I have to agree with D. S. Smith about the Knight - if Albion did not make it, I would have commissioned it. That said, of my five medieval swords from Albion, the Oakeshott is the hardest to put down, it just feels so alive, and the combination of hollow grinding and the long fuller makes the blade stand out from the pack. Other people have mentioned the Sovereign, and I certainly like mine, but personally I would rather have either of the Knight or Oakeshott.

This exchange is exactly what I was hoping for when I posted the question, so thanks again. Every sword (and sword type) seems to have its advocate, and while that doesn't narrow down the field, I do feel I know more about what to consider simply from witnessing the advocacy.

That is indeed a great review of the Sheriff, JE Sarge, and I certainly am tempted by the XIVs. Your pictured Sovereign is simply gorgeous.

Aesthetically, though, I find the longer swords more appealing. And I suppose this prejudice toward the X / XII comes from the same place described by DS Smith, that is, simply a lifetime of picturing that type of sword in the hand of a knight, since childhood. I was drawn to that particular model simply because it seems like a "classic" iteration of this image; but that is not to say I'd necessarily prefer it to others of it's type. And in fact that's why I felt I needed help to narrow it down, and "handling" or feel was another important criterion that I couldn't judge from the pictures. I have heard others comment favorably on the Knight's handling, but it seems as though there's no obvious consensus.

P. Cha, I'm curious as to why the two XVIs are the obvious second to the XIVs in terms of aliveness-in-the-hand and not the other longer single-hand blade types. I quite like the aesthetics of those as well.

I have a Sovereign and love it. However, some people find it too short for their comfort level. I have cut with the Knight and love it. It's very responsive. I also reviewed the two XVI's for this site. They may be a little more nimble than the Sovereign, which doesn't mean either is better or worse. Since they are from different eras and are meant for different circumstances, they feel different. If I wanted another single-hander, they'd be high on the list.

Since we are on the subject, does anyone have any remarks on the Type XVIII and XIX blades?

I personally keep looking at the Machiavelli...

My Kingmaker scabbard is being finished now.
Ask me in a couple of weeks :)

As for the original question, I have to throw in my vote for the type XIVs. I have a Sovereign and a Yeoman. The yeoman is new and I think I actually like it better than the Sovereign

I’m only a spectator to this thread as l’m yet to own a single handed sword, however I’ve been keenly following as I’m very close to making the same decision myself.

I just want to through 2 swords out there as I’m surprised they didn’t get more notice in this thread, The Vigil and the Oakeshott.
http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=15953

sorry couldn’t find a good thread on the Oakeshott.

I know that both these swords and priced a bit above your favoured choice the Knight, but I’d love to see some discussion on them, for the record I’m close to ordering the knight myself ;)

Paul

Very interested in the Vigil, and the Oakeshott as well, as it is quite beautiful and spoken of so highly in this thread and others. Rather inconveniently (albeit fittingly) named, though, for searching purposes, as that particular combination and sequence of characters appears in every single bit of text of any kind written about any Western sword.

Having handled almost every single-handed sword Albion makes, I'd like to make a suggestion or two, or three.

My absolute favorite single-hander is the Chevalier. initially the pommel turned me off, but once acquired the pommel has grown on me and now I quite like it. Aesthetically, I love the guard and the blade is exquisite. As for performance, it's a wicked, nimble blade begging for action. It is a very lively blade, and I love the POB. In short, it's a perfectly balanced sword between fast, nimble and cutting.

(An alternative to the Chevalier would be the Oakshotte. While the guard is not as attractive to me, the same blade and balance is there and makes for a fine sword in itself.)

My second favorite is the Vigil. When I first picked this sword up, wielded it, I immediately felt like the sword was an extension of my arm. It begs to cut. While not as nimble as the Chevalier, it's a more punishing cutter while remaining agile enough to feel very lively. The spiral cord grip is a major turnoff though. It isn't attractive, and bare-handed it's quite uncomfortable. A regrip or the Chevalier grip would be necessary.

My third favorite would be the Knight, for many the same reasons as mentioned so many times before. If someone asks me what Albion I would recommend for introductory reasons, it would be the Knight. Preferably the Next Gen, but the squire is very nice, too.


These are just my opinions.

Chevalier is absolutely beautiful, that's certain at least.

Combination of pommel, that nice leather wrap with somewhat more 'fancy' blade cross section makes it just 'swordy' to the limit IMO.

Mr. Krause, I believe you summed up the situation aptly. I think of the Knight as the paradigmatic, basic form of the thing I'm most looking for, the others being more "specific." As for the specifics, I truly appreciate the input from you, Brian K., and others. Still a tough decision, but I do feel more informed.

JE Sarge, I just stumbled on this post with the details about the restoration of the Sovereign you mentioned in the present thread:

http://forum.sword-buyers-guide.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=4348

What a terrific story, and that certainly is a fine-looking sword.