[P. Cha]

I wouldn't say inadequate...but I wouldn't say good either . You can stab...but it is generally much better to cut.

[Paul Watson]

Without wanting to step on any toes the only valid testing of a sword is against the armour it was expected to face. I have made comments about what I have cut with my Knight but they were given in the context of backyard cutting only.

[James H.]

Thanks, I'll just sheath my blade in the joints, just to be on the safe side.

[James H.]

Hey, I am not sure I can use this thread for this question or if it would be better to start a new thread. Basically the web sit Kult of Athena has the Albion Next Gen Knight for price listed as $774.00 and was wondering if this is a good dealer. What brings this question up is on the stock photo the blade does not have the Albion mark stamped on the blade. Maybe it is an old stock photo from before Albino started stamping the mark on their blades, if there was a time before? The picture is of the side where they usually mark their blades judging from their site and this site pictures. (I think I would still get it cheaper from the Albion site with their 10% discount for military but like to keep my options open.) Thanks.

[Chad Arnow]

[Toney Lauffer]

I read through quite a few of the posts here and though it has been said before, in so many words, I cannot resist throwing in my two cents.
Ever since I learned of Albion, and read about how they finish their swords and hilt furniture, I've been sold on them ever since. That is, that the Tangs are full length and full width. The guards are wedged into position, the pommel set and then HOT peened in place. Then the handle wood and leather is applied, just as the origionals were made. Though these details will never be seen they are, to me, indespensable as the omission of even that slight bit of extra steel in the handle (Tang) will affect the handling characteristics of the blade. All other makers I've run across, except of course the custom makers, use rebated tangs and weld threaded round stock to them. I actually bent the round stock of my Del Tin Sempach while "playing' with it when I smashed the pommel through a particle board desk This cracked the handle wood. I was able to rehandle and cover it and restraighten the tang. I think it would be nearly impossible to bend a true full tang.

I've heard it said that modern swords, like the Atrims are designed the way they are, with the threaded tangs, for ease of maintenance, that is, you can take them apart to care for the steel in the tang. I don't know why this should be an issue as the period pieces seemed to last forever with proper care, despite heavy usage. I may be overlooking a historical fact which would be unknown to me, which would be that it's possible that back in the day a warrior may have taken his sword to a cutler to have his weapon thoroughly cleaned and rehandled. I don't know for sure if that is true or not.

On the Albion Mark. As Chad Arnow pointed out ,and as far as I know, Albion has always marked their blades.

Oh, I'm new here by the way. Been thinkin about joining for a while now, finally did it. I'm registered at a number of other forums as well; Blade Forums, Armour Archive, Sword Forum, and now this one. Looks great so far

[Chad Arnow]

[Thomas Jason]

There is absolutely no need to regularly dismount a western sword for cleaning, maintenance or storage.

None whatsoever.

When the leather on the grip goes send it to a cutler or replace it yourself. Even then, there should be no need to dismount the sword.

If for some reason the wood in the grip is damaged, you still don't need to dismount it if you have to replace the grip.

Anyone who tells you otherwise is trying to spin their un-historical manufacturing methods.

[Justin King]

[Thomas Jason]

[Justin King]

I wasn't trying to say that you are wrong per se, just that there is usually more than one way to see these things. You are right that the grip could be replaced in two halves without removing the pommel but it if this were the only "right" way to do it I would expect to see most if not all original swords built this way in the first place, which they are not.
You also have a point that the tang need not be inspected as you can just throw the sword away and get a new one if there is any reason to question the tang's integrity, but many modern users will want the option of dismounting it to inspect it before putting money down for a new one. I would.

[Rod S.]

James asked about the relative ease of sharpening different brands of swords. Albion's pieces, and I expect Gus's as well, have the historic appleseed edge geometry, which requires more work than the modern flat bevel edge found on knives. An excellent reference on sharpening such blades can be found in the chapter "How to Sharpen a Sword," writen by Peter Johnsson and David Lindholm, in the Lindholm and Svard book "Sigmund Ringeck's Knightly Art of the Longsword" (ISBN 10: 1-58160-410-6; ISBN 13: 978-1-58160-410-8). I highly recommend that book for martial studies, BTW.

Rod

[James H.]

Thanks Rod, amidst all the discussion I almost forgot one of the most important part (at lest to me) how to keep the edge. I'll check out the book. Sounds like some interesting reading there. About the pommel. I really did not even think they had nuts and bolts in the13th century. But (I am not sure if Angus Trim is started his business making eastern swords or western) but he may have made the pommel and hilt fittings removable for long term storage of the blade as well as tang inspection which seems reasonable. I know when it comes to Japanese swords (the Katana especially) it is stressed to remove the blade from it's fittings for proper storage. I am not sure why, It is also stress to NEVER cleaned the tang of this blades, I Imagen that it might weaken the tang? But I do know it is the dark aging on the tang of these swords that helps to determine the actual age of it. (but that is more of a concern developed by modern collectors I believe.)

[Toney Lauffer]

Chad Arnow'
Thanks for the link to that other discussion. It was REEEEALLY interesting reading the posts by Angus Trim and Peter Johnson. I used the sandwich method when I rehandled my Del Tin Sempach with a waisted grip. Hopefully I can find a couple pictures of my first ever attempt at such a thing. The origional was definatly cored and since I didn't feel like messing with attempting to remove the pommel I just split a hammer handle in half and routed out the middle to fit the tang. As you might note, it's not exactly the best in the world. I didn't do a great job of sanding the wood perfectly smooth and so you can see some imperfections through the leather. And, somehow, the cordage I used underneath got a little thinner in one part of the fat part making up the waist so it's a wee bit asymmetrical. Oh well, lessons learned, this is my beater anyway. One day I'll rehandle it again
But, one thing really puzzles me. WHY would anyone, past or present weld a tang to a blade at the blade/guard junction after the forging of the blade? This seems to me an extra and very unnecessary step. Can you share a bit more about that with me, or gimme another link?

[Chad Arnow]

Toney,
Why weld it on? To preserve good steel for the blades, maybe. Or to have a softer tang for shock absorption or to reduce breakage by using a softer material. Or some combination. Here's one thread about: http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=10061 . The search function will probably find more.

On a side note, why do you refer to that Del Tin as a Sempach? It's really nothing like the Sempach family of swords (see Albion's Sempach for an example). Is yours a discontinued model? Looks neat.

[James H.]

[Nathan Robinson]

This has turned out to be a pretty informative thread that has wandered off-topic a bit in all the best ways. Nice job, everyone.

[Toney Lauffer]

[P. Cha]

[Toney Lauffer]