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Kirk Lee Spencer

Posts: 820 Location: Texas

Thu 28 Jul, 2005 6:33 pm

Peter Johnsson wrote:

Is this a sword?:
I can see why you might wonder about this. It is different from the norm, but there is a whole un-appreciated tradition of single eged swords that are much more than just big knives (even if some are even called "Big Knives": Coltelaccio, Grosse Messer etc)...
These are forged and carefully shaped blades, even if they do have a brutish character.
A few of these were hilted with very nice hilts exhibiting silver wire inlay. Some blades of this type were really very good examples of skillful blade making incorporating high quality patternwelding.

They are different from double edged swords. It is a character and function thing.
If you appreciate this type of sword and know how to use it, you would be fearsome to meet across the sie of a ship, on the churned up ground of the battlefield or on the confined space of the holmgång or envig in single combat...

Hey Peter...

Great Posts, as usual :)

And a great design! :D

I really like the thicker hilt elements and using the Type B... really balances out the blade both visually and (based on the POB) dynamically.

If anyone is interested in seeing a few more of these beasts, there is a recent thread in the Ancient Weapons Forum on SFI.

http://forums.swordforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=53949

ks

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Posts: 73 Location: Bay Area, California

Thu 28 Jul, 2005 6:37 pm

Hey Gang! Don't forget... This baby is on SALE!!!

http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=4526

It don't get much better than that! :D

Profile PM AIM

Posts: 1,191 Location: San Francisco, CA

Thu 28 Jul, 2005 7:35 pm

[ Linked Image ]

Not to steal the thunder from the Berserkr, but is that a Talhoffer in the vise :eek: :D :)

Alexi

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Posts: 3,646 Location: Midwest

Thu 28 Jul, 2005 7:45 pm

Alexi Goranov wrote:

Not to steal the thunder from the Berserkr, but is that a Talhoffer in the vise :eek: :D :)

Alexi

If they tell you they will probably have to kill you!!

Secrets and all that you know.

:D :D :D

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Posts: 41 Location: Tallahassee, FL

Thu 28 Jul, 2005 8:01 pm

Matt G wrote:

Hey Gang! Don't forget... This baby is on SALE!!!

http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=4526

It don't get much better than that! :D

I don't think this is one of the swords on the list, as it wasn't a current production model at the time the sale started.

Anyone at Albion is free to correct me however, to the applause of the masses.

Below is the list from Albion's site.

The Vinland
The Gotland
The Gaddhjalt
The Clontarf
The Hersir
The Huskarl
The Jarl
The Norman
The Templar
The Ritter
The Knight
The Laird
The Caithness
The Sovereign
The Squire
The Prince
The Baron
The Duke
The Steward
The Count
The Mercenary
The Castellan
The Constable
The Crecy
The Landgraf
The Sempach
The Regent
The Viceroy

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Aaron Schnatterly

Posts: 1,244 Location: New Glarus, WI

Thu 28 Jul, 2005 8:09 pm

Vince Labolito wrote:

I don't think this is one of the swords on the list, as it wasn't a current production model at the time the sale started.

Anyone at Albion is free to correct me however, to the applause of the masses.

From the thread referenced above:

Howard Waddell wrote:

Gary Venable wrote:

Howy,

What about any NexGens that come out before the 20th will they be included in this deal? I know you have several still slated for a mid 2005 release.

Yep -- anything released before the end of the sale will be included. With luck, we will have 3 or four models rolling out next month.

Best,

Howy

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Posts: 154 Location: New Glarus, WI

Thu 28 Jul, 2005 8:43 pm

Alexi Goranov wrote:

Not to steal the thunder from the Berserkr, but is that a Talhoffer in the vise :eek: :D :)

Alexi

Ummmm.......no , thats the new Crecy :)

You couldn't steal the thunder from the Beserker, it is amazing wait till some of you guys handle it. It just begs to cut.

John

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Posts: 506 Location: South Bend, IN

Thu 28 Jul, 2005 10:14 pm

Peter, I had a feeling that was probably the case when I read the discription.

Considering that the type C was a development of the type B, I wouldn't be shocked at all to see elements such as the single piece pommel on a B or more of a type B cross section on a type C.

One of my big questions would also be if there is any chance at all to see Albion use this blade with an organic transitional hilt?

I'd commissioned someone at one point to make one of these single edged sword, it fell through, but just to test out the performance of these blades and write on it. Maybe now that Albion has put one on the production market, we can start getting a better idea of how these really did stack up to their double edge brothers.

Shane

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Posts: 117 Location: Monticello, WI

Thu 28 Jul, 2005 10:58 pm

Daniel Staberg wrote:

:eek: :eek: :eek: :lol:
Caution
Gripping the Bersekr for extended periods can adversly affect your temper...

I heard John's yell all the way back in the wax room. All I could do was shake my head and chuckle, knowing the grip wrap was finished and John got his mitts on the finished piece. I didn't know Howy got a pic, though. :eek:

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Posts: 8,310 Location: Montreal,Quebec,Canada

Thu 28 Jul, 2005 11:08 pm

Lets all thank God that he isn't a disgruntal worker. :p

Please keep this man happy :eek: :lol:

Great looking sword by the way: Looking forward to a review of this one !

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Aaron Schnatterly

Posts: 1,244 Location: New Glarus, WI

Fri 29 Jul, 2005 3:01 am

John Gage wrote:

You couldn't steal the thunder from the Beserker, it is amazing wait till some of you guys handle it. It just begs to cut.

That UPS guy needs to get off his duff... I can't wait to get MY mitts on it.

I'm a little concerned, actually... Mike usually laughs when I get excited about a piece... he didn't this time, at least not much. I have a feeling I'm in for a real treat.

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Posts: 165 Location: Southeastern Pennsylvania

Fri 29 Jul, 2005 4:34 am

Wow... that is one brutal looking sword. Some swords give me pause to admire their beauty and graceful lines. This one makes me think "Gads, I'd hate to face someone wielding THAT!" :eek:

I'm looking forward to a photo-intensive review. Congratulations to the staff at Albion for another winner!

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Jonathon Janusz

Posts: 470

Fri 29 Jul, 2005 5:16 am

Peter,

Thank you very much for your reply - you answered all of my questions :)

One more that came to mind (considering the number of originals you've seen): on this type of sword design (meaning single-edged) is there evidence historically of tuning the handling characteristics of the weapon by adjusting the position of the tang from blade to spine as opposed to keeping it on center (shoulders of equal length)? I was just thinking of a falcata grip being on the spine side of the blade as opposed to being centered and was wondering if our ancestors experimented with the same approach here. It seems to me a unique way for this sword type to be able to make perhaps an even more aggressive (blade presence wise) chopping sword while using the same amount of metal - adjusting the position of the tang, edge to spine, and doing the same with the center of mass along that axis in the blade as well. This might also suggest an edge-forward pommel?

Thanks again!

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Harlan Hastings

Posts: 86 Location: Finger Lakes, NY

Fri 29 Jul, 2005 5:26 am

"is that a Talhoffer in the vise"

" Ummmm.......no , thats the new Crecy"

Actually Alexi, not only is it the new Crecy, it's YOUR new Crecy! :lol:

Start looking for the big white box........

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Posts: 1,757 Location: Storvreta, Sweden

Fri 29 Jul, 2005 6:42 am

Jonathon Janusz wrote:

Peter,

Thank you very much for your reply - you answered all of my questions :)

One more that came to mind (considering the number of originals you've seen): on this type of sword design (meaning single-edged) is there evidence historically of tuning the handling characteristics of the weapon by adjusting the position of the tang from blade to spine as opposed to keeping it on center (shoulders of equal length)? I was just thinking of a falcata grip being on the spine side of the blade as opposed to being centered and was wondering if our ancestors experimented with the same approach here. It seems to me a unique way for this sword type to be able to make perhaps an even more aggressive (blade presence wise) chopping sword while using the same amount of metal - adjusting the position of the tang, edge to spine, and doing the same with the center of mass along that axis in the blade as well. This might also suggest an edge-forward pommel?

Thanks again!

Well...
The viking single edged swords look like this. No offset tangs. Look at published pictures of these norwegian single edged swords: they all follow the same theme.

Earlier large single edged sword with organic grips might have a *slightly* offset tang but not enough to make a difference like you ask for (and the tang is then *slightly* offset towards the edge not the back. This feature looks a bit like the tang on a japanese sword). They did not have the same wide shallow fuller as many of the single edged swords had.

What you describe is the germanic single edged sword mae during the centuries before and after Christ.
These were shorter in the blade (45-55 cm?), but also wider. They were lighter swords alltogether, with a thin very flat blade. Think a monster size sarbatier kitchen knife sharpened like and axe.
Some, though were rather long (60+cm?) and massive with a spur wrapping around the heel of the hand, pretty much like falcatas (still with a flat triangular cross section, no fullers but perhaps grooves). The blades were straight though. These were made during the century and a half before Christ.
But that, as they say, is another story
:)

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Aaron Schnatterly

Posts: 1,244 Location: New Glarus, WI

Fri 29 Jul, 2005 7:37 am

Hey, guys! Guess what I got? :p

... ok, that was mean. Went Berserk there for a minute... :D

It's very different from anything else I own. I won't speak too much on it now (not being a snob - I want it to sink in a bit), but I'm pretty sure this baby just got promoted to the top of my "need it" list.

Peter, Howy, Mike, the rest of the crew - well done.

Off to the yard to get a feel...

Hey, guys! Guess what I got? :p

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Posts: 266

Fri 29 Jul, 2005 7:51 am

Aaron Schnatterly wrote:

Hey, guys! Guess what I got? :p

You really don't want people to like you, do you? ;)

I just got a Big White Box too, but wouldn't mind testing a Berserkr on some evil noodles. Kill a few for us will you?

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Aaron Schnatterly

Posts: 1,244 Location: New Glarus, WI

Fri 29 Jul, 2005 8:20 am

Anton de Vries wrote:

You really don't want people to like you, do you? ;)

I just got a Big White Box too, but wouldn't mind testing a Berserkr on some evil noodles. Kill a few for us will you?

I'm telling you, I'm usually not this evil - the Berserkr is making me do it. ;)

Couple of quick thoughts...

:arrow: The waisted grip is different - but it does fit my hand quite well. My middle finger drops right in, and the middle two are the driving fingers (as they usually are, but in this case, slightly less involvement of my pointer finger) in the strike.

:arrow: How heavy is this thing supposed to be? 'Cause it doesn't seem to be. NOT a wristbreaker, at least not to me. It might wear someone out, though... whomever it was that used one of these was a scary man, indeed.

:arrow: Slips into and out of a handshake from hammer grip, but I think a hammer is more likely for this piece. This is very opposite of the Hersir.

:arrow: This piece is every bit as brutal as it looks. Thinking on a full-force strike against someone, this piece would have a name like "Leg Biter", just as Peter said. It's every bit a sword, but ugh... this defines a cut/hack sword. Don't discount slipping this thing through a shield wall, though... the transition to a handshake, popping it ahead of you, getting that extra inch or two... nasty.

My impression... well... see that pic of John above.

I'll have to be somewhat reserved on the noodles, though... they are for the Round Table... can't be too aggressive. My thought, though... the Berserkr will laugh at pool noodles.

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Posts: 1,191 Location: San Francisco, CA

Fri 29 Jul, 2005 9:22 am

Harlan Hastings wrote:

"is that a Talhoffer in the vise"

" Ummmm.......no , thats the new Crecy"

Actually Alexi, not only is it the new Crecy, it's YOUR new Crecy! :lol:

Start looking for the big white box........

Talk about "the bearer of good news" :) Thanks Harlan !!!! that certainly improved my day ...markedly :D

Alexi

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Posts: 31 Location: California

Sat 30 Jul, 2005 12:55 am

Aaron, you seem like a great guy. Really, you do. But you need to stop telling me good things about this sword! Just tell me something like the grip is falling apart, the blade chipped on a noodle, or the guards are made of stainless steel. Anything to stop me purchasing this sword!

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