[Patrick Kelly]

That's an impressive package. I'll bet you'll be quite thrilled with it. A&A did a great job of bringing it all together and I love the coloring on the grip.

[J.D. Crawford]

I've had this word for a few weeks now but haven't had much time. Now here are some pictures, and the words will follow...

[J.D. Crawford]

And here I my impressions:

Background - I won't repeat everything from the start of this thread, except to say that the first photo above nicely demonstrates how lobed pommels persisted through Anglo-Saxon / Viking age swords (right) through transitional types (middle) to these high-to-late medieval survivals in Northern Britain.

Measurements:

ol: 40.25"
bl: 33.2"
bw at cross: 2"
bw 6" from tip: 1 15/16"
Blade thickness near cross: ~4mm
Blade thickness just past fullers: ~2mm
grip: 3.5"
COG: 6"
Harmonic Nodes: beneath cross/ecusson and 2/3 down blade
Blade pivot point: 10" from tip
weight: 2.8 lbs
Blade cross section: lenticular
Edge: sharp, perhaps a very tiny bevel

Fit and finish: outstanding as always from A&A; one would not know that this sword was reconstructed from parts originally intended for another sword. The peen is more visible than on the original Albion fully integrated peen, but still looks fine. The smooth blade is polished between satin and mirror, matching the hilt nicely. The only imperfections I can see on the blade are a few tiny wavers on the fullers. I'm quite happy with the way the grip turned out.

Handling Characteristics: I have not had much time to 'play' with this sword but its characteristics are exactly what one would expect from the stats above. This is not a particularly heavy sword, but it has almost no profile taper. A&A have done a remarkable job at keeping the weight down (on what could have potentially been a very heavy blade) by using a blade cross-section that is thin to begin with and tapers to a very flat cross section past the fullers. Still, it has a very blade-forward feel, especially when held statically. This is somewhat offset by the shape of the pommel when snuggled against the hand. A thicker handle would also help as well, but the handle shape is restricted by the cross and pommel design. None of this matters though, once the sword starts moving. As long as it keeps moving, it flows through the air nicely and is quite lively, but with the unique feel that comes with all that blade breadth near the tip. Subjectively, I would describe it as a feeling like riding a mustang that is not quite broken. This sword is clearly not designed to thrust. The tip does not want to go exactly where you aim it, and if it does hit the goal, the broad tip and flexibility of the thin blade would mitigate the effect on a target with any armor. On the other hand, the tip is well shaped for tip-cutting. Given the style of fighting and state of armor that we assume in the medieval highlands, this would have likely been considered acceptable.

Cutting Potential: I do not know because I have not tried, but could make a good guess from theory. Quite a few original medieval swords of the Xa and XIII varieties (although not many high-end modern replicas) have very little profile taper. Obviously there is cost to this in handling agility, so why would they do this? The answer is that really improves cutting ability, and that's a factor in real battle. A blade that is narrow and wide at the optimal striking point is optimized for cutting, and the added leverage of more weight further down the blade provides extra leverage in carrying the blade through the cut. This is quite noticeable when comparing how different blade types cut through big targets like pumpkins, and I'm pretty sure that holds for big pieces of meat too (hence the design of butcher knives). One thing that might reduce performance on this sword for cuts that do not hit the optimal striking point is that the flexible blade is quite prone to vibration (its comparable to the Albion Vigil in this regard, although perhaps even more so). Further, this proximal vibration node is a bit to far forward and would result in some vibration in the hand. This was always a risk in putting a heavier blade on this handle, so I am not surprised. All in all though, I think this should be a ferocious cutter as long as its handled and aimed properly. I may put this to the test when the weather outside is more welcoming.

Scabbard: I am not a huge scabbard guy, but asked for a basic, matching scabbard for display and storage. It was convenient to have this done at A&A to avoid further shipping and delays. The one additional I asked for was our family 'crest', which is not particularly historical for the piece but satisfies my feeling of connection with family roots. I am satisfied with the result.

Conclusion: I gave a tough assignment to A&A: build and refit a bigger blade to an existing hilt, and stay within the pretty tight parameters that I provided. They have done a great job at producing a beautiful sword that is likely as functional as it possibly could be given the existing parts and parameters that I provided. I am very happy with the result.

[Scott Kowalski]

Thank you for the write up on this J.D. The wide blade really does look better with the furniture then the Type XII blade did.

I have to ask what the XIIIb with the twin fullers is? It looks very interesting next to the other two blades of the same type.

I am also envious of the lobed pommel swords that you have. I am going to have to add one in the near future!

Once again, congratulations on having the courage to do this as well as job well done to Craig and the crew at A&A!

[J.D. Crawford]

[J.D. Crawford]

PS - the other thread I just listed has a comparison of the big Eastern European XIIIb against my Caithness before these mods. This gives a notion of how much this Scottish sword has changed: http://myArmoury.com/talk/files/contrast_566.jpg