Customer testimonials

NG Duke

First of all i want to tell you that i recieved my sword today,"the Duke" is a fascinating sword,light like a feather and with a very powerful presence,never before i held a sword in my hand that earned the title "sword" more than this one,i can't think of putting it out of my hands since i first held it,simply great,Albion clearly stays true to its philosophy of only offering "the real deal" to sword fanatics!! The only thing that is missing now is a scabbard and belt for this amazing piece of history in my hands,thanks a lot to you and Albion!

Wolfgang, Austria

NG Duke

It is long past due for me to write to you in some more detail about the beautiful swords I received. Oddly enough I am reminded of a quote from 'Lord of the Rings', the first movie. Upon entering Moria Gimli the Dwarf speaks '...And they call it a mine!'. You can almost feel how he ponders the silliness of anyone who would call a great Dwarven-keep a mere mine. It is a bit the same with especially the Duke -it almost feels as if the mere word cannot entirely do justice to what it is meant to represent. What struck me most about the Duke is how incredibly massive and imposing the blade is. Even pictures and descriptions combined -who clearly state that there is little taper to have an as large as possible cutting section- do not prepare you for the size and presence of the blade. The grip itself almost seems small and fragile (that it is not can easily and pleasantly be resolved by picking up and wielding the sword!). Another odd thing is that while writing I do not persé feel the elation I felt when first opening the case and picking up the sword (by which, I hastily add, I certainly do not wish to indicate any disappointment or such!). There is almost a sort of regret. It is regret born from the fact that in our day and age a magnificent sword like the Duke can never reach its full potential. You can never wear it on your hip during the day (barring perhaps historical events), you can never draw it and see your opponent pale in fright, you can never swing it for real against an opponent or feel it hit home in the knowledge that you have a superior weapon made by craftsmen. Apart from not being allowed to wear it, that is a good thing. I would certainly not want to be in a situation where I was forced to draw the Duke and use it in earnest. Yet part of me cannot help wonder what it would be like, or feel a twang of melancoly at knowing that I will never know. I had expected to feel a great many things when receiving and holding the Duke, but this was not among them. On the other hand -I do not want to make this too melancholic a tale- the biggest compliment came from my beautiful beloved, who simply said 'It fits you.'. And I feel it does. To return to 'Lord of the Rings', where it not that I want to keep my fingers off the blade for fear of rust, I would hold it and stroke it and whisper things like 'My own... My... prrreciousss...' :-). Two other things struck me, mostly because I had these two arrive at the same time. One is that all three Albion-swords I have at the moment (and I feel they will not be the last :-) ) is that it is not until you set them in motion that you feel their real balance and character. I have the distinct feeling that Albion-swords are not meant to merely hang or be held. They do not only want to be swung, they must be. It is not until they move that you really feel how shape and balance work together to give you crisp control and performance. The second is that it was not until having my Albion-blades that I began to feel and perhaps even understand a little the differences of character between swords of different types. I think it is safe to say that with a I:33, a Duke and a Liechtenauer I have a nice little cross-section of swords, and each of them has a different character. That has one major drawback -now I want even more Albion-swords (well, alright, I did anyway...). Which leaves me to wonder which one to go for next :-). I have for quite a while been eyeing the Templar, I cannot wait for the specs on the ARN-weapons to come out (noteably the dagger!), there is the Oakeshott with its pronounced cross-section, the versatile Yeoman... And I am really looking forward to the Maestro Epee de guerre and the Capoferro. There is only one missing in that line though -a Vikingsword (but, he said hopefully, who knows what the future might bring). While writing many more thoughts occurred to me, related to but not solely on swords, but also the responsibility for instance that comes with owning a sharp blade. I will not bore you with them (I am prone to rambling; you might have noticed...). Above all I am a happy man and consider myself a fortunate man to own now three Albion-blades. And I look forward to extending the family!

Alexander, The Netherlands