I just ordered mine today. :D If you're waiting till the last minute to order one, let this be your courtesy call. VERY few left. Mike Sigman as always, is great to work with and Albion is very accommodating on payments.
Well, the Valkyrja certainly seems to have been something of a best-seller. :) Not quite my style, but, as I said a while back, the craftsmanship is simply stunning.
If you'll permit me to steer somewhat off-topic for a moment:
Does anyone know how quickly Albion's Doge is selling? I'm looking to buy one in the next couple months, finances permitting, so I'd like to know what my chances are of being able to purchase one.
If you'll permit me to steer somewhat off-topic for a moment:
Does anyone know how quickly Albion's Doge is selling? I'm looking to buy one in the next couple months, finances permitting, so I'd like to know what my chances are of being able to purchase one.
| J. Erb wrote: |
|
If you'll permit me to steer somewhat off-topic for a moment: Does anyone know how quickly Albion's Doge is selling? I'm looking to buy one in the next couple months, finances permitting, so I'd like to know what my chances are of being able to purchase one. |
The Doge has a limited edition of 500 swords (unlike the Valkyrja's 100), so I don't think you will have to worry about them running out for at least a few more years.
| Quote: |
| The Doge has a limited edition of 500 swords (unlike the Valkyrja's 100), so I don't think you will have to worry about them running out for at least a few more years. |
Thanks for the info. I knew the Doge was being made in a run of 500, but I hadn't been aware that the Valkyrja had only 100. I guess that would explain why they went so fast. ;)
Howard,
Do you really mean that a single piece of steel to make a sword costs in the order of US$250?? How so??? Surely the piece of steel isn't that large. Is it because it is a highly specialised alloy .. 6150??
Kind regards
Do you really mean that a single piece of steel to make a sword costs in the order of US$250?? How so??? Surely the piece of steel isn't that large. Is it because it is a highly specialised alloy .. 6150??
Kind regards
| Howard Waddell wrote: |
|
Hey Matt! We'd love to be able to make our swords for less. As it is, people work here for love, not money. Amy and I (and our investors) have actually been subsidizing every sword purchase even at these prices, since the business has lost money (we're talking hundreds of thousands) every year since we started. Steel has gone up and up - and is expected to more than double in price before the end of this or next year (not to mention getting harder to even get at any price, primarily because of the increased demand, just like oil, from India and China. For example: A billet - enough to make one sword - of one type of steel that we would like to use is now around $250 - $9 plus a pound - just for the piece of steel), bronze has gone through the roof, utilities have skyrocketed, shipping (materials to us) has skyrocketed, casting costs have gone up, and so on... We didn't raise prices this year so far, even though it is killing us. We are just hanging in, trying to survive long enough for the economy to get better, and for the inflation in our costs to slow, stop, or even (dream on) reverse itself... "More rare ? Well, okay" - think about how rare it would be if Albion went under... On that cheery note... With all gentle respect in return ... Best, Howy |
| Peter Busch wrote: |
| Do you really mean that a single piece of steel to make a sword costs in the order of US$250?? How so??? Surely the piece of steel isn't that large. Is it because it is a highly specialised alloy .. 6150?? |
Howy said:
| Quote: |
| of one type of steel that we would like to use is now around $250 - $9 plus a pound - just for the piece of steel), |
He did not say that one sword's worth of steel is $250, but that one piece of steel, in the size they buy it, costs $250. At $9 a pound, that's a 28 pound piece of steel--far more than one sword's worth.
| Nathan Robinson wrote: | ||||
Howy said:
He did not say that one sword's worth of steel is $250, but that one piece of steel, in the size they buy it, costs $250. At $9 a pound, that's a 28 pound piece of steel--far more than one sword's worth. |
Hi Guys!
Unfortunately, because of the way we mill our blade blanks, we generally start with a billet of steel that weighs between 14 and 28 pounds (depending on the length needed and thickness of steel) to mill a blank that may end up weighing between 1 and 3 lbs.
Because that is such a large percentage of scrap, we have tried many different ways to get the billet weight/size down, but we ultimately need clamping room with enough space for the tooling to clear the clamps, etc. So that means a larger billet. The Svante, for example, is milled from 1/2" steel, making the billet exponentially more expensive than a similar sized sword in 1/4" thick steel (not just 2x, since the price per pound of the steel and shipping are higher) . Steel prices range from around $1.50 a pound to $10 a pound, depending on the alloy and thickness.
We sell our scrap, of course, but it is at scrap prices, not what we paid for it. Someday we hope to be able to have it remelted, chemically adjusted and run out for us in various thicknesses, but we are still a little way away from that.
Steel prices, though they have an effect on us of course, are not even our largest cost , though every little bit hurts.
Best,
Howy
| Quote: |
| Someday we hope to be able to have it remelted, chemically adjusted and run out for us in various thicknesses, but we are still a little way away from that. |
Thanks for the explanation Howy; this is as interesting to me as the actual manufacturing process. Two questions, if you don't mind. First, can you explain a little more what you mean by "chemically adjusted and run out "?
The second question is to anyone who might happen to know. We know that stock removal was practiced historically at various times and places. What was done with the metal shavings? There must have been a way to recoup this loss of iron, or at least some very good applications for the waste product. The first thing that comes to mind is rust for ebonizing wood but that's an awfully petty use for such an important resource.
Since you mentioned the Svante, Howy, I'm obligated to remark that my Svante is AWESOME. It's currently at a jewelers where I'm having gems inlaid to the three little voids in the pommel. When it comes back I'll be posting ridiculous numbers of photos, and blathering on about how much I love my newly decorated Svante, etc, etc.
Albion deserves fame and fortune. I'll do what I can on both accounts. I hope the fortune isn't too far off for you.
jwe
Albion deserves fame and fortune. I'll do what I can on both accounts. I hope the fortune isn't too far off for you.
jwe
| Gavin Kisebach wrote: | ||
Thanks for the explanation Howy; this is as interesting to me as the actual manufacturing process. Two questions, if you don't mind. First, can you explain a little more what you mean by "chemically adjusted and run out "? The second question is to anyone who might happen to know. We know that stock removal was practiced historically at various times and places. What was done with the metal shavings? There must have been a way to recoup this loss of iron, or at least some very good applications for the waste product. The first thing that comes to mind is rust for ebonizing wood but that's an awfully petty use for such an important resource. |
Hay Gavin!
We don't do this ourselves, of course, but from what I have seen, this is what a steel mill would do (in simple terms that I can understand): Whenever you recycle steel (remelt), you usually have to skim out impurities it may have picked up along the way, mix it with some percentage of "virgin" steel. Then the chemistry of the entire melt needs to be adjusted in order for the steel to meet the specifications for that alloy - like the percentage of carbon and then other elements in the proper percentage, depending on the alloy, such as vanadium, chromium, tungsten, manganese, etc. Then it is poured and rolled out to various thicknesses, pickled to remove surface scale, and annealed to allow it to be more easily machined.
Does that help?
Best,
Howy
| Jonathan Eells wrote: |
| Since you mentioned the Svante, Howy, I'm obligated to remark that my Svante is AWESOME. It's currently at a jewelers where I'm having gems inlaid to the three little voids in the pommel. When it comes back I'll be posting ridiculous numbers of photos, and blathering on about how much I love my newly decorated Svante, etc, etc.
Albion deserves fame and fortune. I'll do what I can on both accounts. I hope the fortune isn't too far off for you. jwe |
Thanks, Jonathan! Peter and all of us here are really anxious to see what she looks like!
Best,
Howy
This may be a proposal impossible to do, but have you thought about clamping the billets in some other way, to reduce the needed size of the billet.
In the film showing manufacturing of the knight it is obvious that the billet has to be large as they are clamped from above, but if the clamping system was from behind or in line with the top surface, the tools would go free and the billets could be reduced to just a little large than the actual blade. I dont expect you to develop something on yourself, but there might already be something in the market, vacuum, electromagnets, etc.
Another thing, I want more high resolution pictures of your swords in your webpage!!!!
Often I see more attractive and seductive pictures of your swords in myArmoury than in your own webpage.
You should really develop this extremely simple way to sell in your beauties.
I want, grips in different colours, clouse ups from different angles, swords in hand to get an estimation of size and so on...
Best Regards
Stephan J
In the film showing manufacturing of the knight it is obvious that the billet has to be large as they are clamped from above, but if the clamping system was from behind or in line with the top surface, the tools would go free and the billets could be reduced to just a little large than the actual blade. I dont expect you to develop something on yourself, but there might already be something in the market, vacuum, electromagnets, etc.
Another thing, I want more high resolution pictures of your swords in your webpage!!!!
Often I see more attractive and seductive pictures of your swords in myArmoury than in your own webpage.
You should really develop this extremely simple way to sell in your beauties.
I want, grips in different colours, clouse ups from different angles, swords in hand to get an estimation of size and so on...
Best Regards
Stephan J
I would like to second the suggestion for better photo quality on the Albion site - considering the price point that Albion is at, better photos would show more details and allow for a closer view, allowing potential buyers to see exactly what they are getting and showing off more details, etc.
As for the price increase, if you didn't need to do it I'm sure you wouldn't; and I'd rather that you increase the price instead of going out of business. :)
As for the price increase, if you didn't need to do it I'm sure you wouldn't; and I'd rather that you increase the price instead of going out of business. :)
| Howard Waddell wrote: |
| Unfortunately, because of the way we mill our blade blanks, we generally start with a billet of steel that weighs between 14 and 28 pounds (depending on the length needed and thickness of steel) to mill a blank that may end up weighing between 1 and 3 lbs.
Because that is such a large percentage of scrap, we have tried many different ways to get the billet weight/size down, but we ultimately need clamping room with enough space for the tooling to clear the clamps, etc. So that means a larger billet. The Svante, for example, is milled from 1/2" steel, making the billet exponentially more expensive than a similar sized sword in 1/4" thick steel (not just 2x, since the price per pound of the steel and shipping are higher) . Steel prices range from around $1.50 a pound to $10 a pound, depending on the alloy and thickness. We sell our scrap, of course, but it is at scrap prices, not what we paid for it. Someday we hope to be able to have it remelted, chemically adjusted and run out for us in various thicknesses, but we are still a little way away from that. |
It's too bad you guys aren't more into daggers. If you were and it was possible, you might be able to get a sword blank and a dagger blank (hopefully more than one) out of each billet. Or maybe a sword blank and some of the more simple guard shapes you do, like some of the rectangular section ones on the Squire line swords. I don't know how your CNC works, of course, but getting more out of a billet would seem to be a good idea if at all possible. :) Simple guard shapes would cut down on molding and outsourcing casting, but might require more drilling and refining to shape.
If you were able to get simple rondels for rondel daggers and a basic dagger blade out of the leftovers in your billets, that might be interesting for everyone. :)
Just some thoughts.
I thought you got a new, larger C&C machine that would also better accomidate the larger blades?
| Chris Artman wrote: |
| I thought you got a new, larger C&C machine that would also better accomidate the larger blades? |
CNC :)
Computer-Numerically Controlled (interesting read)
| Quote: |
| We sell our scrap, of course, but it is at scrap prices, not what we paid for it. Someday we hope to be able to have it remelted, chemically adjusted and run out for us in various thicknesses, but we are still a little way away from that. |
This makes me wonder about how less reputable companies deal with scrap. :eek: I'm sure that at least a few go to a lot less trouble than you've described to get the most out of the steel they purchase.
This thread is just torturous. Every time it gets a bump I think it’s Mike telling us that the last one has been sold. I really want one of those swords, but after my recent acquisitions, I just can’t justify it right now. Why must you torment me with what I can’t have! ;)
Alas. I shall have to look forward to the Museum Line version, and ensure that my bank account is ready to strike when that day comes. :D
Alas. I shall have to look forward to the Museum Line version, and ensure that my bank account is ready to strike when that day comes. :D
Command & Conquer :) hehe... yea...
Sorry Sam :)
| Quote: |
| This thread is just torturous. Every time it gets a bump I think it’s Mike telling us that the last one has been sold. |
Sorry Sam :)
Oh, it's not as bad as all that. I'm sure when I have my Svante in hand, I won't worry as much about the one that got away. The Valkyrja is just stunning, though. Every detail is perfect. It's good that there will be a Museum Line version. That one will not elude me so easily. :D
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