I'm not a big falchion fan, but that's a nice one! I especially like that grip. :surprised:

It does look nice.

Glad to see it and I really hope we continue to see more models work their way into production as we close out the year.

Peter, I want to thank you for your thoughtful response. You "filled in the blanks" for me on the photo and let me see what is difficult to see in the photograph. It's not that they're bad photos. In fact, they're quite good.. it's just that these details are difficult to render in two-dimensions as you know. I'm thrilled with the single-edged offerings coming out of Albion. While the hilts are cool in their own right, the shaping and details of the blades are what scream out to me.

Oh my oh my oh my! This sword is so beautiful, so geometrically complex and it's right here next to me! The specific Vassal that I ordered with the oxblood grip did not come in yet, but I elected to take this one instead with the black grip as opposed to the oxblood grip. Why? Well, I brought my Berserkr and scabbard with me over to Kult of Athena after learning that a Vassal was sent there yesterday. Before leaving the house I called Ryan and he confirmed that a Vassal was arriving today but he did not know if it would be mine or the one he ordered with the black grip, I said well come to think of it, if it is a black grip that will be fine since all but two of my swords and all of my high quality swords have black grips including my Berserkr.
Well, I got over there and sure enough it was the Vassal with the black grip, so I laid down my Berserkr next to it and I came to the ultimate decision that I liked the fact that these two swords matched in grip colors. The more I looked at them the more I liked the color match and the less I liked the idea of getting the Vassal with the oxblood grip.

So here I am one very lucky guy, the day after I read the announcement of the Vassal and I have this masterful work of art all to myself to look at, feel, maneuver and appreciate. There has got to be an aweful lot of research, calculating and recalculating in the development of this magnificent single edged sword that is the highlight of 2006 for me :!:
When you hold this sword so that the flat of the blade is horizontal to the floor at the crossguard and hit the pommel the life of the blade is blazingly evident!
Whether you are thrusting or cutting the sword goes where ever you want it to go effortlessly, yet the blade is very much alive.
I assure you, those who are waiting for this the most beautiful falchion that I have ever had the pleasure to lay hands on, you are going to love it!
Oh, incidentally, I also had the fortune to handle the Albion Discerner today which also just arrived today at
www.kultofathena.com

Thank you so very much Peter Johnsson for your tireless efforts on this magnificent piece of genius I shall treasure the Vassal all my days, as with all my acquisitions it shall never leave my collection! I would also like to thank Howy, Amy, and the rest of the staff at Albion, a special thanks to the artisans in the Albion shop, the pride you take in your work shines in the fine detail of your craftsmanship!

Thank you for my Dream Sword of 2006!

Sincerely!

Bob

I just can't believe my luck on this one, Ryan had made his first Vassal order in July of 2005 when it was first listed and this is the one I got. My wife thinks the Vassal is an extremely beautiful sword and I am glad it happened this way because the grip colors match, a huge fortune of luck that ran my way and I am ever so grateful! After having handled the sword Ryan was talking about ordering yet another Vassal for himself because he too seemed to be enthralled with it as well. I tend to wonder if this sword will sell out rather quickly.

Bob

Congratulations Bob!

I know you were eagerly awaiting this one and I'm glad it's met your expectations.

Thank you Patrick, I am ecstatic, totally over joyed and elated! The Vassal in my hands is everything I had hoped and dreamed for and more, thanks again Patrick, this is one of those dreams come true!

Bob

Congratulations, Bob, on your good fortune. I am sure that you will post some photos for us.

Bob Burns wrote:

I just can't believe my luck on this one

As the saying goes, if I have to choose, I always prefer to be lucky rather than good! :lol:

I just wanted to add something about the Vassal, it was mentioned earlier that the pommel was plain and boring. Personally, I really like this pommel on this sword a whole lot, it is extremely conducive if you want to chop with the sword, I am also partial to a no nonsense heavy duty pommel that in itself is a weapon to be wary of in it's own right. Boring? Hell no, this pommel makes the sword come alive with it's enhancement of various striking patterns and techniques. In my opinion, this sword just does not have any short comings at all!

Sincerely,

Bob

November 22, was my 2 month Anniversary of owning this Awesome Sword ideal for close quarters melee!
There is not a day that goes by that the Vassal does not travel about the house with me! I tell ya, this is the Best thousand bucks I ever spent on anything!
If anything, I am ever the more fond of the Vassal, the tremendous versatility with which it handles is delightful, I know one of my buddy's / fellow knights wrote he was not all that thrilled with the pommel, but I gotta say I would want NO other pommel on this sword. This pommel is absolute perfection for this menacing sword of Melee, it's kind of like having a nice clean "Warhammer" on the hilt of the sword!

"Ryan" the proprietor of Kult of Athena and my fellow sword fanatic and business owner to customer "Buddy" kept an Oxblood hilted Vassal for himself, took it home and put it in his private collection he did! You ask me, Ryan and I have impeccable taste in swords! :lol: And he still has yet another Oxblood hilted Vassal very respectfully placed on the wall in his store.

Like I said in an earlier post, when I first saw the concept art of the Albion "Vassal" Falchion, my eyeballs about rolled out of their sockets from all the gleeful shock and excitement! I started reading about the sword, and quite seriously at that particular point in time, I could not have cared less what the hell the price was on this sword, because come Hell or HIgh Water, I was resolutely steadfastly committed beyond any turning back, that I Had to Have "This" Sword!

Handling characteristics, please remember, I am only a beginner in the realm of swords but I am a martial artist who has two years of dust on a 1st degree black belt in karate. Suffice to say, the best way that "I" can put it as a "beginner"
the Vassal is so full of life and energy that it almost seems to have a spirit all it's own!

Man does this Sword Move! The Vassal responds instinctively to every subtle twist or turn of the wrist! One very fast sword, that will do anything you want it to do in an Instant, a fraction of a second!
My other Albion is the Berserkr and I am as in Love with that sword as the day I got it!

In "My" opinion, if you are a "Berserkr" person, that being, if you own an Albion Berserkr and you love the sword, I would say to you "if you have been thinking about the Vassal."

By All Means stop thinking about the Vassal, and go pick up the phone and call Mike Sigman and tell him You Have Got to Have a Vassal!

You will NOT regret this Acquisition! Like I said, I have had this sword for 2 months and 2 days, and so far there has not yet been a day that I have not taken some time to play with my Albion Vassal Falchion!

I hope Peter Johnsson and the Swordsmihs at Albion would not be upset with me, but after a few days of serious contemplation and ogitation, I did take my very good quality stones to the distal distal false edge and put a nice lethal back edge on my Vassal.

Also, in closing, I would like to take this time and space to give a very special Thank You to Master Swordsmith Peter Johnsson, for taking a lot of time to answer a question I had about the Vassal. Mr. Johnsson sent me a most thoughtfully and thorough answer in reply, and for that I am most very Grateful to this fine gentleman!

MY GOODNESS I DO SO VERY MUCH LOVE THIS VASSAL!

I could really go on and on and on about this very unique falchion but I will end here and Thank You for taking the time in reading my post.

I know it was lengthy but the Vassal Excites me One whole Hell of a LOT!

Sincerely,

Your Fellow Knight of the Sword

Gee, Bob. Do you you like your Vassal? :lol:

Perhaps you were referring to me on comments regarding the shape of the pommel? In an earlier post, I said

Quote:

I was going to say that the pommel was a bit boring, but with the other details, it's probably best to keep the pommel on the plain side.

Let me emphasize that I was going to say.... With all of the other details in the design of the sword, I think that Peter and Albion made the correct choice with the pommel - anything more complex in shape would have been too busy for my taste. As it is, I think that the pommel complements the rest of the sword design perfectly.

:D Hi Steve, it's always great to hear from you!

Do I like my Vassal? Oh just a tad! LOL!

Let me put it this way for you Steve. If the Vassal has any weak points about it's design? Well, in the last 2 months and 3 days of my physical possession of the Albion Vassal, I have not been able to find any! The Real Important thing to keep in mind here is the fact that I am only a mere beginner in the realm of one who practices with European swords and studies several very well done instructional books. Now, take this here Vassal and put it in the hands of a well accomplished European Swordsman like Bill Grandy, Stephen Hand, Christian Henry Tobler, etc., etc., and you have got a combination of something that "I" personally would love to witness!

In my opinion, the Vassal is the very definition of the word "Responsive"!

Sincerely,

Bob