Albion swords, The Baron vs. The Regent? Input?

[Sean Gallagher]

Good morning all,

I've saved and suffered to acquire the small fortune (1500$) necessary to purchase my first true longsword. The swords i've been torn between are both from Albion,

The Baron

and The Regent.

My issue is this. I genuinely will probably use a sharp primarily for cutting, so most importantly, i'd love it to be a great cutter, but i'd also like it to feel natural and alive when i go through floryshes. Has anyone handled both these swords and has any input?

[David Kite]

Regent. Hands down the Regent. That is by far my favorite Albion sword, and if/when I ever get the money for a new sharp, that one will be it (or maybe the Talhoffer, but probably I'll stick with the Regent )

I have handled a couple examples of both, and while I like the Baron, the Regent, imho, looks and feels much nicer, and suits me much more both in terms of aesthetics and handling characteristics. I'm just under six feet tall and just under 150lbs, to give you an idea of my physique. The pommel on the Regent feels a little weird at first, but you'll get used to it.

With that said, you will not go wrong with either one, it all boils down to personal preference and taste.

good luck, and enjoy your new sword, whichever you choose.
David Kite
ARMA in IN

[Sean Gallagher]

Can you tell me more about the feel when handling both? See i'm 5'9, 175 pounds of honest to god, mostly muscle (i'm irish, we're a thick people), so i've got a strong arm, and a lot of leverage. Do you think that makes a difference with each?

[David Kite]

Probably, but I can't be certain. I'm scrawny and all lean muscle with the bouyancy of a brick. Both swords have what is commonly referred to as "blade presence." The weight and balance will likely be much less of an issue with you, but by virtue of its design, you will likely find the Regent to be much more maneuverable. I strongly doubt you will find one to be too much sword or the other too little sword for you.

Even as comparatively small as I am (to you), the Baron would give me little trouble, despite its "heavy" weight and feel. But you also need to consider that these are two different swords designed for different purposes. The Regent is much more capable of thrusting, and it is much easier to turn cuts into thrusts and vice versa with it; the Baron less so.

Also, people can describe their opinions and preferences until they're blue in the face, and despite how immensely their input can be, the way a sword feels is almost entirely a personal and subjective perception. If at all possible, try to handl one or both of them personally. Maybe you could contact Albion about the possibility of test driving them; put down the money for both swords (as collateral) with the ability to return whichever one doesn't suit your fancy (I have no idea if they would do that, but it's worth a try).

David Kite
ARMA in IN

[Stacy Clifford]

I haven't handled the Regent, but I have cut with the Crecy, which is a pretty similar blade type. The Baron is a wicked cutter that will do lots of damage on single cuts like zornhaus, but because it has more mass at the tip it doesn't reverse directions as easily for things like twitching combos, which I happen to like to do in test cutting. It also digs a bit deeper into the target and, depending on the type of target, may be less likely to let go for that second cut (though this can happen with any sword). You can still do everything with the Baron, it just takes more muscle to control it. Versatility comes more easily with a tapered blade, so the Regent (or the Earl) would be my choice. Whichever you choose though, I still envy you.

[Jaron Bernstein]

Good morning all,

I've saved and suffered to acquire the small fortune (1500$) necessary to purchase my first true longsword. The swords i've been torn between are both from Albion,

The Baron

and The Regent.

My issue is this. I genuinely will probably use a sharp primarily for cutting, so most importantly, i'd love it to be a great cutter, but i'd also like it to feel natural and alive when i go through floryshes. Has anyone handled both these swords and has any input?

I have handled both of those blades. The Baron is true cutting oriented blade. It can thrust but not nearly as well as something like the Talhoffer or Sempach. My reservation about the Regent is the pommel. A sword is an individual thing, so maybe the Regent would work for you. I personally found the Regent pommel very uncomfortable to use. I suggest the Earl instead. Same blade but with a more user friendly pommel. Either way it is an enviable choice to have. I own a Sempach and Talhoffer and am mightily pleased with their agility to both cut and thrust.

[Sean Gallagher]

I was seriously considering the Earl. I like it just as much, and from what i've heard about the pommel, that seems to be the only issue with the regent, so it seems like earl could be a viable choice. I'm leaning towards the Earl now, but my only concern is how they will hold up to some fierce cutting? Everyone has told me what i know, that the regent/earl are much more agile and lively in the hand, but i haven't heard as much as i'd like to about their cutting capability.

I singled out the Earl/Regent because they were kind of hybrids between heavy Grete swords of war, and nimble longswords.

Being able to slice through one, or possibly multiple Tatami, or my own equivalents and just getting clean cuts through them is going to feel really good i think. And it's what i'm most excited about possibly.....Am i going to face a truly noticeable difference in the effectiveness of cut and vibration with the Earl/Regent bladetype? If any of you have cut with the Regent or Earl, can you tell me our experiences?

[Sean Gallagher]

Jaron, can you tell me a little more about your cutting experience with the sempach? Do you have a lot of vibration? Cut track okay? Still an easy graceful cutter?

[David Kite]

Everyone has told me what i know, that the regent/earl are much more agile and lively in the hand, but i haven't heard as much as i'd like to about their cutting capability.

The cutting capacity of that blade type will be just fine. It is a nice wide flat blade (hollow-ground, actually), with a good beefy tip. It will not only hold up to cutting just as well as the Baron, but its design will make it much stiffer and more capable of thrusting. It's not an impression you can get from picture comparisons too much, but the Regent/Earl has a pretty substantial blade.

David Kite
ARMA in IN

[Jaron Bernstein]

Jaron, can you tell me a little more about your cutting experience with the sempach? Do you have a lot of vibration? Cut track okay? Still an easy graceful cutter?

A brief talk on edge geometry. First, a sword blade is a three dimensional object. Lengthwise (from point to base) look at the blade taper. If it looks more like an elongated parallel edged rectangle (the Duke or Baron) with the weight out towards the tip it will will serve best as a cutter. If it is a steeply tapered triangle (the Poitiers or Talhoffer) with the weight towards the grip it is more geared towards thrusting. Secondly, look at the width of the blade as a cross section. The more it looks flat/parallel the better a cutter it will be. The more it has a steep diamond or hexagonal shape the more geared towards thrusting it is.

The Sempach is a partway between these two extremes with the Baron at one end and the Talhoffer at the other. It cuts just fine, and thrusts with accuracy. Tracking is a function of the person swinging the sword, not the sword itself In terms of vibration, I have yet to see a shoddy Albion that shakes itself to pieces. I once saw a longsword from another maker snap at the hilt during a test cutting and narrowly miss someone.

[Sean Gallagher]

Thank you all, i think my mind is made up. I'm going to go with the Earl.

I'll probably finalize the order at the end of this month once i know my mind is made up for good, and hopefully i will post pictures of my new sword by the new year!


Now it's just up to the hilt color. Oxblood or Light campaign brown, it's gunna be a tough call.

[Stacy Clifford]

I have a fishtail pommel on my Lutel, though not quite as extreme as the one on the Regent, and I wasn't comfortable with it at first, but it ceased to bother me pretty quickly. It's just something your hand has to get used to knowing how to handle, they wouldn't have made them that way if discomfort was unavoidable. I like the Earl a little better myself in terms of style, but if you like the looks of the Regent then I would say go for it, you won't regret it.

[Sean Gallagher]

I actually in fact prefer the Earl. So i think i'm set, it was just really a race between Earl/regent, and Baron. I really just want a serious cutter that handles beautifully and has a great thrust and feel, seems the Earl is fitting.