Finally took some pics today, and I went ahead and took a group shot of my whole order.
-Writhen Rapier (not pictured) with a practice blade: This is a hilt that I'd picked up second hand a little while back, and I had A&A put a practice blade on for practicing Bolognese swordsmanship. The quality is top notch: A nice, hard blade, safe enough for practice but handles like a very stout spada da filo. It isn't pictured because I forgot to bring it home from the fencing academy.
-German Rapier with nail head practice blade: Perhaps one of the most attractive of the entire A&A rapier line up (though its hard to pick just one favorite). I'd asked Craig to make a longer blade than the stock model, and A&A came through with flying colors. Despite having a different blade than the standard hilt, it was tapered nicely to compensate for this. It is very lively in both cut and thrust, and has just the right balance between flex on the debole of the blade and rigidity on the forte.
-12th Century Spear with rebated edge and take down shaft: This spear is the answer to my traveling prayers. I do a lot of demos for schools, libraries, special events, as well as teaching at various locations away from the academy, and it has always been difficult for me to carry spears around. I'd asked A&A to make me a blunt spear that could be broken down at the haft into two halves. I've seen some martial arts pole arms that do this, and all of them have been fairly flimsy. I have to admit, I wasn't expecting very much from this one based on those experiences, but A&A proved me wrong. They managed to have the piece fit together in such a way that it is rock solid... maybe not quite as perfect a solid haft, but really, really close. Further, they even used a steel sleeve over the connection that is surprisingly attractive.
-Polehammer: This one is essentially the stock model of warhammer that A&A sells, but with a longer haft. I love it. It really dispels the myth that poleaxe-type weapons are clunky and slow: It is very maneuverable in the hands while still packing one heck of a punch on the strike.
-Saxon Military Sword: I bought this sword because it is a very classic example of a military sword that clearly shows how hazy the definition of "rapier" is. Little did I know that it would become my favorite handling sword out of the entire A&A line up (and I've handled most of their swords). Its quite incredible, and most people who've handled it agree. It can easily make full cuts from the arm, but has fantastic tip control. It is very light and lively, and could easily be used with either the more spada da filo styled systems of fencing as well as the more point-oriented rapier styles.
-Elector of Saxony Parrying dagger with blued hilt: I bought this because it makes a nice match for the Saxon Military rapier. The standard model has a polished hilt, but I had it blued to further match the sword. This is a very attractive piece: The detailing on the hilt is very crisp, and the shaping is quite nice.
-Scabbards: I ordered scabbards for the rapier and dagger with the bronze fittings, as well as a simple one for my rondel dagger (which I already owned). Unfortunately, there was a problem with the bronze castings, so A&A wanted to redo them, and will ship them later.
-Poleaxe hafts: I'd ordered two poleaxe hafts, as I have two heads that I needed to fit, and the ones that A&A have are already shaped properly, saving me a lot of work.
