[Bruno Giordan]

Today I had the pleasure to meet the Albion swords out of the virtual world but in their steel and wood in Piacenza, Northern Italy, at the Armi e Bagagli fair.

I met Soren Niedzella whom I had helped locate the more important italian fairs.

He is a very sympathetic, friendly and open man, to whom I own the joy of having for me an Albion knight (and my next steel work is already destined to him ...)

I will be one of his guides next monday at the Marzoli collection in Brescia, were he will meet the original of the Spadona and some other interesting stuff.


Italian reenactors are used to the heavy steel "gates" they receive from Eastern Europe, very good at making nicks into each other as well as to act as gate bars if necessary when your house's are broken.

Actually I heard many exclamation of surprise from any kind of reenactor when staying at the Albion stand, even a couple of pony tailed Harley Davidson chaps spent some wise words of praise.

People where really amazed at the flexibility ad thinness of the blades, not to menton shape and finish.

Praises were genuine.

Even the average Errol Flynn stylre reenactor was impressed without any need of prompting by Soren and his italian translator (a bright korean-danish student of italian presently tackling the abstruse language of Fiore dei Liberi and the baroqueries of the other ancient italian writers).

So despite much lack of education of the recently born italian reenactor community I saw a lot of excitement.

As for myself, a fledgeling bladesmith, the surprise was that of seeing that there was not the slightest hint of hype in what is generally said about such swords.

I had read a lot of Peter Johnson and I had already made my mind about him, but even the best sopranos have their claque that adds some mystique to their merits; well, this was not the case.


I have kept in my hand and taken measurements of some originals, so I can say that I felt the same sensation of lightness and springiness from all the Albion blades I saw.

I could even handle a Svante Nilsson with the utmost astonshment of feeling in my hand a big blade that was as light and maneuverable as a big kitchen knife: and extension of my arm more than a blade because of its general balance, the real tool of a renaissance soldier.


This last sword made me quite think of an original schiavona in terms of maneuverability.

I bought also a squire line 13th Century Knightly Sword for the chief of my reenacting company.

He had given me 300 euros to spend his behalf on the better items I could find at the fair.

There were some fine armor pieces over there, but I had no exhitation.

Tonight he got his squire at his return from a horse ride.

He was astonished but he still wanted to play St. Thomas before the audience of fraternity brothers and friends, he bent pitilessly the sword with his knee just like a leaf spring.

Some bystanders were worried, you are breaking it, noooo.

Well it sprang back without difficulty like a coil, he repeated the test several times, then he praised and thanked me several times me before the other brothers for having accomplished my mission.

I went back home and I started exercising with the Knight.

Well, just a sentence, it is another arm extension.


Bye bye gates.

[Valerio Besa]

Also I have met Soren and his friend to Piacenza, there were several swordmakers but nothing of what which I have seen was comparable to the Albion production.

[Bruno Giordan]