[Jeremy V. Krause]

Thanks Florian for your great pictures!

I especially appreciate the shot of the revet block in that the revet block on your Solingen also appears to have that hand worked finish which is a wee bit assymetrical.

I feel that I have to take a pause here and speak to this whole process of evaluation and comparison of high quality production swords and their relation to the historic counterparts, at least as far as I stand in the question and the questions that I have raised in this thread. I have never handled a sword of the high middle ages- in fact I have handled only TWO historic swords- one from the 15th c. and one from the 16th c. Both were very blade heavy and handled slugishly, at least when compared to what what we might describe as "sweet handling." I was really quite surprised. The blades had ripples and waves all over them and the pommels were poorly finished- but poorly finished in a different way than we would call poorly finished today. I have also seen some bearing swords but they don't count.

I must confess a certain ignorance as to what to desire in a quality piece. I am always learning- that's why I come to myArmoury- to draw on the knowledge base of others and to help me conceptualize the different aspects of my collection. I am not sure what aspects of a quality sword mark it as handmade and what aspects may be marks of a lack of attention. This is due to my limited knowledge related to the process of fabricating modern swords and what kinds of "fingerprints" these processes leave upon the finished blade. I own a custom sword made more than six years ago by a recognized quality manufacturer that exhibits gross problems with it's fit and finish- and yet it's handling is superb for it's type. Albion, I feel, has really raised the bar on what we expect in the fit and finish of a quality sword.

I know that others use this community in the same way as I (to learn what is acceptable and what isn't in a quality piece) and I am never one to feign competence when I possess only marginal knowledge of a given subject.

I do know, however, that I really like the totality of my Solingen- even if it isn't in my current period of interest. It's feeling of authority- it's stiffness of blade form despite it's nature as a cut-oriented blade, the elegance of it's cross, and the full volumes of the pommel combine to produce a great sword in every sense of the word.

I hope this helps give some background to the discussion,
Jeremy

[Jean Thibodeau]

As I mentioned in a previous post our " modern " sense of what is flawless is very much more demanding than in period.

Thinking it over again, maybe it's more a question of geometric perfection and perfect symmetry than the actual smoothness of the finish such as no tool marks or scratches. Obvious modern tool marks should be avoided with historical reproductions and the best way to do this is to finish were all tool marks are removed: The actual finish can even be rough and still be good if the modern marks are gotten rid of.

Mirror finishes don't work for me though and I like a nice satin finish. The actual type of finish is something for a whole discussion in itself.

Tool marks that look like period tool marks are also debatable as some period weapons might show some obvious ones and other might be very finely finish but still show the geometric imperfections I mentioned at the top if this post.

Oh, during the 1980 to 2000 period the level of perfection expected from a top custom knife maker such as perfect mirror finishes and razor sharp bevel lines was the norm and it took some time for me to get used to the different way original historical pieces and their accurate reproductions should be finished. With my own custom pieces I do tend to still want the more modern aesthetics of perfect lines. ( I wouldn't deliberately design in asymmetries unless it was supposed to be a close copy of a historical sword. )

In fact I'm ambivalent about the whole thing. I can help looking at a period sword with a " lumpy " pommel and want to fix it. A bit like the crooked picture frame I can't stop myself from wanting to straiten.

If I'm repeating a lot of what I said in my first post I think it's because I've refined my ideas and come to supplementary conclusions.

[Patrick Kelly]

There's an awfully fine line between "hand-made" irregularities and shoddy workmanship. We've probably all seen enough of both to allow us to tell the difference, at least on the level were we can accept it individually.

Years ago I was in the position where I wanted everything to be perfect and symmetrical and I couldn't stand it if it wasn't. Nothing is perfect and I'd stare at a new acquisition until I found the imperfections, then that's all I'd see from there on. It really spoiled the experience for me on many levels. Now I'm to the point where I like everything to be nice but I don't mind a few natural imperfections here and there. In many ways they're a reflection of the process. I've seen a few things lately that have been intentionally made with a very rustic appearance. I've enjoyed seeing all of them and I've been intrigued by the natural effect of the process. Then again, that rustic appearance was intentionally done by the makers and only served to enhance the texture of the pieces, rather than detract from it. That's quite different than something obviously being shoddily done and being passed off as "hand-made". Still, it's really up to the individual.

[Craig Peters]

Jeremy,

I can't seem to find it at the moment, but one of the online articles found on Albion's webpage mentions that minor flaws and imperfections are left in Albion's products because they would have been found in period originals. Personally, I would keep the Solingen, because its flaws give it a greater sense of authenticity. I have experience with flaws too, although in my case, it was my own fault- I was using my Sempach in a demonstration and it suffered an edge failure. I was initially quite bothered by it, but it doesn't actually affect the sword in any meaningful way when I cut, and when I feel confident enough that I can sharpen my Sempach without wrecking it, the edge will have a slight wavy line like many antique swords do. It adds to the character of the sword, and gives it a greater sense of authenticity.

I think it is a mistake to view the Museum Line as being a significant step up from the Next Generation line. The purpose of the Museum Line is to bring to life specific examples of historical swords. To that end, you will find much greater precision when it comes to specifically replicating the hilt furniture and blade of the sword. But the Musuem Line swords are not going to handle a whole lot differently than the NG line, save for the fact that they should more like the antique sword they're replicating. Nor should they look a lot different from the NG line; the antiques upon which they were based were not members of some "higher quality" line of swords in historical times. So I think it's important to keep this in mind when buying a Musuem Line sword; you're paying for the similarity to an antique sword, and not a "higher quality" from the NG line.

[Bob Burns]

Hi Jeremy and a Massive CONGRATULATIONS To you on breaking your what sounds like a long fast with one of "my" absolute favorite Albion Swords

I love the pommel on the Solingen too, though it is different it does for me have similarities to the pommel on my Vassal, in that it is of a basic thick roundish design so that if and when gripped in the palm of the hand it's a real solid and full feeling for some really nice rotation Spinning the cut so to speak. Actually, as quite often is the case I happen to have the Vassal lying horizontal at my right on the computer table, it travels about the house with me quite a bit!
The Solingen also makes me think of the Discerner, of which I did once have the opportunity to wield, which was something of a love affair with my hands body and mind but the wallet did not comply .

Jeremy I am glad that your dry spell has concluded with something so exceptionally beautiful as the Albion Solingen, you have done yourself a very good thing I love cutting swords, especially swift ones as such that you have selected one of the very best to be had in that category, no two ways about it

Fantastic Sword Jeremy, may your Solingen bring you many years of Joy

Bob

Love that Pommel