[Brian M]

And I could use your input, particularly if you own one of the swords in consideration.
First, I'm about to put in for my "Free 7th" sword and I have narrowed (well, sorta narrowed!) the field to the following:
Jarl $980
Berserker $820
Vassal $980
Tritonia (Museum Line) $1000
Duke $750
Sempach $750
Landgraf $750
Munich $900
Gallowglass $850
Several of these swords aren't in production yet, so obviously there can be no objective input on those, but the rest I'd like to hear from owners about. On basis of cost I'm probably leaning toward the Sempach, Landgraf, Duke, Berserker, and Gallowglass, since I have a credit of a bit over $700. Nonetheless, cost is not the sole determining factor.

Second, I intend to buy a NG sword while they are on sale and have narrowed the choice to:
Ritter $580 on sale
Crecy $480 on sale
Thoughts from owners?

Thanks,
Brian M

[Aaron Schnatterly]

Brian-

Normally, if I found someone in a quandry like this, I'd say "lucky bugger... wish I had problems like that..." but actually, right now, I'm in almost the same boat. Not knowing what your collection consists of, your general concept driving your collection, it's a little hard to give much constructive help. If you could give me a rundown of what you have and where you want your colleciton to go, I might be able to give more directed advice.

For now, here's what I can say - my own opinions, based on where my collection is going...

To put this in context, my collection primarily consists of Albion Next Gen and Museum Line pieces, and is mostly medieval, with a couple of Viking/AS pieces. I don't personally have any interest in the Roman pieces at this point... not likely to. I have the Brescia, Regent, Landgraf, Squire, Knight, Ritter, Hersir, Vinland, with the Svante and Munich on order. More pieces will be added, though my pace of 1/month may have to slow down here for a bit while I handle some other business - and the Svante is significantly more than my 1-month budget.

The Jarl is arguably the sweetest of the whole Viking/AS line. This is going to be an eventual addition - if I didn't have the Hersir, I'd be really tempted by this.

Berserkr - I just don't know. As intriguing as this piece is, I'm going to have to wait to see it. This isn't screaming "buy me" to me - at least, not as loud as some of the other pieces on your list.

Vassal - Pretty much the same sentiment as I have about the Berserkr... not a massive Falchion fan.

Tritonia - A piece I will likely eventually pick up, but it isn't high on my list. If I spend more time with it in hand, it may grow on me, but when I put it in hand, I wasn't blown away. I didn't hate it, we just seemed to be a bit reluctant to bond.

Duke - I can't say... Played briefly with a Baron before, and it was really a shocker - think this may well be similar. Again, though, there are other pieces on the list that I would be more excited about (some I already do have...)

Sempach/Landgraf - Close enough to the same piece. I like my Landgraf. It's more a matter of aesthetics for me between these two... Handles well, cuts well, and if you do a search for "Mortschlag" on here, you'll find a thread that I discuss how nasty this piece is from every angle... including the pommel and cross.

Munich - Literally within minutes of Howy announcing this piece, I had the first one off the line reserved. "SOLD!... how much was it again?" I don't know if I'd put the credit towards it, though... It won't be out for a few months at least. I want what I want when I want it. With the long list of other pieces you have, I'd put it elsewhere, and save over time to pick this one up.

Gallowglass - I'm somewhat interested in this concept, but am personally more interested in a piece like the Markgraf or Hauptman for a XIX. This is strictly personal... I had thought about the Kern/Gallowglass combination, but really like the Condottiere/Markgraf combo better.

Ok, so out of this list, which would I choose to toss that credit at? Sempach/Landgraf or Duke.



On to round two... Ritter vs. Crecy.

I own the Ritter, got to play with the Crecy in Atlanta. Both are nice pieces. I have not cut with the Crecy, nor have I spent the time handling it that I have the Ritter.

The Ritter flat out kicks ass. Definitely check out Patrick's review, if you haven't already. It's just such a shocking piece in hand - not at all what I expected. In Atlanta, I was handling sword after sword. I handed one back to Harlan, and he handed me another. I wasn't really paying attention when he handed this to me. I didn't see my face, of course, but I did see Harlan's reaction to my expression. It was one of those "huh? wait... holy crap! This is sweet... what the...? The RITTER?!? NO WAY!". Harlan just grinned. I brought it home.

Now, the Crecy is no slouch either. I'm considering one of these in the more proximal future. Handled quite well, nice aesthetics.

It depends on what you want in your collection and your reasons for singling these two out. I personally hated the Ritter until that fateful moment. I love all of my Albions, but the Ritter has seen a good bit of cutting and handling from both me and my room mate. He cuts almost exclusively with it, actually. Conversely, I wasn't stunned by the Crecy. Thought it was a nice piece, but nothing "OH MY GOD" amazing. Possibly because I had fairly high expectations of it, and it met them, whereas I really sold the Ritter short, and it proved me completely wrong. The Ritter also fit a strong need - a piece from the Crusades...

Bottom line on these two, I think both are nice pieces, and both would be good additions to any collection they would fit in. If I get a chance to handle the Crecy again soon, I'll let you know what I think of it more objectively.



Flipping this around on you...

I have a bit over $725 credit. Here's my rundown of choices...

Svante. $2500 The Svante is already on a payment plan... probably 2-3 months out whether I use the credit or not.
Solingen. $1000 Thanks to Harlan and the fact that this piece kept ending up in my hand in Atlanta...
Castellan. $750 Best of the short XVa's in my opinion. I love the feel of the grip and responsiveness of the sword.

Thoughts?

[Joachim Nilsson]

Simply put: Munich and Ritter.

[David Lannon]

Brian, I own the Tritonia and I love it. It IS a beast of a sword however. I particulary like the round pommel. The blade is pretty much a cleaver. I was stunned to see the distal taper on the blade; it is quite thin out towards the tip. I think this sword would be perfect for mounted warfare where you have the momentum of a horse behind you. It is NOT a duelists weapon however.

I also own the Crecy and I personally would choose it over the Ritter. The Ritter has a beautiful blade but I never liked those "cocked hat" pommels.

The others you mentioned, I cant comment on. I do like the look of the Munich but the blade is awfully narrow and I like those big manly swords

Take care and best of luck
Dave Lannon

[Brian M]

Good advice so far.
My collection currently consists of: Gaddhjalt, Templar, Knight, Sovreign, Baron, and the SoSM when it comes out. So as you can see my focus is right now toward the earlier cutting swords. Like Aaron, I have little interest in the Roman swords. I would like to pick at least one Viking this year between the Berserker, Jarl, and Hersir.
Regarding my "free sword list," I'm inclined to elimianate the Tritonia first off, due to cost and the fact that the RItter could arguably fill that gap for less money. Likewise the Vassal. Even though I'd like a Falchion and I think a representative collection should have one, $980 is a little steep right now. I really like both the Sempach and Landgraf -- I just can't decide which one I like more. I lean slightly toward the Sempach if only to get away from the "wheel-pommel theme." The Duke is a bit down the list for me; it's in consideration due to cost and the desire to have an example of the XIIIa. The Munich and Gallowglass are both very interesting swords. The Jarl looks like a beautiful sword and the only thing that's keeping me away from it now is cost. The Berserker I will be picking up sometime this year, but perhaps not now.
Regarding my "NG sale" list, both Ritter and Crecy would fill a need in my collection. I'm probably leaning slightly toward the Ritter. When I first saw it I didn't care much for it, but it's been growing on me. It would fit in very nicely with my Gaddhjalt, Templar, and Knight. Note, if the Agincourt comes out before Aug 20, it would also be in consideration.

Aaron,
Regarding your Free Sword choice:
Svante: You're already paying it off, so either the credit pays down the Svante and you use the money that would've gone to pay down the Svante to buy another sword on your list, or vice-versa. That said, I would use the credit to pay down the Svante and use the money saved to take advantage of the NG sale. Why? Because the credit does NOT apply to the sale price, only to the full price of the "Free Sword." Plus, any credit amount you have over and above the full price of the "Free Sword" just goes away. I just asked Mike about that. So probably it's best applied to a sword that isn't likely to go on sale. Of course, this decision is also influence by whether or not there is a NG sword you'd like to pick up on sale...
Solingen: I can't say I've handled this (or any other) Museum line sword, but honestly it's my least favorite Museum Line piece. It's nice-looking, but it just doesn't do anything for me. Personally I'd consider the SoSM-Turin first and the Tritonia a rather distant second. Of course, I may be biased since I have a Turin on order.
Castellan: There are also some other XVas due out in the near future. I've got my eye on the Agincourt, but then these new XVas seem to have longer, slimmer blades than the first batch, which might be a factor for you.

Anyways, my thought is to use your credit to pay down Svante, and use the money saved to pick up a NG on your wish-list while they are on sale.

Brian M

[Steve Maly]

I can only speak towards the swords that I have in my collection, and from your list, the only sword I currently own is the Jarl. Compared to my ArmArt viking sword (similar in form to the Huskarl), the Jarl is much more lively in the hand and is wonderfully balanced. The handling characteristics are nearly identical to my Sovereign, with a bit more power in the cut for the Jarl. It is beautifully executed, and is arguably not only the best viking sword that Albion offers (as noted by Aaron), but perhaps the best NG sword they offer. The pommel and hilt are very impressive in person. It certainly doesn't fade into the background next to my Regent and Sovereign. But then again, I'm pretty biased!

[Aaron Schnatterly]

[Robert B. Allison]

Terrible problem to have. I just spoke with Mike today and ordered the Jarl and the Regent, so not an inexpensive telephone conversation for me, but I'm excited about both of them and had been agonizing over which one to order and finally decided, especially in light of the ongoing sale, that the only sensible solution was to order both! I specified custom colored grip leather on both as well, dark blue on the Jarl and dark green on the Regent. These two swords put me at six, so I'm now also eligible for a "free" 7th and have not decided on which one, am taking some time to think it over and maybe to see what new offerings are coming out in the next couple of months. I'd love to have the Svante, but even with a bit over $700 knocked off the price, it's still a bit rich for my blood. I'd like to see the Messers, am not sure whether they move me or not, but perhaps they will when I see actual pics of the real deal.

I own and very much like the Landgraf. But for some reason my favorite, and one that doesn't seem to be the fave of many, is the Baron. To me that's what a Medieval sword ought to look like.

[Aaron Schnatterly]

[Alexi Goranov]

[Aaron Schnatterly]

[Chad Arnow]

[Patrick Kelly]

My impressions and opinions on the ones I either own or have handled:

Jarl: thus far my favorite of the Next Gen Line. This one is truly a ground breaking sword in the production world. I've also owned custom swords of this type that weren't nearly as good. Anyone who has an interest in viking arms and history needs this one, simply a great sword.
Tritonia: this one is a very fascinating sword for me personally. I've never seen a sword that better illustrates how things like distribution of mass, distal and profile tapers, and etc. all have to work together to create a functional sword. All good sword exhibit this, but it's a very obvious and non-subtle feature of a sword that is anything but subtle. This one is on my "someday" list.
Duke: Never been wild about this one. It's a fine example of the type, but I find the Baron to be equally as impressive but with a higher aesthetic value. That's just personal preference though, and certainly no criticism of the design.
Sempach: I like this one a lot, and I usually don't go for these pointy types. This is one of those swords that caused me to re-evaluate the type. I like the subtle shaping of the sword's pommel and the austere sleekness of it's shape. Now that I've had it around for awhile I find myself liking it more and more.
Ritter: a nice one, and a big surprise. I have never liked the Type XI, but once again an accurate recreation of the type has caused me to change my mind. This one really grows on you, and anyone interested in the crusading era should have one.
Crecy: like the Knight this is a great one. I won't be buying one myself since I have the longsword section of my collection pretty well covered, but lovers of the H&H genre should give this one a serious look. Like the Knight, the Crecy is a bit of a jack-of-all-trades kind of design. It will fit well into a variety of styles and techniques, and it's size is well suited for the slight of build as well as the bigger folk. This is an ideal general purpose longsword and I predict that it will be one of Albions most popular models. This is a huge amount of sword for the price.

I've ordered the Munich myself simply because I love the aesthetic sense and proportion of it.

[Brian M]

I'm still up in the air about Ritter vs. Crecy, but probably leaning more and more towards the Ritter. It does suit my focus better. Heck, if I got the Tritonia (or Duke) for my Free 7th and then purchased the Ritter, I'd have a darn-near complete early medieval sword library. Incidentally, I will be buying the Bayeaux without question when it comes out.
I like the aesthetics of both the Sempach and Landgraf. The pierced cross on the Landgraf is very nice, but the overall lines of the Sempach are very pleasing. This is a very tough call between the two.
I've noticed that the Jarl gets universally great reviews. I've been set on the Berserker for my first Viking sword since it is so unique, but the Jarl is just so darn nice looking.
The Duke continues to be hang on only on basis of cost and filling a need. It just doesn't seem to "do it" for me, which probably means it will get eliminated.
The Vassal fits pretty well into my time frame and would be a no-brainer for me, but for the price. Ouch!
Tritonia fits well in my collection, but I probably wouldn't think of springing for it without my $720 credit.

I appreciate everyone's input and I look forward to continued discussion.

Brian M

[Brian M]

I've decided to go with Tritonia for my free 7th sword, and Ritter for my NG sale purchase. I'll probably branch out into later-period swords eventually, but I think for now it's best to fill out the pre-1300 time period, which is my primary interest. Thanks to everyone for their input. It was all helpful in making a decision.
Now the question is, what grip color for the Tritonia and Ritter? Seems like the Ritter should have a black grip due to association with the Teutonic Knights. For the Tritonia my choices are brown (which is a very dark brown), oxblood (which looks medium-brown) and light-brown. I have all these but light-brown. What does the light-brown look like in person in comparison to what it looks like in the photo?

My next group of 7 probably will look like this:
Free 7th(from first group): Tritonia
1) Ritter
2) Bayeaux
3) Berserker
4) Jarl
5) Vassal -- Maybe. I will have to see it before deciding yes or no. If no, pick one of #6.
6) Pick one: Duke, Landgraf, Sempach, Crecy, Agincourt
Free 7th) Leave open for new developments. If nothing interesting, pick one of #6.

Cheers,
Brian M

[Chad Arnow]

[Aaron Schnatterly]

[Brian M]

Good pix of the light-brown grips. It seems to have gone more toward a relatively even medium-brown as opposed to the mottled light-brown in the photos. Looks good. I'll probably go with oxblood or light-brown, as the "brown" is a little too dark.
It would be unfortunate if the ML is only done with black. I can live with it but I'd rather have oxblood or light-brown. I'll have to ask.

Brian M

[William Hurst]

I have an Oxblood grip on my Vinland, and let me say that you really need to see it in person to appreciate how nice it is. It gives a great aesthetic to the sword. It seems to mold dark red and black together, giving it a very interesting look. I was very hesitant to go with Oxblood when I ordered (since I had only seen the Vinland with black), but Albion surpassed my expectations. Personally, I think the Ritter would look great with Oxblood or light brown; so you really can't go wrong.

[Aaron Schnatterly]