[Charles Adams]

Ordered my first albion sword today! The Count! But I ordered the version with a steel pommel. This afternoon I read a post from you in which you said you felt that the bronze pommel really made the Count special, because of its heft. I was wondering if your opinion changed after handling the sword with a steel pommel. Mike sent me the stats on both versions.
Steel Pommel:
Total length: 43.75" (111 cm)
Blade length: 34.87" (88.6 cm)
Blade width: 1.93" (4.9 cm)
CoB: 4.5"
CoP: 22.25"
Weight: 2 lbs 13 oz (1.28 kilos)

Bronze Pommel:
Total length: 43.75" (111 cm)
Blade length: 34.87" (88.6 cm)
Blade width: 1.93" (4.9 cm)
CoB: 4.125" (10.48 cm)
CoP: 22" (55.9 cm)
Weight: 2 lbs 13 oz (1.28 kilos)

Does the steel pommel cause the sword to feel dramatically different from how you originally envisioned it with a bronze pommel?
Thanks,
Charles

[Peter Johnsson]

Hi Charles,
I´m happy to hear that the Count caught your eye. It is one of those swords that lagged behind in the first wave of development, but I think itactually benefitted from that as previous experience could be made the most of.
When I shaped the hilt furniture I wanted the sword to come close in handling to a sword in the Skokloster armoury that I`ve documented. That original is of later date but is still a classic XIIIa in outline. It has the forward pivot point very close to the point, which might seem surpricing for a XIIIa type sword. Still, that made the heft and controll of that sword very special.
With the boronze pommel you get close to that feel. With a steel pommel less so. I do not think you can say the difference is dramatical, but there is a difference. Personally I prefer the sword with its bronze pommel, but the steel pommel also works fine. It is heavy enough to make it a very lively sword still. It is a matter of fine tuining or even personal preference what you end up choosing.
It would be sad if the fact the Count has a bronze pommel is the only reason you hesitate to purchase the sword. That detail alone does not make or break the sword. It is one of the aspects of the design, but the blade offers enough margin in the balance that it is possible to offer the sword with a steel pommel for those who really cannot bring himself to appreciate the bronze. It is mostly the placing of the forward pivot point that differs between steel and bronze pommels; the point of balance is a bit further out on the blade with steel pommel and that pulls the forward pivot point backwards to the hilt a bit. The difference in point of balance is well within acceptable margin of variation. Grip node is still well placed to help induce stiffness in cutting.

For those who appreciate the the effective cutting of a XIIIa and still demand a very nimble and responsive heft, the Count is a very good candidate (in steel or bronze). The blade of the Count is a slightly longer version of the Ritter blade with a longer tang. The design has benefitted from the study of a few different swords. One is the the above mentioned sword from Skokloster, anohter is the so called "Arboga sword" found in the river at Arboga town in Sweden; a stunning type XI (borderline case to Xa).
These two swords were prime source of information. They have very thin oint sections resulting in great agility and responsive character despite the length.

I wish you many happy years with your Count. May it serve you well!
Best
Peter

[Charles Adams]

Thanks Peter! It is great to have you discuss such things in detail. While I would have purchased the Count in Bronze if it was not offered in steel, I prefer the look of a steel pommel. It sounds as if the difference is minor, I would probably not be able to tell, but still I would be lying if I said I didn't want the sword to handle as well as possible, so perhaps the bronze pommel was the way to go. I just can't wait to hold it in my hands! Thanks so much!
Charles