A ways back another forumite posted pics of his Albion Squire, and frankly,
I kept digging up the post to look at his blade, and for awhile had it on my
screensaver ... That oughta' tell you how interested I've been in acquiring
The Squire. Well, Albion's recent sale -- and my own recent frugality -- made
acquiring a new blade possible ! Which to choose ... B-)

Matthew, that's a nice looking piece with that grip. I believe you will find the Squire to be a pretty sweet blade.

Have you had a chance to put it through it's paces? I spent some time cutting with mine today with a few friends that stopped by. I found alignment easy, as that pommel wedges against my palm and keeps things true. I'd be interested in how your experience is with it.

Congratulations, Matthew. You've made a fine choice, by all accounts. I have been thinking about the Squire, myself.

Wow, Matthew, I'm jealous! :surprised:

The Squire is definitely one of my favorites. I first met one in person at a Round Table event earlier this year. I sure wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that Type XVI :!:

And thanks to you other gentleman for your comments ! Here's another
look at the grip under an evening/overcast sky ...

Ok, forgive me for reviving a year old thread, but I've got a couple questions on the squire, and I figured, why not revive these great pictures while I'm at it? Anyway, how would the handling of the Squire compare to the handling of the Laird? I realize that these are two different swords built with different things in mind. Of course, the squire is going to be a superior thruster, but what about in terms of quickness in the cut? How would they compare in terms of fainting, and changing direction? I'm just curious because these two are at the forefront of my next purchasing thoughts (along with a couple of longswords), and I'm looking for a quick, lively sword to go along with my brute, the Gaddhjalt.

Thanks for your input, and enjoy looking at Mathew's squire...she sure is a beauty!

Kenton

Hey Kenton,

There have been reviews done of both the Squire and the Laird on this site. You may find some answers there. :)

-Ted

Thanks Ted, ya, trust me, I have read them. I could probably recite them to be honest. I know that both swords handle well, and that both are at least fairly quick swords. I'm just hoping that somebody has experience with both and can give me a little bit of a feel for the subtleties of them in comparison. Stylistically they are pretty well tied, I don't have plans for a kit to go with either of them, so I am sort of trying to make a decision based upon handling (of coarse the decision gets harder when you throw in my desire to try a two handed/bastard sword, toss up between Talhoffer and A&A English longsword at this point). Maybe I should start flipping coins, it always seems that the last sword I looked at is the next sword I want anyway. I doubt I would be dissapointed with any Albion or A&A swords :D

Thanks,

Kenton

I don't have the Laird, but I do own a Squire and the SL Knightly sword (Type XII, like the Laird). I would say that, when cutting, the SL Knightly is actually a little faster than the Squire. Of course, it doesn't have the same point control, and the point of rotation is different (I don't know how to measure that, but you can feel a difference). To be honest, though, the Laird is going to handle differently. It is an ounce or two heavier, the POB is 1/2" different, the COP is one inch different, and it is just a different sword. Even those minor changes will result in a sword that is not comparable to the SL Knightly, so don't make any decisions based on my comparison without taking that into account (which probably means you just shouldn't base any decisions on this post at all).

-Grey

I've handled and cut with the Knight, Laird, and Caithness as well as the Squire, though not together or even within a few months of each other is some cases.

If I recall all my experiences correctly, the Squire is faster at the tip and slightly more maneuverable than the Type XII's. It may cede a little authority in the cut, but not much. The Squire may be faster in the cut, but loses a little pop to the slightly beefier blades.

The XII's will carry a little more momentum in the blades during a cut, though, which may make them feel a little faster in some swings. With a little less blade presence, the Squire won't pull itself through the cut as naturally as a Type XII, but it's no slouch of course.