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Which blade type should my next sword be?
Oakeshott Type XIa
41%
 41%  [ 15 ]
Oakeshott Type XIIIb
58%
 58%  [ 21 ]
Total Votes : 36

Author Message
Scott Kowalski




Location: Oak Lawn, IL USA
Joined: 24 Nov 2006

Posts: 818

PostPosted: Mon 02 Feb, 2009 4:58 pm    Post subject: Help me decide.         Reply with quote

As the title says I would like some help from my fellow forumites. I am looking for input on what type my next sword purchase should be. I have even given you a poll to vote in for this. My thoughts on the two choices and what I would like them to look like follows. I need to get my design team working on mock ups of the hilts that I will post here for comments and constructive criticisms.

Type XIa concept
- 34-1/2” long blade 2”-2.25” wide at the guard (width subject to maintaining weight & handling) with a fairly acute point
- Type A brazil-nut pommel
- Straight Style 1 cross
- 2-3/4 to 3 pounds maximum as low on this scale as feasible
- worn looking dark brown grip, leather over cord with wooden core

Type XIIIb concept
- 31” long blade 2.25”-2.5” wide at the guard (width subject to maintaining weight & handling)
- Type W pommel
- Straight Style 4 cross with a round cross section
- 3 to 3-1/4 pounds maximum as low on this scale as feasible
- worn looking light brown grip, leather over cord with wooden core

Just to let all of you know my two swords are an ATrim 1423 Type XIIIa hilted by Christian Fletcher and an Albion Next Gen Squire so I have the years 1240-1350 well covered. I know that the XIa would give me a much earlier time frame to play with while the XIIIb falls right into the time frame I already have covered. This works for me since my main area of interest falls right at 1300 give or take a decade on either side of that.

So have at it brethren and help me decide!


Last edited by Scott Kowalski on Mon 02 Feb, 2009 7:14 pm; edited 3 times in total
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Tim Lison




Location: Chicago, Illinois
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PostPosted: Mon 02 Feb, 2009 6:24 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I cast my vote for the XIa. A truly underdone sword type for some reason.... I'm a sucker for type A pommels too! Make sure you post pics of whatever you choose!!!!
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Scott Kowalski




Location: Oak Lawn, IL USA
Joined: 24 Nov 2006

Posts: 818

PostPosted: Mon 02 Feb, 2009 7:10 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Thank you for the vote Tim. I seem to remember having a conversation about XIa's after you received your XI from A&A. Which is honestly one of the things that made me take a closer look at the XI and XIa.

To everyone else, please feel free to chime in why you voted the way you did and any other thoughts you may have.

Scott
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D. Bell




Location: New Zealand
Joined: 01 May 2004

Posts: 73

PostPosted: Mon 02 Feb, 2009 8:26 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I don't think I would categorise the first sword you describe as a type XIa; based on the listed dimensions I would think that type XI would be a better fit. With just two examples and the only description being a very broad blade with a narrow fuller running almost full length there's plenty of room for interpretation, but personally I doubt that a 34-1/2” long, 2”-2.25” wide blade would look particularly broad.

I voted for the Type XIIIb because it fits into your main area of interest and should have distinctly different handling from either of the other swords you own.

An armed society is a polite society.
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P. Cha




PostPosted: Mon 02 Feb, 2009 9:56 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I voted for the XIIIb as well...you just don't see very many of those.
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Bill Tsafa




Location: Brooklyn, NY
Joined: 20 May 2004

Posts: 599

PostPosted: Mon 02 Feb, 2009 10:59 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I voted for the Type XIIIb with the 31" blade. The other one with the 34" blade may be a little bit more difficult to handle. You can't know for sure unless you actually handle it, but the 31"inch blade is a safer bet for a single handed cutting sword I think.
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Luka Borscak




Location: Croatia
Joined: 11 Jun 2007
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PostPosted: Tue 03 Feb, 2009 4:38 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I voted for XIa, but it really should be a bit broader to be different enough from regular XI.
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Scott Kowalski




Location: Oak Lawn, IL USA
Joined: 24 Nov 2006

Posts: 818

PostPosted: Tue 03 Feb, 2009 5:06 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Thank you all for the votes and comments. So from what you are telling me I should bump the X!a to 2.25" to 2.5" to truly make it that type. Or should it be even wider?

Please keep the votes and ideas coming. I will hopefully be posting rough mockups of the two hilts in the near future. It might not be at the same time but they will be posted eventually.

Scott
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Luka Borscak




Location: Croatia
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PostPosted: Tue 03 Feb, 2009 11:32 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I think 2.5" would be enough. Btw, does anybody know the measures of the XIa with spherical pommel from XIa features on this site? Blade length, width, weight? I would say its blade is shorter than 34" so it might only look wider, maybe it
isn't much more than 2".
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Scott Kowalski




Location: Oak Lawn, IL USA
Joined: 24 Nov 2006

Posts: 818

PostPosted: Tue 03 Feb, 2009 3:20 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Luka Borscak wrote:
I think 2.5" would be enough. Btw, does anybody know the measures of the XIa with spherical pommel from XIa features on this site? Blade length, width, weight? I would say its blade is shorter than 34" so it might only look wider, maybe it
isn't much more than 2".


Are you talking about XIa.3 Luka? The one with the odd pmmel for this type. I just want to be sure which one you are speaking about.

The original reason I went with the 2"-2.25" was that most of the XI I have seen seem to be under 2" wide at the cross. Combine that with little profile taper and it will appear to be a wide sword. At least to me.

Does anyone else have any thoughts or ideas?

Scott
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Luka Borscak




Location: Croatia
Joined: 11 Jun 2007
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PostPosted: Tue 03 Feb, 2009 3:48 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Yes, that is the one. It looks quite wide but it might be the effect of very little tapering. I don't know, somebody with more experience and maybe first hand knowledge on such swords could have some ideas.
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Nicholas A. Gaese




Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Joined: 06 Aug 2007

Posts: 100

PostPosted: Tue 03 Feb, 2009 7:26 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

The one that I had voted for was the type XIIIb just because for that width of blade it might be safer to go with the 31'' blade. However, had you changed the other option to a regular type XI instead I might had reconsidered. As far as the earlier sword types go they are one of my favorites, as I like the proportions of these blades and the hilt shape.

That said, between a choice of either a moded Atrim or an Albion squire (Knightly I'm assuming), I don't think there is a bad choice Happy .
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Scott Kowalski




Location: Oak Lawn, IL USA
Joined: 24 Nov 2006

Posts: 818

PostPosted: Wed 04 Feb, 2009 5:12 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Nicholas A. Gaese wrote:
That said, between a choice of either a moded Atrim or an Albion squire (Knightly I'm assuming), I don't think there is a bad choice Happy .


Actually Nicholas it is not an Albion Squire line sword it is an Albion Next Generation Squire Type XVI sword. So even better!

I agree about the length to width ratio though XIa's were supposed to get to lengths of 37" which one handed I could really only see being used effectively from horseback. You could obviously use it dismounted but the best use I would presume would be against the PBI while mounted.

Scott
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Scott Kowalski




Location: Oak Lawn, IL USA
Joined: 24 Nov 2006

Posts: 818

PostPosted: Thu 05 Feb, 2009 3:19 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I'd like to thank everyone who has taken the time to vote in the poll and also to give their input. At the moment this is a future project for me due to the current economic situation. I just like to get all my ducks in a row and have a plan.

Now for the twist on this. This not a matter of which one I am going to buy but which one I am going to have made first! Big Grin

Scott
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