Sneak Preview - The Vigil -- myArmoury.com

Howard Waddell · Industry Professional

This is going to be a cutting machine and has jumped to the top of my favorites list.

Scheduled to be released in the next few months, we are taking advance reservations at a special price of $900 until March 31, 2009.

see more about the Vigil here:

http://www.albion-swords.com/swords/albion/ne...igil-x.htm

Best,

Howy

Mike Arledge · Posted: Wed 25 Feb, 2009 8:18 am Post subject:

Wow, a very lovely piece, being as my birthday is Mar 31, perhaps I can convince the wife to let me pull the trigger!

Gerald Jones · Posted: Wed 25 Feb, 2009 8:52 am Post subject:

A fine looking piece. Looks like another classic sword in the making from Albion.

Tim Lison · Posted: Wed 25 Feb, 2009 9:13 am Post subject:

Looks really nice. I noticed that the diamond wrap similar to the Chevalier is available for this one. This sword would look great with that grip!

Paul Watson · Posted: Wed 25 Feb, 2009 10:34 am Post subject:

Yet another single hander that is trying to tempt me away from buying the Baron next. I am suprised it is so light with such a close pob given the blades width.

Roger Hooper · Posted: Wed 25 Feb, 2009 11:43 am Post subject:

It looks very good, but I wish that, instead of another type X, Albion had come up with an unrepresented Oakeshott type, like a XIII or an XIa.

Brian K. · Industry Professional

Wow!

I say again, wow!

Another one I'm seriously considering at that price!

Ed Toton · Posted: Wed 25 Feb, 2009 12:24 pm Post subject:

Wow, very nice! If I didn't already have the Knight, this one would probably end up high on my list.

Jeremiah Swanger · Posted: Wed 25 Feb, 2009 1:27 pm Post subject:

Paul Watson · Posted: Wed 25 Feb, 2009 2:00 pm Post subject:

Scott Kowalski · Posted: Wed 25 Feb, 2009 4:13 pm Post subject:

That is one great looking sword. It is great to see some new models coming out.

I would love to get it but I promised myself my next sword would be a custom. I do have to agree with Roger though. I wish Albion would come out with either an XIa or XIIIb would suit my taste more so than a XIII. Same blade just a shorter grip would work for me.

Scott

Addison C. de Lisle · Posted: Wed 25 Feb, 2009 6:50 pm Post subject:

Wow, that is a great looking sword!

I am curious as to how it will compare to the Sovereign for 1.33 sword and buckler? Is it too cut-oriented? Although I suppose the Sovereign is pretty cut-oriented as well with its wide blade, but it looks like it has a bit more of a point than the Vigil...

My dilemna is that I want a sword that is good for 1.33, and I really like the double fullers. However, I am attracted to the Vigil because it is larger than the Sovereign, which seems small to me (as I am 6' 4" ).

Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

Patrick De Block · Posted: Wed 25 Feb, 2009 9:59 pm Post subject:

For aficionados of the European sword, this weapon is instantly recognizable. The design is the result of a hands-on study of a famous and much admired sword in a world renown collection.

Since I'm rather new on this forum, I don't recognize it. Could you please enlighten me? Thank you.

Bill Grandy · myArmoury Team

Tim Lison · Posted: Wed 25 Feb, 2009 11:12 pm Post subject:

Herbert Schmidt · Posted: Thu 26 Feb, 2009 12:34 am Post subject:

M. Eversberg II · Posted: Thu 26 Feb, 2009 12:53 am Post subject:

I.33 is cut oriented.

M.

Peter Johnsson · Industry Professional

Hey Guys,

Thank you for all the positive response.
I am personally happy and exited to see this sword come close to fruition: it holds a special place in my heart. I hope that it will get a chance to reach you and perhaps influence your understanding of the sword in the way it has influenced me.

In the text on Albion´s site, I´ve tried to do more than just describe the facts. It is always tricky to describe handling, heft and performance over the internet. Whatever I write will be understood from the perspective of the one reading.
The text I wrote might perhaps come across as some kind of hype. I did allow myself some poetic leeway in describing the feel, but only to inspire associations and bring an intuitive understanding of what it feels like. I did not wander away from what I think is critical and to the point in its character. I wanted to bring across something of the inspiration this sword sparks in me.

This sword would work well in sword and buckler techniques, I think. It is very agile, despite being cut oriented. Being longer in the blade and having a broader point, it will not be as quick in the point as, say, the Poitiers. I is slightly less quick than the Sovereign, but that is a direct result of the Vigil making the best use of the edge, while the Sovereign relies more on the point: these two swords are borne from two different ideas about the sword, so a direct comparison will always have to take that into account. Both will cut and thrust, but they are made from different priorities.
The Vigil is quick and can turn on a dime, but it is more "out there" than a shorter more pointy blade. It want to move a bit further away from the body. You need more arm and less wrist in manouvering it, but you do not have to shift your body weight much to put it in motion. It will flow with your intention rather effortlessly. You can deliver attacks without signaling them with overlarge movements.
Compared to the Knight, the Vigil is "richer" in its feel. I think the Vigil offers more in both handling and performance, but that might be my personal feelings for this sword talking.

This sword has a rather special feel to it.
The "Oakeshott" is another sword with a very special feel. They are similar, in the way brothers can be, even if one is large and the other slim. The Vigil is the slightly more muscular brother to the Oakeshott. The blade of the Vigil is broad, but it is pretty thin for most of the length. It is therefore more agile that one one might think from seeing its profile. It retains a rather good stiffness as a result of the double fuller: a double fuller allows for three high spots, rather than merely two in the cross section. This increase stiffness, at the price of a slightly lower amount of material removed by the fullers. The blade being rather thin, this is no problem in this case. To my mind this is an extremely well balanced design, taking into account many different opposing factors in the function of a sword and delivering on a high level in every aspect.
In some ways this blade is akin to later period broad blades: something you might find mounted in a Scottish basket hilt or continental military sword of the 17th C. It has that lithe, flexible and acute quickness about it. Even without a hilt and grip, the blade feels very manageable (always a good sign!).

I hope these ramblings help in forming an impression of this sword.
I am really looking forward to seeing the completed prototype.

Herbert Schmidt · Posted: Thu 26 Feb, 2009 1:59 am Post subject:

Peter, thank you for clarification. From what you wrote here, I can picture it a bit better. Besides you really made me curious about this sword. It sounds really interesting and promising! I am looking forward to it.

Regarding sword and buckler work: you want a fast, agile and easy manouverable sword for the I.33 work. But still it should have some authority in the cut and in the bind. Finding a good I.33 sword is extremely difficult - much more difficult than finding a good long sword. I had to wait for years until I got a perfect one.

Herbert

Patrick Kelly · Posted: Thu 26 Feb, 2009 2:13 am Post subject:

Ah, the Witham Sword from the British Museum. Big Grin

This is one of my all-time favorites and I'm glad to see it finally reach the design stage. I've tried to have it replicated by a couple of custom makers over the years with varying degrees of success, with Peters attention to detail and Albions commitment to getting it right I'm sure this one will meet my expectations.

I'll be making a call today.