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Which grip color would look best?
Black
10%
 10%  [ 4 ]
Brown
16%
 16%  [ 6 ]
Light Brown
27%
 27%  [ 10 ]
Red
8%
 8%  [ 3 ]
Magenta
10%
 10%  [ 4 ]
Oxblood
27%
 27%  [ 10 ]
Total Votes : 37

Author Message
Chad Arnow
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PostPosted: Mon 29 Mar, 2004 8:12 pm    Post subject: What grip color for my upcoming Sovereign?         Reply with quote

Hey folks,
I have a Sovereign on order from Albion. It's a bit different from the stock version, since both the pommel and cross will be bronze.

I ordered a brown grip, but I'm thinking about changing my mind. Which color would you folks choose?

Here are the options:


Happy

ChadA

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Steve Maly




Location: OKC, OK
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PostPosted: Mon 29 Mar, 2004 8:26 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I ordered mine in Oxblood. Big Grin
"When the only tool you own is a hammer, every problem begins to resemble a nail." ~A. Maslow
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Robert Zamoida




Location: Davis Monthan AFB, AZ
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PostPosted: Mon 29 Mar, 2004 8:43 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Stay with brown Happy
Rob Zamoida
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Brian M




Location: Austin, TX
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PostPosted: Tue 30 Mar, 2004 12:18 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I would go with something which contrasts nicely with your all-bronze hilt. Of the stock colors I would go with your basic black. If you wanted to pay extra for a custom color, royal blue (or darker, like midnight blue) might be an interesting choice.
An interesting possibility might be to patinate the bronze to green (ala Statue of Liberty) and go with a red or oxblood grip. I think that would look cool too.

Brian M
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Allen W





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PostPosted: Tue 30 Mar, 2004 6:18 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Keep in mind that any reddish tint is going to look even redder against the bronze.
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Roger Hooper




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PostPosted: Tue 30 Mar, 2004 7:21 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Allen W wrote:
Keep in mind that any reddish tint is going to look even redder against the bronze.


I've got an Oxblood grip on my Gotland. It is almost a blackish red, and seems to get darker with handling. If the bronze furniture brings out the red in the oxblood, that will give an interesting effect.

At the moment, I have the light brown grip on my Sovereign, but am thinking of switching it to blue.
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Ryan A. C.





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PostPosted: Tue 30 Mar, 2004 1:48 pm    Post subject: Magenta!         Reply with quote

I have always liked the color, but for personal reasons. Big Grin
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Joe Fults




Location: Midwest
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PostPosted: Tue 30 Mar, 2004 5:42 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Oxblood may end up being the most interesting color but I really like the light brown.

So that is what I vote for...light brown!

"The goal shouldn’t be to avoid being evil; it should be to actively do good." - Danah Boyd
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Joel Chesser




Location: Oklahoma
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PostPosted: Tue 30 Mar, 2004 6:00 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

personaly, I think the red would go great with the bronze, but I also really like the royal blue idea. Big Grin
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Zach Stambaugh





Joined: 08 Mar 2004

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PostPosted: Wed 31 Mar, 2004 12:47 am    Post subject: get the plain brown         Reply with quote

it will go best with bronze on any steel components I would sau magenta or oxblood. too bad they don't have any pix of their other colors on their site.
It is better to be over careful a hundred times than dead once. --- Mark Twain (give or take a slight misquote)
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Steve Fabert





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PostPosted: Wed 31 Mar, 2004 7:05 am    Post subject: Re: get the plain brown         Reply with quote

Zach Stambaugh wrote:
too bad they don't have any pix of their other colors on their site.


Mike Sigman emailed me a pic showing the blue and green custom options that are available for $25 extra. Both look great as options for any of the more ceremonial swords. I'm sure he will send out the same pic to any prospective buyer.
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Jeremiah Swanger




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PostPosted: Wed 31 Mar, 2004 7:37 am    Post subject: Re: What grip color for my upcoming Sovereign?         Reply with quote

Chad Arnow wrote:
Hey folks,
I have a Sovereign on order from Albion. It's a bit different from the stock version, since both the pommel and cross will be bronze.

I ordered a brown grip, but I'm thinking about changing my mind. Which color would you folks choose?



Hello Chad,

I think most of the advice given from the other forumites are all pretty good, but I have my own take on the topic. Assuming the hilt components are all steel, I would almost always go with black, because it provides a strong contrast. I consider Bronze to be somewhat different in that the contrast with black would be far less monochromatic. The fact that black on steel is very monochromatic is the major reason why black on steel works so well- the monochromatic scheme keeps a subtle elegance and simplicity despite the strong contrast.

For bronze, I would probably go with less contrast and more compliment- I would, therefore, choose a color that would strongly compliment the bronze pommel, stressing color over black-and-white and minimizing contrast, achieving the same basic balance between the two options (brown and bronze vs. black and steel), but at the opposite end of the spectrum. Thus, I would definitely go with brown or light brown for the grip on a bronze-pommeled sword.

I really don't think magenta, oxblood, or red would go well with bronze, because none of them are, in any way, shape or form, subtle. It is definitely a louder color than black or brown, and really shouldn't be subtled. Thus, I would pick something with a strong contrast to enhance the already strong presence of the grip. Ergo, I'd probably go with the reddish colors only if the hilt components are blackened or blued steel. I consider that to be a very powerful combination.

Of course, my own personal selection would be browned steel components with a campaign-worn grip or tan grip-- a combination most people don't seem to like (though I think it has a very "rugged" appearance to compliment the simple elegance of the sword), so please feel free to take my words with a grain of salt.

"Rhaegar fought nobly.
Rhaegar fought valiantly.
Rhaegar fought honorably.
And Rhaegar died."

- G.R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire
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Timothy Gulics




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PostPosted: Wed 31 Mar, 2004 8:03 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Wow, bronze furniture. How much extra did that run you? Wink
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Steve Fabert





Joined: 03 Mar 2004
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PostPosted: Wed 31 Mar, 2004 8:17 am    Post subject: Re: What grip color for my upcoming Sovereign?         Reply with quote

Jeremiah Swanger wrote:
I'd probably go with the reddish colors only if the hilt components are blackened or blued steel. I consider that to be a very powerful combination.


The red leather is extremely bold on a sword with blued pommel and hilt. I have an Albion Crecy with red grip and blued metal, and it is more striking in person than photos make it appear.

It is very difficult to predict what will look best with the new Albion bronze components, because they appear nearly gold in their original condition, and it's hard to tell how much they might darken over time.
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Jeremiah Swanger




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PostPosted: Wed 31 Mar, 2004 8:25 am    Post subject: Re: What grip color for my upcoming Sovereign?         Reply with quote

Steve Fabert wrote:

The red leather is extremely bold on a sword with blued pommel and hilt. I have an Albion Crecy with red grip and blued metal, and it is more striking in person than photos make it appear.

It is very difficult to predict what will look best with the new Albion bronze components, because they appear nearly gold in their original condition, and it's hard to tell how much they might darken over time.


I would like to revise one of my prior statements. I've gone back to Albion's website and checked out their grip colors again. At least on this monitor, with these color settings, the Oxblood grip has a lot more brown in it than I initially thought (the oxblood grips from Christian Fletcher and a few other cutlers look a lot like a slightly darker shade of Albion's "red", which looks great with blued hilt components). Taking this into consideration, it is now my current conclusion that their Oxblood grip would be an excellent compliment to a bronze pommel, especially if it ages and reddens, as Steve Fabert pointed out.

"Rhaegar fought nobly.
Rhaegar fought valiantly.
Rhaegar fought honorably.
And Rhaegar died."

- G.R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire
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Steve Fabert





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PostPosted: Wed 31 Mar, 2004 9:16 am    Post subject: Re: What grip color for my upcoming Sovereign?         Reply with quote

Jeremiah Swanger wrote:
At least on this monitor, with these color settings, the Oxblood grip has a lot more brown in it than I initially thought . . . Taking this into consideration, it is now my current conclusion that their Oxblood grip would be an excellent compliment to a bronze pommel, especially if it ages and reddens . . .


I have an oxblood grip on a First Generation Gaddhjalt that is what I would call brick red, like a dark brown with just enough red in it to no longer be legitimately labeled brown. When I put it next to the dark bronze pommel on a Del Tin 2140 14th Century Medieval Sword, the oxblood enhances the copper tone of the Del Tin pommel. That pommel is very much darker than the new pommel for the Prince, so I can't say that the same effect will be apparent if you were to order a Prince with an oxblood grip.
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Chad Arnow
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PostPosted: Wed 31 Mar, 2004 10:46 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Timothy Gulics wrote:
Wow, bronze furniture. How much extra did that run you? Wink


The pommel is bronze on that one by default. So just the guard is different. I'd email Albion to get a price quote for that customization. I'd hate to speak out of turn, or give a price that's not current.

I know A&A used to charge the same for bronze or steel fittings, but I heard they may be changing that or phasing out bronze as a same-price option.

Happy

ChadA

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