[Jeremy Scott Steimel]

Nothing better than when I get that call from the Shipping Department: "You have a package ready for pickup, Mr. Steimel."

My Albion Trafalgar (Purchased from the kind Mr. Raymond Deancona) arrived today. Unfortunately I'm short on time for my break today and have classes tonight until about 22:00, but I wanted to post some quick impressions.

First off, here are a few quick pictures I ran outside and snapped:

http://home.insightbb.com/~j.steimel/pics/at_full.jpg
http://home.insightbb.com/~j.steimel/pics/at_point.jpg
http://home.insightbb.com/~j.steimel/pics/at_grip.jpg

The overall fit and finish is very well done -- typical workmanship from Albion. They've removed the stats page for the First Gen Trafalgar for redesign, but if I recall the specified weight was 1lb, 12oz, which feels just right. To be honest, it felt like there wasn't anything inside the box.

The blade handles very interestingly, as I'm pretty new to this type of sword. The blade is hollowground, as you can see (Albion's first hollowground sword, apparently, if I recall what Jason had said), and in a good stance the "feel" is just right -- very, very lively and fast. I was surprised that the Trafalgar actually feels like it could make easy work of light cutting targets. The balance is further out that what I would have expected -- feels like about 5.5" to 6" out. The reason for the balance is the same reason I'd feel safe cutting with her -- the distal taper doesn't even begin until about 5/8ths of the way down the blade, and even then it's gradual. It doesn't really kick in until about 2/3rds downthe blade, a little past where the second ridgeline begins to rise from the spine to form the spear point. Up until the taper begins, the spine is a good 7/32nds of an inch thick. whereas at the point I'm going to say 3.5/32nds of an inch is the thickness. All of that tapering occurs just on the last 13" of blade length, and the overall blade length is a good 33". All that going on, on a blade that's just over 1 and 1/8th" wide. Needless to say, lots of neat little geometry going into the way the sword handles.

(please note these measurements are eye-sights from a tape measure, so please don't take them as hard fact)

Very happy with this piece, and it came through on a very smooth transaction. I'll be interested to see what they come up with on the redesign.

Take care,
-Jeremy

[Joel Chesser]

Congrats man! I have loved this sword for a long time.

[Zach Stambaugh]

im jealous. i would like to own anaval sword myself some day.