[Harry J. Fletcher]

After a long wait my Baron finally arrived. Both Mike Sigman at Albion and I were very relieved since it had been misdelivered on the first attempt by Albion to send it to me and had been returned to Albion. Hard working Mike Sigman of Albion had contacted me and arranged for it to be sent again but there were some tense moments when the UPS delivery driver did not show up as scheduled at the usual time and it was "Oh no, not again..." but the long anticipated white box finally arrived late that afternoon Thursday last. I did not have time to really get to know it well because I was getting ready for a weekend business trip and had to leave on Friday. Monday I prepared some Tameshigiri to be ready for cutting today. I did do some pool noodle cutting Monday but really could not get a feel for the sword as some of the cuts were ok but others were not. The Baron was just a bit on the heavy side for a fast cut which is what is really needed for noodle cutting. Today I readied the Tameshigiri and set it on my cutting stand and prepared to take that long anticipated first cut. The first cut went about half way thru about three inches from the top of the target. This bad cut was my fault since I had cut with the tip of the blade. The next cut was about six inches from the top of the target and cut cleanly thru it. I noticed I used a lot of power and realized that I had contacted with blade's edge well forward of the PoP yet the cut had severed the target cleanly. About four more cuts were made cleaver fashion and each cut severed a piece of the target cleanly. The Baron's blade is definitely a cutter. I didn't use any pull with my body like I do with a katana so I felt the resistance of the cut as the blade passed through it. The Baron's blade was just cleaving through the target pure and simple. I was very impressed with the brute power of the Baron.

Another observation I had of the Baron's handling qualities was that it felt lighter and more nimble when held with one hand although the power of the blade could not be utilized with control. This sword although having graceful lines was made not for finess but to deliver brute strength in the force of its blows, to cut thru mail, leather, and padded cloth to cleave flesh and bone. This is a sword for a strong and determined man intent on killing his enemies.