Review of the Albion Liechtenauer longsword

I have been using the Albion Liechtenauer at different events over the course of several years, and recently acquired one of my own. It is one of my favourite swords and is unfortunately expensive to buy new in the UK.

This review: motivation and transparency

I bought this sword myself and am receiving nothing from the maker in exchange for writing this review, review (which I have written because I want to publish a review for each of the various swords I use for training).

Dimensions

The dimensions are as follows:

• total length: 120.5 cm
• blade length: 92 cm
• grip length: 21 cm (excluding pommel)
• grip length: 27 cm (including pommel)
• pommel: faceted scent stopper (comfortable to hold)
• weight: around 1.5 kg
• point of balance: around 7 cm in front of the hilt

The sword reflects typical 15th century swords that we might see in museums. It also looks very similar to swords in 15th century artwork in the fencing treatises that we study – the sword is entirely appropriate for the study of Fiore or any of the earlier Liechtenauer sources.

Weight & Handling

At around 1.5 kg, the weight is reasonable and the balance is great. It is not sluggish at all – it is agile and easy to control. I think it handles nicely and flows well from one motion to the next.

I enjoy using this sword immensely and it is one of my favourite swords to use in training. 

There is enough mass in the blade to have presence in the bind in a way that most feders lack – I often find myself “losing the bind” with feders, whereas I can “hold the bind” for as long as I want when the sword has sufficient mass in the blade. This lets me perform and showcase the early Liechtenauer methods in the way that I understand them.

Flexibility

The blade is very flexible. By measuring the dynamic flexibility using the method outlined in this article, the measurement is 9.1 kg.

Although it is very flexible, which would make thrusts quite safe, the point is quite thin and is merely rounded without any thickening. For thrusts to be safe, it probably needs an external tip of some description.

Price

The price for one of these swords directly from Albion Swords would be $490. It is an excellent price if you are living in North America, but if you live abroad and need intercontinental postage, the costs begin to rocket. Unfortunately, it is probably not worth the expense of importing a brand new Albion Liechtenauer to the UK from the USA.

Conclusion

The Albion Liechtenauer is one of my favourite swords and I wish it was more easily available in the UK for a not-ridiculous sum of money. It handles like a “proper sword” and yet is quite safe in the thrust. I feel that it allows me to demonstrate my art better than most other swords.