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Harry J. Fletcher




Location: Lost in Texas
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PostPosted: Thu 10 Sep, 2009 8:34 pm    Post subject: New Albion Reeve         Reply with quote

History arrived on my doorstep this Tuesday. This is a new experience for me. I just received my first Albion sword and my last according to my wife! I know that many of you here probably have already owned Albions but I bet you felt every bit as thrilled I did when you got your first.

I choose the Albion Reeve because I wanted the closest replica to a 9th through 12th Century sword I could find. The blade is superb in handling and lightness while the grip is perfection with the brazil nut pommel allowing for a comfortable hammer grip which is a much more comfortable grip for me.

According to the folks at Albion, the Reeve is a very popular sword due to its match to the period and its brazil nut pommel. I also have a Tinker Pearce 9th Century Viking and the blades are very similar except that the Tinker Viking is more sharply pointed. The Viking handles better with the handshake grip and the guard is very narrow while that of the Reeve is very wide by comparison and handles better with the hammer grip. While the handling qualities are the same, the Tinker Viking has more of a modern look about it, like it was produced by modern production techniques which it undoubtedly was. The Albion though produced using modern techniques looks more historic. Were I pressed to use either of these swords for defense I would not feel disadvantaged but the Albion is aesthetically pleasing in eye and historical appeal.

I hope that my impression of these two swords is germane since I feel they are representative of approximately similar time periods.

To Study The Edge of History


Last edited by Harry J. Fletcher on Fri 11 Sep, 2009 5:02 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Jeremy V. Krause




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PostPosted: Fri 11 Sep, 2009 11:20 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Congratulations on you first Albion!

I also have a Reeve and like it very much. What grip color did you choose?

Jeremy
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Harry J. Fletcher




Location: Lost in Texas
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PostPosted: Fri 11 Sep, 2009 12:14 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I chose the Oxblood after Mike at Albion suggested that red might be too bright. I think it was good choice. Wink Wink Happy Happy
To Study The Edge of History


Last edited by Harry J. Fletcher on Fri 11 Sep, 2009 5:03 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Tim Lison




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PostPosted: Fri 11 Sep, 2009 12:34 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Congratulations Harry! I have often eyed the Reeve but have been torn between it and the Stamford which use the same blade. I'm sure you're pleased as can be with your purchase, I remember my first Albion and the rush I got the first time I swung it! Enjoy a terrific sword.
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Roger Hooper




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PostPosted: Fri 11 Sep, 2009 1:17 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I have a Reeve too. I think it has the best type A Brazil Nut pommel on the market. It is light, fast, and very sharp. It helps that it is one of the least expensive Albion NG swords.

Mine has campaign brown on the grip.
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Mark Hamilton





Joined: 23 Jul 2009

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PostPosted: Fri 11 Sep, 2009 1:39 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I love the Reeve too! I want to add a Brazil Nut pommel to my collection at some point, and am torn between it and the Gaddhjalt. I think the Reeve fits my interest period better though! Post some pics and show it off!
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Harry J. Fletcher




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PostPosted: Fri 11 Sep, 2009 5:07 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

The Gaddhjat is very good sword too but I wanted the shorter blade of the Reeve otherwise they are really very similar. Get both if you get your wife's approval or just sneak it past her.... Laughing Out Loud Laughing Out Loud Laughing Out Loud
To Study The Edge of History


Last edited by Harry J. Fletcher on Tue 15 Sep, 2009 9:34 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Scott Kowalski




Location: Oak Lawn, IL USA
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PostPosted: Fri 11 Sep, 2009 5:10 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Mark Hamilton wrote:
I love the Reeve too! I want to add a Brazil Nut pommel to my collection at some point, and am torn between it and the Gaddhjalt. I think the Reeve fits my interest period better though! Post some pics and show it off!


+1! I have been looking at both of these for a brazil nut pommeled addition to my collection. I am leaning more towards the Reeve because of it's width. I am a sucker for nice wide blades.

Harry,
I would also like to welcome you to the Albion fold. Though I must warn you, once you start buying them you will find yourself trying to figure out how to get more.

Scott

Chris Landwehr 10/10/49-1/1/09 My Mom
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Chris Lampe




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PostPosted: Sat 12 Sep, 2009 4:56 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Someday I'm going purchase an Albion and the Reeve is my first choice. However, having a house built isn't conducive to expensive hobbies. Sad
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Harry J. Fletcher




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PostPosted: Sat 12 Sep, 2009 8:53 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

And...neither are wives Chris! If you are having a house built, I assume are married. Go ahead, buy the Reeve, just don't tell your wife (for a while anyway.)
To Study The Edge of History
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J.D. Crawford




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PostPosted: Sun 13 Sep, 2009 5:26 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Careful Harry, some of those wives collect swords and read this site. Once after a grappling lesson I came home covered in bruises from an encounter with a woman who is much more skilled than I in European Medieval Martial Arts!

But the Reeve certainly is beautiful, I envy you.
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Patrick Kelly




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PostPosted: Sun 13 Sep, 2009 6:50 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I sold off my Reeve because it was a bit too small for me personally. That's not a condemnation of the sword itself though, it's a beautiful example of the type and a nimble butcher knife of a sword. Even though I sold it to fund another project I still miss having it as an example in my collection.
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Scott Kowalski




Location: Oak Lawn, IL USA
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PostPosted: Sun 13 Sep, 2009 7:04 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Patrick Kelly wrote:
I sold off my Reeve because it was a bit too small for me personally. That's not a condemnation of the sword itself though, it's a beautiful example of the type and a nimble butcher knife of a sword. Even though I sold it to fund another project I still miss having it as an example in my collection.


I am curious what you found to be to small Patrick. Was it the overall size of the Reeve or it's grip?

Scott

Chris Landwehr 10/10/49-1/1/09 My Mom
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Chris Lampe




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PostPosted: Sun 13 Sep, 2009 2:48 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Harry J. Fletcher wrote:
And...neither are wives Chris! If you are having a house built, I assume are married. Go ahead, buy the Reeve, just don't tell your wife (for a while anyway.)


I'm quite sure she would find out! LOL

Actually, she wouldn't make too much of a fuss if I really wanted to purchase it now instead of waiting because she knows how long I've been talking about it. But, right now it would pretty much take an announcement from Albion that they were nearing the 100 sword limit mark to make me take the plunge.
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James Holczer




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PostPosted: Mon 14 Sep, 2009 7:58 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Patrick Kelly wrote:
I sold off my Reeve because it was a bit too small for me personally. That's not a condemnation of the sword itself though, it's a beautiful example of the type and a nimble butcher knife of a sword. Even though I sold it to fund another project I still miss having it as an example in my collection.


Wow, that’s a shocker, the reeve seemed to fit extremely well with that exceptional Norman persona and kit you obviously painstakingly developed.

But I can see your point. I have a Stamford and blades of that length can seem some what small for those of us 6’ and over. I know that overall length of a sword and the physical height of the user has a functional correlation with some historical fencing disciplines such as in Italian rapier but I’m not sure it has as great an impact on earlier forms of swordsmanship. But I suppose in cases such as this it boils down to personal taste.
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R D Moore




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PostPosted: Mon 14 Sep, 2009 9:38 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Or if you happen to have hands like Joe Palooka.
http://www.toonopedia.com/palooka.htm

"No man is entitled to the blessings of freedom unless he be vigilant in its preservation" ...Gen. Douglas Macarthur
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Harry J. Fletcher




Location: Lost in Texas
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PostPosted: Tue 15 Sep, 2009 9:30 pm    Post subject: Each To His Own...Patrick to His and The Reeve to Mine         Reply with quote

Personally, I have always thought of medieval swords as "smash 'em, slash 'em, and bash 'em"
types but the Reeve as Patrick says is really quite nimble. Not a fencing rapier but very nimble for its size. Not having handled one before, it was a most pleasant surprise when I wielded it. All the swords I have ordered from Valiant and windlass have been on the heavy side of "bash 'em and smash 'em." with the exception of the Tinker Pearce Viking from Hanwei. For me I think that it handles even better than the Tinker Viking due to the grip and the handling qualities it gives me. I can appreciate the brazil nut pommel even more now for its function which allows me to change the grip and thus allows more control of the blade.

The Reeve for me is not even a "hack 'em and sack 'em" but more of a " cleave 'em and leave 'em" type of sword with finesse. Big Grin Big Grin Big Grin Big Grin Cool Cool

To Study The Edge of History
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