[Christopher Treichel]

Interesting discussion. As stated... I think it probably had to do with edge geometry... a very acute edge is good for soft targets and a thicker edge is better for hard targets such as bone.
A very thin edge while good at cutting soft targets will roll when it hits a harder object. It is also possible that when cutting the geometry of the cut is not perfect and if there is a wobble in the cut it can chip or roll or bend the edge even on a very good sword.

Sycthe used for cutting grass have a thin edge and back in the day there was even a small anvil that was kept at the job site for hammering edges back into line rather than sharpening the roll off from say hitting a rock.

Swords with an apple seed geometry or chisel shaped edges will simply have more meat behind the edge and be less prone to chipping or rolling.

Very sharp swords were sometimes intentionally dulled just a bit in order to prevent this as well. Many woodworkers will tell you when finished sharpening a chisel to a insane sharp edge... then drive it into a block of hardwood to remove the rolled edge from sharpening...

As to swords cutting through bone... here is an exerpt from Nakamura Taizaburo's book... referring to a scenario at the end of WWII.

At war's end I was in Kyushu and there were some difficult times as far as food was concerned. Our battalion kept 10 head of cattle and there was talk raised about selling the cattle to the local villagers. Private Sato, who was experienced at cooking beef and pork, said to me, "If you cut the necks of these cattle, I will cook them and feed the hungry soldiers and villagers." I replied, "Really, turning them into food is all right?" He strongly assured me, " By all means I will be responsible for taking care of the 'paperwork' and butchering. Rest assured and leave it to me." Therefore, I was determined to cut off the heads of the cattle. Company commander Ichihara was opposed, however Private Sato and three others began making preparations.

The cattle were so huge that I thought this was going to be quite difficult to cut through with a single stroke. A rope was prepared and a cow that came with us from Yamanaka was selected. Its head and torso were tied to two pine trees. On this one I used my own sword which was an unnamed shinshin-to (swords made from 1781 to 1886) which was 2 shaku, 3 sun, 5 bu in length (72 cm). I readied myself by spreading my feet wide and raised my sword high over my head in an O-jodan posture. In this instant I brought spirit, sword, and body together and cut downward. My blade cut through the jugular and carotid arteries right through the neck bone; however, I was only able to cut three-quarters of the way through the neck. Blood gushered out like a waterfall and, contrary to my expectations, it died without thrashing about wildly. The rope was untied and with great effort and difficulty the carcass was rolled over on its back. Private Sato began butchering the carcass.

Next, the skin was removed and spread out like a cloth upon which the left-over bones and internal organs were separated and placed on the left, and the meat on the right. I was extremely impressed with how beautifully the butchering was carried out. The bones and offal were cleaned, wrapped in the skin, and pit-roasted in the ground. The roasted beef was then equally distributed to the village and battalion. In those days when meat could not be had, every one was overjoyed.

Well, a beef stew-pot was later sent to me for my dinner. However, because I had cut off the head and killed the cow with my sword, every time I looked at the meat a vision of that fountain of blood came to mind. The imaginary smell of blood became so strong to me that I could not even choke down one bite.

Continuing the next day with the second cow, I borrowed my platoon leader's sword which was a shin-to (1597-1780) with a blade length of 2 shaku, 2 sun (67 cm). This time the cow's torso was not tied down. Only a short string was attached to a pine tree and I cut through this cow just like the first one. The cow's front legs buckled under and, as it fell forward, I cut through the neck with the my second stroke. Private Sato and three others prepared the meat and sent it to battalion headquarters; this, again, was much appreciated.

I killed the third cow the following day. An officer apprentice who came over from his hometown held out his sword and said, "Please take this sword and see how it cuts." His was a newly forged sword of 2 shaku, 2 sun, 3 bu (68 cm) in length. The cow was prepared and killed in the same way as the second. When this sword hit the bone, my grip felt a bit uncomfortable and I felt that the edge of the blade chipped at the monouchi (the cutting area from tip to about 40 cm down). I keenly feel that this was a weakness of newly made sword blades.

[Dustin R. Reagan]

[Nathan Robinson]

What ever happened to this? Did Albion fix the issue? Was there a fundamental flaw in your sword? How was your customer experience?

[John Malick]

I am also curious what the finnal opinion was from Albion.

[Dustin R. Reagan]

[Dustin R. Reagan]

I just received the swords. The Meyer is satisfactorily repaired. However, I am less than ecstatic about the repair job on the Soldat. I was told that they believed they could repair the edge "...where you don't notice it at all". Unfortunately, to me, the repair stands out quite obviously. They took about 2-3mm off the profile of the edge. There is an obvious 'step' in the profile of the blade, now, that starts a few inches above the guard. Furthermore, the blade had some light rust on it (nothing that i couldn't get out in a couple of minutes)...the blade looked and felt as though they didn't oil it before shipping.

Realistically, I understand that this is probably about as good of a repair as I should expect. And, of course, this sort of repair can be seen historically on virtually any blade that saw service. I am just a tiny bit disappointed. Bottom line: If I had known that this would have been the result, I would have saved the money it cost me to ship the swords and repaired the Soldat myself.

[Nathan Robinson]

[Brandt Giese]

Wow I am dissapointed. Thank you for sharing this with us.

[Bruno Giordan]

[P. Frank]

I feel your pain. Having myself receives a sword in the past I was eagerly waiting for only to find out that it came slightly rusted out of the box I know how that can sting.

Say would you maybe have pictures of the repair so we can compare? That would be very interesting.

[Craig Peters]

I've put some gouges into a couple of Albions by accident. One was to my Sempach, and another was to my Castellan. In both cases, I wish the the notches had not happened. As Bruno has said, one of the best things is to be able to embrace the damage done. The gouge and the resharpening is part of your Soldat's history, part of the use that you have gotten out of this sword practicing with it and learning from it as a functional tool of war. You can also use the refiling for educational purposes, to help illustrate to people in very concrete terms what a sword whose edge has been repaired looks like, just the way I use the edge gouges to illustrate the harm a blade suffers if there is an edge to edge impact. Since there really is nothing else that can be done, why not look for the positives in the situation?

[Patrick Kelly]

Years ago I learned to live with damage to my weapons. If you choose to use your sword it will induce wear and tear, regardless of the cost or quality. You're not an expert, none of us are when it comes to the use of the sword in the 21st century. Some of us are less amateurish than others, but none compare to our ancestors who used these weapons in earnest. I only mention this because it only increases the risk of damage through our own lack of competence. Our ancestors damaged their weapons profusely, and they were far more adept in their use than we are. If you choose to whack stuff with your chopper/sticker you're gonna' bugger it up, that's the reality.

The only issue I see doesn't lie in the quality of the product which is well established, or the fact that you chose to chop a bone with it since we've all done it. The only real criticism I can offer lies in this comment: "...where you don't notice it at all". If you were told this you really shouldn't have been. It sets up an unrealistic expectation on the customers part and disappointment is inevitable. If the sword were mine I would have simply repaired the damage myself and put the sword on my list of items unsuitable for bone whacking.

From now on do yourself a favor, view your swords in one of two ways: as a collectable that should only be enjoyed for its possession that way you'll never experience this angst again, or as a perishable commodity that's going to endure a bit of wear and tear during its service life.

[Dustin R. Reagan]

I apologize for being "a tiny bit disappointed" in the outcome. Even though I am apparently considered a "world class instructor" by my peers (https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1001468_604968956187603_61389049_n.jpg) and am myself a bladesmith (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150709860973451&set=pb.525818450.-2207520000.1372439100.&type=3&theater) I am simply an amateur of the sword who doesn't understand how swords work. I also have unreasonable expectations on how a sword should perform and/or how sword repair works. I understand that now. Thank you.

[Dustin R. Reagan]

[Nathan Robinson]

[Nathan Robinson]

[Dustin R. Reagan]

[Patrick Kelly]

Dustin,

You took personal issue where none was intended. I specifically painted with a broad brush by making a broad reaching statement with terms such as "we". You're right. I don't know you or your level of expertise, exactly why my statement was made in the general sense. However, anyone who claims to be an expert in the area of medieval swordsmanship has a vaunting ego that's best avoided. The very best of us are merely rediscovering a lost art through the forms of physical experimentation and the examination of period texts. All of this is open to wide interpretation and experimentation.

As such it's impossible to be an expert, unless one is an expert at experimentation in itself. We're all amateurs when it comes to resurrecting lost arts. The leaders in the field will tell you that very thing themselves. Assuming that our ancestors didn't know a bit more than we do, about a subject they spent their lives studying and refining for use other than as a form of recreation....................well, that's doesn't speak well to ones ego and sense of humility. Within my personal and professional circles I'm considered an expert with firearms, something I've been studying for thirty years. In my mind nothing could be further from the truth, I'm just a student of the subject who happens to be better than the other students in the group. My ego doesn't come into play and I'm constantly looking for others who know more than I do.

It's unfortunate you've had a negative experience. Hopefully your next transaction will be better.

[Patrick Kelly]

[Brandt Giese]

Perhaps I read wrong but it sounded to me as Albion did not fix the blade to their best ability. I also came to the understanding that it left their shop unprotected and arrived with rust, albeit light rust but rust none the less that the customer had to remedy. I should think a top production manufacturer would protect their reputation and the customer's loyalty by performing the repair to their best ability taking the care required to ensure total costumer satisfaction, whether to make the patron happy or to maintain their reputation knowing that this was a high profile fix followed by the myArmoury comunity. Perhaps indeed as a Albion loyalist my expectations are too high.