[Peter Johnsson]

Some additional info:

The Crécy is now a dedicated XVIa. It is dramatically different in its feel than its predecessor. I made changes to the outer third of the blade to make the point more pronounced and I also made the fuller deeper. There are many other subtle changes to the cross section and taper of the blade.
I wanted to keep the silhouette mostly the same as that was one of the really strong feaures of the FG sword. The cross is still a straight beveled affair, but with some tweaking to make it more efficient in the shape. I really like these seemingly simple guards: it is all in how the bevels are cut and how the sublte swellings are defined. The pommel is a deeply beveled wheel type with a small central hub: a bit like the pommel of the "Knight" but wider and more pronounced in the shape. It is less oval tha the pommel of the Baron. As a whole the sword has an understaded elegance, I should hope. This is an aspect that is going to be difficult to show in photographs, or drawings for that matter.
You need to review this new sword on its own merits, the difference from the FG sword is too great to base any ideas of the new one from experience of the old sword.
The feel of the NG Crécy is livelier than its predecessor. It does cut suprisingly well concidering its light character. (it seem to cut as well as the Baron, based on some initial experiements). The slim point allows for quick and precise manouvering. It is not as massive as the Baron or Duke, and that is intentional. I wanted the Crécy to be a weapon that is one size smaller that the bigger wars words in the line.

Compared to the NG Agincourt, the blade of the Crécy is wider at the COP as can be expected and it is also more flexible blade.

The Agincourt is built on the new long XVa blade that is the basis for all thos new XVa´s. This one is also very different from its predecessor, perhaps even more so than the case with the Crécy. I wanted to have a blade that was longer, stiffer and with more attitude than the previous FG Agincourt. To my mind the FG Agincourt was almost a riding sword in its proportions. There was a gap i the NG line for those narrow, slim and powerful long swords that are so typical of the late 14th C and 15thC. The XVa type is exiting to explore. The more I work with them the more I appreciate those very stiff and narrow longswords.
We always hear that they are not the best in the cutting departmant, but that is a very relative thing. It is the same as with the XVII type, depending on type and design it can be a very effective cutting sword. The tests I´ve done on the XVa blade shows it to be deadly in cutting. Do not expect it to cleave like the Duke, but that is obvious. The XVa blade of these new NG swords will cut well; enough so to be devastating in an encounter, where it is no difference to the outcome if you cleave some one down to the waist or merely cut the shoulder through to the rib cage. I do not doubt this XVa blade is easily capable of cleaving a skull or amputating an arm at the wrist.
The character of these long XVa blades is strong. They have very powerful prescence and give you an impression of being ready to pounce like a crouching predator. It does not take much energy to delvier dedicated attacks and the lively heft invites a cool, cold-blooded attitude when you wield it. The point section is stiff and light. The point is thick but very narrow: an absolute awl.
The thick and narrow blade makes it possible to grip the blade even if it is sharp. This is the one major factor in what swords you can use for half swording: the width and thickness of the blade. These long XVa´s can be used like short spears and it is very possible to deliver blows with the pommel if you grip the blade with both hands. I don´t know how much I would recommend doing this on a regular every day training basis, but it can be done in a pinch.

The Crécy is a different sword that way: it is closer to a traditional type XIIa, only with a more pronounced point. The XVa´s are very different: much stiffer, less hungry in the cut but more aggressive in other ways. Nastier, you might say. You cannot really compare them, there is too much that differs between them.
Do not be fooled by the simple lines of the Crécy, it is more involved than the drawing might make clear. This is true of all hilts of these swords includig the new XVa´s: they are very three dimensional. It is difficult to base an opinion from their front outline. I´ve tried to show this in the shading of the drawings, but there is a limit to what you can show in a two dimensional drawing.

Hope this helps giving a better idea of the character of these swords.
If it is difficult to decide, my advice would be to get both
They are different enough to merit a place side by side in any collection.

[Gabriel Stevens]

Thanks Peter, great info!

[Michael F.]

Wow thanks Peter! It sounds like both swords will be really nice! There's still a little bit of competition, but I am mostly leaning toward the Crécy. I'm not a huge fan of swords that are extremely pointy like the Agincourt, but it is still the most attractive sword of it's type. I've seen alot of pictures of the 1st Gen Crécy and it's amazing how a simple guard can actually be more complex than shown. Thanks again, it's really great to have the help of the experts.

[Michael F.]

Almost forgot. Anyone who has cut with a XV/ xva please share the experience! The new updates this week gave me some knowledge. Do type XVII's perform similarly to XV's because of the largely tapered blade?

[Peter Johnsson]

[Michael F.]

That test cut with the viking and XV suprised me! Great stuff.

Thanks very much!
Michael F.