ModernChivalry.org
Main => The Armoury => Topic started by: Sir Nate on 2014-10-31, 00:18:38
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The Albion Hospitaller Review.
Oakeshott type XI
This Sword Is wonderful, It came well packaged, and no Damage at all.
Lets look at the characteristics, it meets all of the specifications on the Albion website that are stated
and it cuts beautifully. I cut Cabbages and Bananas with it easily.
The Blade itself has excellent balance, is light, and a wonderful feel. the grip is comfortable, and the Peening was done to a perfectly.
This is overall A wonderful sword.
Specs (as on the albion website)
Total length: 40" (102 cm)
Blade length: 33.75" (86 cm)
Blade width: 1.88" (4.8 cm)
CoG: 5.25" (13 cm)
CoP: 22" (56 cm)
Weight: 2 lbs 10.2 oz (1.2 kilos)
The Sword Cost $840, plus shipping.
I would say it is worth its price.
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That is a nice sword, Naythan. I don't see very many Type XI's out there, but I am a fan of them overall.
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A very nice sword indeed!
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Congrats!
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Congrats, and a fine choice!
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A nice blade. :)
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Holding an Albion always makes me realize how unlike a sword most other swords are. You've invested a lot of money in a sword, but you've got one really great sword :)
Have you decided whether to commission a scabbard to go with it yet?
Scott
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Holding an Albion always makes me realize how unlike a sword most other swords are. You've invested a lot of money in a sword, but you've got one really great sword :)
Have you decided whether to commission a scabbard to go with it yet?
Scott
Ha, a fine scabbard will have to wait. Right now Im trying for a cheaper one that allows me to keep the blade relevantly safe and to carry it. (Experimenting with cloth and Duck tape ;))
I especially love this blade because It feels so suited to me. That's one of the things I felt I was paying for over other sword sites, They never had enough Options that allowed me to find a sword that I had no problem with. Im willing to buy not only one of the best, but also a sword I will always love. (Money can buy happiness then?)
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Ha, a fine scabbard will have to wait. Right now Im trying for a cheaper one that allows me to keep the blade relevantly safe and to carry it. (Experimenting with cloth and Duck tape ;))
Duct tape and cloth will eventually be cut through by your sharp sword. You need something more resistant to cutting like leather.
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Cloth and tape will suffice for storage in your closet, but not for carrying around. You should buy a scabbard that you'll love as much as you love your sword. I recommend DBK Custom Swords & Scabbards.
http://www.dbkcustomswords.com/ (http://www.dbkcustomswords.com/)
I own several of these which you can find on his gallery, which is amazing. Brian is especially good at making scabbards to fit Albion swords, and he has many Albion's in his shop so he can make the scabbard to fit your sword without shipping the sword to him. Of course there are always minor variations in each sword so the fit may not be perfect, but all the ones he's made for me have been great. With the extra options like historical suspension in the period of your sword and all the potential embellishments you can go for (dyes, risers, hand tooling, metalwork, etc), I doubt you can find a better scabbard anywhere on earth. That kind of quality won't be cheap, but he does make more austere scabbards as well that are still nicely made and historical for less cost than your sword.
There are many other worthy options around as well. Do your self a favor and invest in a really good scabbard the first time. Buying a cheap one will only be a waste of money when you eventually get tired of looking at your $800 sword in a crappy $100 scabbard that doesn't do it justice.
Scott
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Cloth and tape will suffice for storage in your closet, but not for carrying around. You should buy a scabbard that you'll love as much as you love your sword. I recommend DBK Custom Swords & Scabbards.
http://www.dbkcustomswords.com/ (http://www.dbkcustomswords.com/)
I own several of these which you can find on his gallery, which is amazing. Brian is especially good at making scabbards to fit Albion swords, and he has many Albion's in his shop so he can make the scabbard to fit your sword without shipping the sword to him. Of course there are always minor variations in each sword so the fit may not be perfect, but all the ones he's made for me have been great. With the extra options like historical suspension in the period of your sword and all the potential embellishments you can go for (dyes, risers, hand tooling, metalwork, etc), I doubt you can find a better scabbard anywhere on earth. That kind of quality won't be cheap, but he does make more austere scabbards as well that are still nicely made and historical for less cost than your sword.
There are many other worthy options around as well. Do your self a favor and invest in a really good scabbard the first time. Buying a cheap one will only be a waste of money when you eventually get tired of looking at your $800 sword in a crappy $100 scabbard that doesn't do it justice.
Scott
Thank you for the link scott.
I am currently looking into Making a scabbard, with help from Ron Johnson, who has made scabbards before(and I have seen his scabbards, I do like his work) He charges a good price at 350 to 400 Dollars.
In the Meantime I cannot afford to purchase a scabbard that costs as much as the sword or close to it.
Ha, a fine scabbard will have to wait. Right now Im trying for a cheaper one that allows me to keep the blade relevantly safe and to carry it. (Experimenting with cloth and Duck tape ;))
Duct tape and cloth will eventually be cut through by your sharp sword. You need something more resistant to cutting like leather.
Will it offer more protection to the blade than CLP alone? It would simply be until I have a leather or Wood core scabbard for it.
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If you have only a light coat of CLP on the metal surfaces (not just the blade) that should be enough to protect it for a very long time. What I mean by "a light coat" is wipe it on well, then wipe it off with a clean, dry cloth. As long as no moisture ever gets to it, it will continue to look like new for decades.
A scabbard with a wool liner will keep the blade clean better.
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It's also worth pointing out, that if you put a "clean" blade (no oil or any other sealant, or insufficient sealant) into, or on top of, something that is made of fabric or paper, it will accelerate rust.
A good example would be the cheaper swords you can get online, that come with leather-only scabbards. If you don't oil it, and then just leave it in the scabbard, it will rust quite quickly. Same thing for leaving them on carpet. Fabrics and bare, rough leather will tend to draw moisture from the air and trap it on the surface of the blade.
If the blade is oiled properly before putting it into a scabbard, it will do fine. Over time, oil will also transfer to the scabbard interior and help protect the sword in the future. Scabbards with a wool interior will also help in this regard, because the wool contains natural oils.
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Nate, make sure you check online auction sites like ebay.com because you get lucky sometimes & find gold. I got my Albion Vigil scabbard and belt there at a bargain at it was customed by Christian Fletcher. Check often and you find great affordable deals.
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It's also worth pointing out, that if you put a "clean" blade (no oil or any other sealant, or insufficient sealant) into, or on top of, something that is made of fabric or paper, it will accelerate rust.
A good example would be the cheaper swords you can get online, that come with leather-only scabbards. If you don't oil it, and then just leave it in the scabbard, it will rust quite quickly. Same thing for leaving them on carpet. Fabrics and bare, rough leather will tend to draw moisture from the air and trap it on the surface of the blade.
If the blade is oiled properly before putting it into a scabbard, it will do fine. Over time, oil will also transfer to the scabbard interior and help protect the sword in the future. Scabbards with a wool interior will also help in this regard, because the wool contains natural oils.
Thank you for the Advice.
Nate, make sure you check online auction sites like ebay.com because you get lucky sometimes & find gold. I got my Albion Vigil scabbard and belt there at a bargain at it was customed by Christian Fletcher. Check often and you find great affordable deals.
I keep hearing of these tales, Yet they seem to prevail true.
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Thats a good sword you have there. Normally i'm not much into wheel pommels but the disk shaped one looks quite good. Though once we meet up again i'll have to see how it handles in comparison to my Ritter. Both the Ritter and Hospitaller have the same blade type. That sword should be good well into the 13th century as well, so pretty much you can use this if you ever decide to do the 13th century. Type XI swords are rare though so I'm not sure how common they were but personally I like them, even more than I do Type X swords.
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This thread has made me realize that I don't think I've ever met anyone who wasn't impressed by an Albion sword. Even for people not particularly fond of swords at all, all the effort they put into getting it right is not lost on anyone who holds one.
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Thats a good sword you have there. Normally i'm not much into wheel pommels but the disk shaped one looks quite good. Though once we meet up again i'll have to see how it handles in comparison to my Ritter. Both the Ritter and Hospitaller have the same blade type. That sword should be good well into the 13th century as well, so pretty much you can use this if you ever decide to do the 13th century. Type XI swords are rare though so I'm not sure how common they were but personally I like them, even more than I do Type X swords.
Well I do early 13th, late 12th, and am slowly moving into late 13th(with my greaves,cuisses, and surgarloaf, I am late 13th as it is)
yes, the sword handles great.
This thread has made me realize that I don't think I've ever met anyone who wasn't impressed by an Albion sword. Even for people not particularly fond of swords at all, all the effort they put into getting it right is not lost on anyone who holds one.
Just many that complain about the price.
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Albions are pricey, but I can't complain. Once you learn about swords and start making comparos between the Albion and anything from a lower price point - you begin to understand the why of it.
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Albions are pricey, but I can't complain. Once you learn about swords and start making comparos between the Albion and anything from a lower price point - you begin to understand the why of it.
Aye
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This thread has made me realize that I don't think I've ever met anyone who wasn't impressed by an Albion sword. Even for people not particularly fond of swords at all, all the effort they put into getting it right is not lost on anyone who holds one.
I had the misfortune of meeting one person who was not impressed by Albions as DoK. He had asked me what me swords were, I responded that they were Albions. He gave a sneer and downtalked them. Of course, nobody there ever took him seriously.
That sword should be good well into the 13th century as well, so pretty much you can use this if you ever decide to do the 13th century.
Type XI swords cover the 12th century almost exclusively. If you want a late 12th-mid 13th century blade, a Type XII would be most appropriate.
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This thread has made me realize that I don't think I've ever met anyone who wasn't impressed by an Albion sword. Even for people not particularly fond of swords at all, all the effort they put into getting it right is not lost on anyone who holds one.
I had the misfortune of meeting one person who was not impressed by Albions as DoK. He had asked me what me swords were, I responded that they were Albions. He gave a sneer and downtalked them. Of course, nobody there ever took him seriously.
That sword should be good well into the 13th century as well, so pretty much you can use this if you ever decide to do the 13th century.
Type XI swords cover the 12th century almost exclusively. If you want a late 12th-mid 13th century blade, a Type XII would be most appropriate.
I think It is Passable for early 13th.
certainly having it with a late 13th century kit would be more of a stretch.
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For Germany it's fine, they held onto the earlier designs longer. Hell type X blades were used until maille stopped being used as main defense. On Albion Europe's site it says the Ritter's main time period is 1250-1275. Hospitaller however it says 1100-1200.
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Albions are pricey, but I can't complain. Once you learn about swords and start making comparos between the Albion and anything from a lower price point - you begin to understand the why of it.
Yep. The attention to detail and close duplication of not merely the look, but the functionality of the originals is outstanding. Worth every penny, IMHO. The only one I've ever parted with was a Sempach, and that was only to trade for an old Johann Schmidberger piece (besides, I have a Crecy and decided I didn't need two swords from the same timeframe).
So I certainly do not complain about the price, but it does limit my ability to buy them, alas...