[Robert Burley]

Hi, I'm brand new to sword collecting and would appreciate a little advice on the following question. I'm looking to buy my first reproduction sword and have narrowed the choice down to the Albion Crecy, or the Valiant Amory Crecy, Savoy Bastard Sword, or Prescott.

As background, I'm a history buff (and graduate) and used to be a competitive fencer. So I'm looking for a sword that has a very high level of historical authenticity and that will feel historically appropriate in its handling characteristics.

As you can see from the list I've given above I'm interested in acquiring a Longsword to start my collection (I plan on adding an arming sword, then a rapier after that).

Clearly the VA swords, with their included scabbards and lower price point, represent a more economical choice than the Albion .. but cost is only one factor..

I'd greatly appreciate any advice from this community on the relative merits of these swords.

Many thanks,

Rob

[Roger Hooper]

If authenticity is important to you, you can't do better than Albion. Valiants are great swords at their price level, but not as good as Albions.

Look at swords from Arms and Armor. they are maybe a half step behind Albion, but don't cost as much. - http://www.arms-n-armor.com/

[Robert Burley]

Thank you Roger, that is much appreciated.

[Kuo Xie]

Hello, I have a Valiant Armory sword built on the Savoy blade, reviewed here: http://myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=31916&highlight=

It handles quite nicely and the construction feels very sturdy in the hands. I love the scabbard and belt, they are simple but well-built, and the scabbard especially fits the sword perfectly. No looseness, overly tight fit or unnecessary bulk; the sword is secure but slides right out with a firm grasp just the way it ought to. Some criticisms include: small blemishes in the blade finish, a strange ridge down the length of the fuller, and the seam on the grip leather is raising up a little bit with use. Nothing a little glue can't fix, and overall I am very happy with this sword.

I have handled about half a dozen Albions but I don't own any. Cosmetically the ones I saw were all pretty flawless. I never noticed any pits, blemishes or scratches so they are definitely a step up in terms of finish. Albions also have a lot of variations between models in terms of handling since they are patterned closely on historical blades, and they don't really compromise to make swords more "user friendly" to modern people. So for example their Hospitaller sword feels pretty tip heavy and clumsy to me, but presumably the originals felt that way too. On the other hand their Vigil and Squire feel incredible in my hand. I would try to make it to an event where Albion has a booth (like Gen Con in Indy for example) and handle before you buy, since Albions can feel so different from model to model.

[Robert Burley]

Kuo, thank you for taking the time to send this thoughtful and thorough reply. I appreciate your help and advice. Rob

[Joshua Anthony]

I would second the advice to look at Arms and Armor. Very solid quality.

[Mikko Kuusirati]

Albion is effectively unrivaled for historical accuracy in production swords, thanks to the painstaking hands-on research by Peter Johnsson on which their designs are based - if you want to find something more (or even as) faithful to historical sources and the archaeological record you'll have to look into custom pieces. They're also right up there on top in terms of overall quality and performance, followed closely by Arms & Armor (who do really great work aside from their apparent love affair with simple diamond cross-sections ) and somewhat less closely by Valiant Armory (although purely in terms of value for money I'd say VA is actually Number One).

If you can afford an Albion, you won't regret it... but the others aren't anything to scoff at, either! It's ultimately just a question of what appeals the most to you, personally, and how much you're willing to pay for it.

FWIW, by all accounts, the Crecy is a very lively cut-and-thrust sword and a joy to handle. It's a very middle-of-the-road, Jack-of-All-Trades design in the best of ways, flexible and balanced - it doesn't really excel at anything in particular, but performs reliably well at everything you could reasonably expect a Medieval sword to do. Kind of archetypal, even.

[Sam Barris]

As a former Crecy owner, I loved my Crecy. The quality was amazing (as with every other Albion I've owned), and in terms of a versatile hand-and-a-half with absolutely sweet handling and simple good looks, I'm not sure you could do much better. It might be the perfect place to start with reproduction swords (light years beyond the MRL stuff that many of us had to start with before there were so many better options). I let mine go to someone on this forum a year or so ago, but had a chance to play with another one at Gen Con where Albion had set up a table. My first thought picking it up was, "I miss my Crecy. Why did I ever sell mine?" I told Mike he might be getting a call from me to remedy my past poor judgment.

I have no firsthand experience with the others you named, but I stand by my obvious bias. The Crecy is a great sword.

EDIT: I see that A&A entered the conversation. I also own a few pieces from them and have never been anything but impressed, though I have more experience with their rapiers than their longswords. They'd be one of the first names to come to mind if I wanted something with some custom tweaks, though their stock pieces are pretty great, too. If you want an Albion blade with custom tweaks, you may look at Christian Fletcher. He's made most of the scabbards I own, and also does really great hilt work.

My final piece of advice is not to rush this decision. Savor it, and as someone else suggested, find a way to handle some of them in person if possible. Sometimes something that appeals to the eye fails to speak to the hand. And have fun!

[Craig Peters]

The Crecy is a fine sword. It reminds me of a long-sword version of Albion's Knight: a cutting sword that is finely balanced making it agile and capable in hand. Of course, the Crecy has a more acute point section than the Knight so it can thrust a bit more effectively, but in many ways the swords are similar. As others have stated, the Crecy is a very nice blend/compromise in being able to cut and thrust well. My only quibble with the Crecy, which could be entirely unfounded, is that I am not aware of any antique XVIa swords that have the Style 2 octagonal cross, but a cross of this style is certainly historically plausible for an XVIa sword.

[Kevin Coleman M.]

I own an Arms and Armour Schloss Erbach and am absolutely in love with it. I have never handled Albion's Crécy, but if it is as nimble as some of their other products, it would be a joy. As it goes, I do think Albion wins the in aesthetics, hands down. Their work is high art. Valiant is good, but as a guy who tried to save a few bucks with cheaper swords early on, I would advise saving for the Albion.