The design is always described as a cut/thrust compromise leaning strongly towards the thrust. It is also not particularly sharp.

I was quite hesitant to try cutting a full mat target with it, as I was afraid to damage (bend) the sword after failing the cut. I was therefore extremely surprised at how good this sword felt cutting tatami. It offered less resitance than the Earl (it is thinner and not hollow ground), but I cannot honestly compare the two as my clearest impression of cutting with the Talhoffer was shock at how good it was despite my expectations.

I have no idea why a type XV should cut tatami so well, but it does. It also feels great doing it. This sword has what I would consider the perfect hilt…there is not a part of it that I don’t like…the pommel is perfect and can be gripped a variety of ways, the handle is just long enough and thick enough to control the sword and the shape of the grip allows for precise edge alignment.




Results
---------
Like the Earl, the Talhoffer cut cleanly and without the slightest damage to itself or even scratches in the finish. Also like the Earl, it did not lose edge sharpness to any noticeable or measurable degree. There was also very little flex (post cut video analysis), except on botched cuts (see below).



Durability
-------------

I made about 40 cuts in total, about 10 with the Talhoffer, and I botched 1 of those. The botched cut had good edge alignment and a lot of power but insufficient speed to finish the cut (exactly like the botched Earl cuts...my left oberhau needs a lot of work). In video analysis, the botched cut forced the Earl to flex a little more than 30 degrees, and the sword returned completely to true.

There was no damage of any kind to the Talhoffer, despite the one botched cut.



Conclusion
------------
Prior to tatami, I cut a variety of media with the Talhoffer. Stiff plastic bottles (which it hates to cut), milk juks (it liked those), pool noodles (pretty good) and soft wood (liked that too). Overall, I would have said the Talhoffer is not a good cutter, as it was much harder to cut those items with it than any of my Angus Trim swords (which slice through those things like the proverbial hot knife). However, after seeing its performance on tatami, a target much closer to what the sword was designed for, I would have to say that the Talhoffer is in fact a very good cutting sword. Having learned from this experience, I would caution people away from drawing conclusions about swords based on cutting items the swords were not designed to cut.

[Nathan Robinson]

I've very much enjoyed watching the progression of your understanding of these tools as well as the broadening of your views on the subject. I'm sure that it's served as both a learning experience for those of us reading it as well as a reinforcement to things we've also learned in our own experiences. Thank you for sharing this with us.

Regarding the Type XV and its ability as a cutter: I've been speaking of this for years and specifically described my own surprise regarding the Arms & Armor Black Prince sword. That sword was the first to change my entire understanding of the "aggressively tapered pointy swords". They are much sturdier and more powerful than their profile taper would often indicate.

[Nicholas Zeman]

I think some of the prejudice against the XV and XVA cutting abilities can be directly related to both the visual profile and the advent of cutting soft targets like pool noodles and plastic water bottles. My Mercenary (Albion type XVa) doesn't cut these soft targets very well, but my Atrim slices them up like nothing. A close glance at the edge will reveal the difference; the Atrim has a much thinner profile (DN1506) and a sharper edge, so it cuts through these soft targets a lot better (I believe the edge is more roughened as well, which helps with the bite in these soft materials). I have yet to try my Merc at harder materials, but I am feeling better after reading this review!

[Patrick Kelly]

[Ed Toton]

This probably isn't the best place to ask it, but is there a good source of tatami mats that you could recommend. I recently acquired my Albion Talhoffer, and am looking forward to attempting some similar cuts with it. I've done very little cutting with my sharps so far, and was curious about how the Talhoffer might perform. Thanks very much for the write-up!

[Chad Arnow]

[Jean Henri Chandler]

[Angus Trim]

[quote="Jean Henri Chandler"]

[Paul Watson]

[Michael Edelson]

Thanks for all the positive responses, guys. When a sword I really like performs well, it's a good feeling, and I like to be able to pass that feeling along to others.

[Allen W]

How sensitive was the Talhofer (or Earl for that matter) to point of impact along its length? How were tip cuts?

[Michael Edelson]

I didn't notice much difference (except as noted below) when varying the point of impact when cutting with either sword, but then I wasn't paying particular attention. I suppose that had there been a lot of difference, I would have noticed it whether I was paying attention or not. I only know that the point of impact varied by about a foot because of the trail of tatami "gunk" on the blade.

I didn't try tip cuts with either sword, though I did cut close to the tip a few times. Such cuts did feel different than the rest...more vibration was felt when the sword struck the mat, and the cut did not feel as clean.

[S. Clare]

I wonder how the Albion Agincourt might compare with the Talhofer in these cutting exercises, given that the blade is the same type. Anyone have any experience with that one in cutting tatami mats? I am also interested in the Crecy's performance on mats - I suspect it would be a better cutter, but I would like to hear of the experience of others in that regard.

Cheers,

[Jean Henri Chandler]

[Chad Arnow]

[Peter Johnsson]

[Randal Graham]

Well said Peter... and now I feel no desire to reply, as it would be redundant...

:0)

[Michael Edelson]

Thanks Peter,

I'm as guilty of cutting bias as anyone, though I do peform thrusting tests with my swords, particularly the XV and XVIIIs. I've been fortunate enough to have gotten my hands on some of the best mail available for these tests and some of these tests are described above.

Of course, when it comes time to take photographs and post them, I only put up the tatami cutting. So yes, guilty as charged, but I'll try to do better.

Despite my love of cutting, however, I am in love with slender swords with awl like points...XVs and the more slender XVIIIs appeal to me more than any other sword types. There's something about them...

[Travis Canaday]

[Travis Canaday]

Not Danzig, but Dobringer...

From Christian Tolber's "Fighting":

"...the Oberhau and the Unterhau from both sides. These are the main strokes and the foundation of all other strokes, which in their cause and fundamentals come from the point of the sword, which is the kernel and center of all techniques."