Postby Benjamin Smith » Wed Oct 01, 2008 2:51 pm
People ask me “Why should I pay 2-3 time the amount of money for a sword from Albion when I could get a similar weapon for much cheaper?” My simple answer: proper weapons encourage proper technique. Yeah you could get a “sword” for $350, but the difference between the two brands is pretty big. Hanwei, Cold Steel, Del Tin, and others all make/made swords in that price range, but none of them have the depth of research, quality of workmanship, or attention to detail that Albion has.
One example Hanwei’s Hand-and-a-half model compared to the Albion Crecy. You can see the difference on in the stats and Hanwei’s rather vague commitment to quality. Hanwei’s piece is heavier, has a CoG that doesn’t quite fit, and a design philosophy that doesn’t even take pivot points into account. The pommel is obviously unrealistically large for a solid pommel (as opposed to a ring-hilt variety with a hollow center), and the blade is almost certainly too simplistic in shape for an “Authentic replica of [a] Museum Piece.”
I have handled both blades. The Crecy has a generally more fluid feel, encourages proper cutting technique, its point is easy to control, absolutely glides from stance to stance, and cuts like a dream. The Hanwei, while a cut or two above most of the older “replica” swords I’ve seen doesn’t compare, it is heavier, requires more torque to rotate, more effort to move laterally, and has a slower point. The difference that solid and detailed research makes is tremendous. Reasonable persons ask do three ounces, a few changes in profile and distal taper, historical cross-sectional variation, and a properly sized, shaped, and weighted pommel really make that big a difference. My short answer is yes. I’ve never seen a modern reproduction superior to an Albion Next Generation line. Some top researchers who have handled the real things in museums say that they feel that these are the closest you can get to the real thing these days. In my mind if this is what the “real things” were like, that’s what I want, and I won’t settle for less.
I will highly endorse purchasing an Albion, any Albion, because of the extensive research behind them. If you're looking for a single hander the Oakeshott model is an unusual style, only one of it's blade type is known in Europe if my memory serves me correctly (it is not a typical type X by any means I'd even argue it's not a type X), however, it is a historically based model and would serve you well.
Respectfully,
Ben Smith
I will be staying in Leicester but will have the option to travel a lot so even locations in Scotland or Ireland could work. Also, i would like to attend an ARMA training session if i have the time, only as an observant naturally. Any groups close to Leicester?
Thank you for the thorough answer though!
