[Austin D.G. Hill]

does anyone have a favorite type XII they have handled?

i have only ever handled a valiant armory practical 303s,it seemed to be a good style. that was a few years ago.

[Jonathon Janusz]

You might laugh, but one sword that twenty years from now I may end up kicking myself for selling is an Albion squire line knightly I (now) used to own. As a testament to the very fine details that only come with hand finished items, I can't tell you how many different Albion type XII swords I've had in hand, or how many examples of this exact sword I've picked up and swung around, but somehow the final grind on the one I had was both unique (I haven't yet held another one that felt quite like it in hand - either next gen or squire line) and just plain "right" to me.

Normally, the type XII hasn't been around my specific areas of focus historically, but I'll say that that specific sword was one of the last to go as I've been cleaning out the house. I sent it to a good and loving home, but it will be missed, no matter how completely pointless it was for me to have it at all. . .

[J.D. Crawford]

That's a tough one to answer because this is one of the more variable types. I have owned and liked ones that range from light and lively to big beasts, and liked them all. But for most people an Albion knight/caithness/laird would hit the sweet spot.

Since you are 'almost 16' (just read your other post) I'm going to also reccomend the Squire line sword - less expensive and blunt is probably a good idea until you learn to be cautious like us old farts. The reason we are cautious is that all those things that only happen to other people eventually happen to you. So I practiced with blunts for years before daring to use sharps.

http://www.albion-swords.com/swords/albion/sq...ightly.htm

[Austin D.G. Hill]

yeah, i only have 1 sharp sword that i NEVER cut stuff with.

[Austin D.G. Hill]

an XII that i have been drooling over for a long time has been the Angus Trim XII.5
it looks awesome!!!!!!!!

[Eric G.]

You might want to try asking shootermike/Mike Harris. I seem to remember him saying that the XII are his favorite type.

Since you mentioned one of Gus's swords, I will mention the XII.1 that Tried and True currently sells. That's one is at the top of my list for upcoming purchases. You can find Mike's review at this link. http://sbgswordforum.proboards.com/index.cgi?...e=1#233105

From the pictures, the cross section looks hexagonal. I'm not aware of any XII's with a hexagonal cross-section, so it might not be as historically accurate as the Albion models that have been mentioned. Still, the swords that Gus makes are known for their superb handling, and the price isn't too bad either.

I'm excited to see what you choose. Make sure and let us know when you get it.

[Nathan Robinson]

[Jeremy V. Krause]

As far as type XII's, I have only handled the Albion Knight and it is my favorite type XII of course. It is an extremely lively sword with just the right amount of punch with an amazing amount of maneuverability.

I own an Albion Solingen but this is more of a type XIV in my opinion though some may call it a type XII.

I would own a Knight if I didn't already own a Solingen which is from the same era.

I really, really like this sword.

[JE Sarge]

Actually, I agree with Jonathan. The most lively Type XII have have personally owned was an Albion Squire Knightly. The sword feels wonderful in the hand, the only thing I would change about it would be to give it a nicer Type J or K pommel - like they did when they reworked their Squire Great Sword. It might be on the aesthetically meh side, but the thing cuts awesomely - and it's my favorite Type XII.

Now, for my favorite Type XIIa - that is a bit of a different story, but it's not the topic here so I will refrain from *cough cough Angus Trim cough* discussing it in this thread.