Albion Squire Line

[ColinWheeler]

I received my new type XIIa Squire Line sharp from Albion about two weeks ago, and after a several sessions of flouryshing and cutting with it, I am quite pleased. Despite having what feels to my finger like an only partially sharp edge (too many years spent making my knives shaving-razor sharp) the blade cuts quite nicely. I started out making cuts on a few wet straw mats and some 3L soda bottles full of water. Yesterday I made a bunch of targets like David Lindholm recommends in his book, using thick-walled non-brittle platic pipe wrapped with damp newspaper and duct tape. The Albion sword cut beautifully on all of the targets I have tried it on thus far, the only poor cuts being due to my errors. I was able to cleave cleanly through several of the thicker pipe-and-paper targets, some of whick were about as thick as my calf.
The blade feels strong and solid but very comfortably balanced... despite its heft at 3.5 lbs, it feels authoritatively nimble in my hands, and it stops or changes direction on a dime. I can torque the blade around from false-edge unterhau to zwerchau at full speed, and it just feels so right, no play in the hilt furniture at all. I think I finally understand viscerally what JC is always talking about when he says a properly made sword feels like it just WANTS to cut something. This one practically begs me to flourysh and cut with it every time I pick it up. Way to go Albion.

[Randall Pleasant]

Colin Wheeler wrote:
...what feels to my finger like an only partially sharp edge...

Colin

The description of the Squire Line on the Albion site states:Edge geometry is taken to a "flat" edge, for safety in reenactment and swordsmanship training. Thus, your sword should not be razor sharp. Ernie Perez of the ARMA DFW study group has the "13th Century Great Sword" of the Squire Line, his sword too is best described as un-sharpen rather than blunt.

[ColinWheeler]

Yes, I know that...I spent quite some time discussing the final bevel with Mike Sigman, Albion's sales rep. I paid for the sword to be delivered sharp, not with a rebated edge, and it was delivered thus. My comment refers to the fact that a "sharp" edge on a large cutting sword and "sharp" on a 4" folding lockback are two entirely different things. The edge one would place on a knife would fold over far too easily, and require too much maintainance on a sword. My fingers are used to feeling the tiny frictional differences between paper-slicing sharp and "shave-my-forearm-clean-in-one-pass" sharp on my knife edge. Hence, what is quite functionally shqrp on a warsword feels a bit dull to my fingertips, as they are calibrated for knives.

[GaryGrzybek]

Yes, the Squire line is definately worth looking at. They handle much better than any of the Del Tins I've had and for about the same price. My study partner Bruce Magee has the Squire Bastard sword and we put it through some good drills only to find very little scratches afterward. The edges are more accute than DT's so any free play needs to be done with good control.