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Marc Ridgeway
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 Posted: Thu 15 Oct, 2009 1:03 pm Post subject: Any Thoughts on the Albion Earl? |
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Anyone own one of these beauties?
I am shopping for a sword... and am thinking about this sword... I like the looks of it... and it would be my first hollowground sword... but for the money... well I'm thinking Tinker or Lundemo maybe...
Help me out anyone and everyone.... what are your thoughts on this blade?
Feel free to PM if youd rather comment discretely...
Thanks...
Marc Kaden Ridgeway
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Chad Arnow
myArmoury Team
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Joe Fults
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| Posted: Thu 15 Oct, 2009 3:15 pm Post subject: |
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Wait for a sale if the price is too rich or wait for one in the classifieds. But just get the Earl if its the type of blade and furniture that you want. It is a brilliantly executed sword and it won't disappoint.
"The goal shouldn’t be to avoid being evil; it should be to actively do good." - Danah Boyd
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Marc Ridgeway
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| Posted: Sun 18 Oct, 2009 7:34 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the advice guys... I have been hankering for an Earl for a while... hankering for a Lundemo as well.
I guess I'll try to wait for a 25% off sale...
Marc Kaden Ridgeway
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Michael Edelson
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| Posted: Sun 18 Oct, 2009 9:19 pm Post subject: |
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I love the Earl. It is a powerful, robust war sword that can cut fairly well and is stiff as hell. It strikes with authority but isn't as fast as a Brescia or a Talhoffer. Not that it's heavy...it's just not balanced for agility like the Talhoffer, though they weigh about the same.
The Earl is one of the three favorite Albions. It's worth every penny they ask for it, and I wouldn't trade mine for anything.
New York Historical Fencing Association
www.newyorklongsword.com
Byakkokan Dojo
http://newyorkbattodo.com/
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Joe Fults
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| Posted: Sun 18 Oct, 2009 9:22 pm Post subject: |
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And the other two are (for the sake of off topic curiosity)?
"The goal shouldn’t be to avoid being evil; it should be to actively do good." - Danah Boyd
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Bryce Felperin
Location: San Jose, CA Joined: 16 Feb 2006
Posts: 552
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| Posted: Mon 19 Oct, 2009 10:41 am Post subject: |
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| Joe Fults wrote: | | Wait for a sale if the price is too rich or wait for one in the classifieds. But just get the Earl if its the type of blade and furniture that you want. It is a brilliantly executed sword and it won't disappoint. |
Have to second this since I just got one. One of the best longswords by Albion with great handling and very good balance, weight and presence in the cut. It is also one of the most beautiful swords I have ever owned. You will get a great buy for the money and never be disapointed.
Once you get it, get a good scabbard to go with it!
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Blaz Berlec
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Marc Ridgeway
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| Posted: Wed 11 Nov, 2009 3:32 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for all the input guys... I will definitely be getting one of these one day... in the mean time I have ordered a sword from John Lundemo....
When Albion has these on sell for 25% again..... then I will strike !! Or perhaps a good classifieds find....
Meanwhlle.... really looking forward to my Odinblade...
Marc Kaden Ridgeway
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Addison C. de Lisle
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| Posted: Wed 11 Nov, 2009 7:09 pm Post subject: |
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Wow, I had no idea the Earl had so much detail in the hilt. Your pictures really picked it up very well!
My only criticism of Albion is that the pictures on their site really do not do their swords justice; the picture on their site only hints at the level of detail your photos reveal. Some of the newer pictures are better, but a lot of the older ones aren't very good.
Considering the price point Albion fills, and the fact that I would guess most of their purchases are online, I am surprised they don't invest in better photography.
www.addisondelisle.com
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Jean Thibodeau
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| Posted: Wed 11 Nov, 2009 7:40 pm Post subject: |
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| Addison C. de Lisle wrote: | Wow, I had no idea the Earl had so much detail in the hilt. Your pictures really picked it up very well!
My only criticism of Albion is that the pictures on their site really do not do their swords justice; the picture on their site only hints at the level of detail your photos reveal. Some of the newer pictures are better, but a lot of the older ones aren't very good.
Considering the price point Albion fills, and the fact that I would guess most of their purchases are online, I am surprised they don't invest in better photography. |
Yeah, I noticed this also as review pics here on myArmoury usually give a better idea of the details and subtleties in the Albion swords.
I personally think that not spending money to get the best quality photography by a very skilled photographer is a false and counterproductive economy in the
" penny wise, pound foolish " way. ( I guess this expression is British in origin and " pound " meaning the currency and not a measure of weight ).
This issue has been discussed before in older Topics and not just directed at Albion that high quality photography actually sell product: I know that some swords that didn't particularly appeal to me, based on uninspiring photography on a site, became a purchase " AFTER " someone posted better pics in a Topic about their sword purchase or better pics appeared here in a review.
Now to not hurt the feelings of whoever took the pics at Albion, they are not that bad but for marketing purposes they should be as good as possible and professionally photographed with the best product lighting set-up: Good photography is not so much what one does with the camera as it is how one lights the object otherwise any well framed and in focus shot would be sufficient.
Got to agree that the pic of the Earl's hilt make me regret not buying one before and regret that I can't buy it right now unless the Stock Market goes way WAY up ....... This plus the fact that my budget for toys is already spoken for in the short term, but the Earl is certainly going to be one I will consider getting eventually.
You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
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Bryce Felperin
Location: San Jose, CA Joined: 16 Feb 2006
Posts: 552
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| Posted: Thu 12 Nov, 2009 9:43 am Post subject: |
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One thing about the Earl that can't be portrayed by any website picture is the sheer joy in handling one. It easily is the best handling production sword of its type (type XVIII longswords) that I have ever had the pleasure of handling. The next best would the Arms and Armor Durer or the Hanwei/Tinker longsword. However the Earl in my opinion is the best. I am so happy that I purchased one that words can not describe it fully. :-)
It helps a lot also that it looks so cool too though. ;-)
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Paul Watson
Location: Upper Hutt, New Zealand Joined: 08 Feb 2006
Posts: 395
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| Posted: Thu 12 Nov, 2009 9:50 am Post subject: |
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Bryce (and any others) how does the Earl compare to the Regent? Are they similar or does the differing furniture have a major effect on handling?
I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, but that which it protects. (Faramir, The Two Towers)
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Chad Arnow
myArmoury Team
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| Posted: Thu 12 Nov, 2009 9:57 am Post subject: |
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| Paul Watson wrote: | | Bryce (and any others) how does the Earl compare to the Regent? Are they similar or does the differing furniture have a major effect on handling? |
I've cut with both, but not back to back and not for the purposes of comparison. Both are a joy to cut wih. I prefer the Regent's looks, but that's personal preference.
ChadA
http://chadarnow.com/
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Michael Edelson
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| Posted: Thu 12 Nov, 2009 10:07 am Post subject: |
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| Paul Watson wrote: | | Bryce (and any others) how does the Earl compare to the Regent? Are they similar or does the differing furniture have a major effect on handling? |
There is a difference in dandling, but then I have the old blade on the Regent and the new one on the Earl, so that may account for some of it.
However the biggest difference is the handle. The Regent's handle is much thinner (doens't look like much of a difference, but you'd be surprised), which makes the sword awkward to handle, at least for me. I like to do solo drills with all of my longswords, and the Regent almost flew out of my hands once. As I practice in a concrete driveway, that would have been a disaster of epic proportions.
If I wear gloves, the Regent's handle goes from bad to great, even if the gloves are thin. Conversely, the facets of the Regent's handle make it easier to control edge alignment, both with and without gloves.
I am tempted to have someone redo the grip and glue some wood slats under the leather to make it beefier.
Which handle you will prefer is up to you, of course, but if you're the kind of person that likes a beefier grip, go for the Earl. If you prefer a thinner grip, go for the Regent. These swords have too much meat to control well if the handle doesn't work for you.
(I just noticed Joe's question above...my three favorite Albions are the Brescia, the Earl and the Talhoffer)
New York Historical Fencing Association
www.newyorklongsword.com
Byakkokan Dojo
http://newyorkbattodo.com/
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Chad Arnow
myArmoury Team
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| Posted: Thu 12 Nov, 2009 10:40 am Post subject: |
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| Michael Edelson wrote: |
However the biggest difference is the handle. The Regent's handle is much thinner (doens't look like much of a difference, but you'd be surprised), which makes the sword awkward to handle, at least for me. I like to do solo drills with all of my longswords, and the Regent almost flew out of my hands once. As I practice in a concrete driveway, that would have been a disaster of epic proportions.
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Michael,
Just to note, I've seen/held at least 3 different versions of grips on different Regents, depending on what era they were made in. Mine is the middle of the three I've seen. The most recent grip I saw was wider and thicker than mine. The earliest I saw was thinner than mine. Of the three, I prefer mine (fortunately).
ChadA
http://chadarnow.com/
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Blaz Berlec
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Michael Edelson
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| Posted: Thu 12 Nov, 2009 12:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Chad Arnow wrote: |
Michael,
Just to note, I've seen/held at least 3 different versions of grips on different Regents, depending on what era they were made in. Mine is the middle of the three I've seen. The most recent grip I saw was wider and thicker than mine. The earliest I saw was thinner than mine. Of the three, I prefer mine (fortunately). |
Curious. I've handled only two of them, not including mine, but they seemed similar.
Have you ever picked up Patrick Kelly's old Regent? If so, which variety of grip was that?
New York Historical Fencing Association
www.newyorklongsword.com
Byakkokan Dojo
http://newyorkbattodo.com/
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Paul Watson
Location: Upper Hutt, New Zealand Joined: 08 Feb 2006
Posts: 395
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| Posted: Thu 12 Nov, 2009 3:44 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for the replies Michael and Chad. The Regent I used to own was one of the 3pound 4 ounce versions. A lot lighter than stated on their site. The waisted grip definitely widened for both the top and bottom sections towards the middle riser. I once asked a question here about the faceted grip and the only comments I can recall getting were to do with style. I always thought there must have been some martial reason for the faceted grip, so thanks for pointing that out Michael.
I find it amazing to hear people say these robust XVIIb's aren't as quick as the XVb's, because in two hands the Regent seemed very quick to me, so the likes of the Talhoffer must be scary quick.
I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, but that which it protects. (Faramir, The Two Towers)
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Justin King
Industry Professional
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| Posted: Thu 12 Nov, 2009 5:18 pm Post subject: |
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I re-gripped my Regent and used a cord wrap to add some thickness before adding the leather over-wrap. I removed a bit of wood from the edges of the core to try to maintain the same overall width as the original. The added girth wasn't much but made a world of difference in feel and overall confidence in handling. Almost like a different sword entirely.
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