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Jeff R





Joined: 23 Jan 2007

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PostPosted: Fri 23 Mar, 2007 8:09 pm    Post subject: Brescia Spadona vs Munich vs Regent         Reply with quote

I am ordering my first sword from Albion (the only one I already have is Henry V from Arms & Armor). Originally I thought about the Regent (NG line), but now can't decide between that, or the new Munich (NG also), or the Brescia Spadona (Museum Line).

My top concern is performance and handling; hoping to get a sword that's good in both cuts and thrusts, and very nimble. Second priority is aesthetics, but then all three look great to me, so that's not gonna help make a decision. And I guess I have no interest whatsoever in historical accuracy... except to the extent that it improves the sword's performance or feel.

Ignoring for now the $500 price difference, what would be your recommendation?

Thank you!
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Gabriel Lebec
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PostPosted: Fri 23 Mar, 2007 8:40 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Looks like you and I share similar tastes. Those are my three favorite Albion designs, and I've got some money deposited at Albion that is eventually going to go towards purchasing one of them. Part of the difficulty of the decision for me is not having handled or seen one in person, which I would like to do before buying if possible.

I cannot really answer your question, sorry. But I'll definitely be tracking this thread for more info on a matchup so close to my own heart...
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Joe Fults




Location: Midwest
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PostPosted: Fri 23 Mar, 2007 9:21 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

How much sword handling, especially longsword handling, have you done? What are your preferences as far as handling goes? Specifically do you like to grip the pommel or not? Do you have a shape you prefer in your hand?
"The goal shouldn’t be to avoid being evil; it should be to actively do good." - Danah Boyd
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Michael Edelson




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PostPosted: Fri 23 Mar, 2007 10:06 pm    Post subject: Re: Brescia Spadona vs Munich vs Regent         Reply with quote

Jeff R wrote:
I am ordering my first sword from Albion (the only one I already have is Henry V from Arms & Armor). Originally I thought about the Regent (NG line), but now can't decide between that, or the new Munich (NG also), or the Brescia Spadona (Museum Line).

My top concern is performance and handling; hoping to get a sword that's good in both cuts and thrusts, and very nimble. Second priority is aesthetics, but then all three look great to me, so that's not gonna help make a decision. And I guess I have no interest whatsoever in historical accuracy... except to the extent that it improves the sword's performance or feel.

Ignoring for now the $500 price difference, what would be your recommendation?

Thank you!



I have not handled the Munich, but the Brescia Spadona is quicker and nimbler than the Regent, which is more robust and is more of a war sword, especially with the new blade. The Regent strikes with a lot of authority, but it cannot, in my opinion, be handled comfortably wihtout gloves because of the pommel. WIth gloves on, it handles great.

The Brescia is a duelling sword and it excells a this...it feels light, comfrotable and very quick. The best way I can think of to describe the Brescia is that when I first held it, it did not leave an impression on me at all. It felt so comfortable and natural in the hand that it was at the time, uninteresting. It was only later, when I realized the implications of that feeling, that it began to greatly impress me. When I handled it again, I realized how good a sword it really is.

The Regent, as I mentioned, it more robust and can survive a lot more punishment. It is not slow nor is it cumbersome, but it is not a hummingbird like the Spadona. Of the two, I prefer the Regent (though in Earl form), because I like the feeling of a powerful sword. The Spadona does have it's own kind of magic, though.

Tough call! Happy

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Edward Hitchens




Location: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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PostPosted: Sat 24 Mar, 2007 1:49 pm    Post subject: Re: Brescia Spadona vs Munich vs Regent         Reply with quote

Jeff R wrote:
I am ordering my first sword from Albion (the only one I already have is Henry V from Arms & Armor). Originally I thought about the Regent (NG line), but now can't decide between that, or the new Munich (NG also), or the Brescia Spadona (Museum Line).

My top concern is performance and handling; hoping to get a sword that's good in both cuts and thrusts, and very nimble.


All three of your candidates are exceptional cutters and thrusters. If being 'nimble' is among your top concern, you may want to rule out the Regent (compared with the Munich and Bescia). I wouldn't take the Munich or Bescia with me to an open battle like, say, Stirling Bridge or Crecy; but definitely the Regent. Side note: For now, never mind the issue of whether these types of swords would have existed at the times of these engagements. By contrast, I believe that historical swordmasters like Hans Talhoffer or Fiore dei Liberi would've had a field day with a sword like the Munich or Bescia! They would be ideal for techniques like half-swording or striking your opponent with the hilt. -Ted

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Nathan Robinson
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PostPosted: Sat 24 Mar, 2007 2:19 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Hi Edward-

I don't think that you're not saying that the Regent isn't very nimble. You're simply comparing it to the other two swords in question.

I've never handled the Munich, so I've no idea if it's nimble or not. But I would say that the Regent and Brescia both exhibit a certain degree of nimbleness, albeit in quite different ways.

In my opinion, the Regent has an exceptional degree of point control. Its pivot point is quite close to its tip and this allows for some very accurate thrusts, tip cuts, and other maneuvers that take advantage of such control. I found that when it is used in this manner the Regent was exceptionally nimble. When used in other ways, such as during powerful cuts, the pivot point's tip position helps deliver powerful cuts. All in all, it's quite an interesting design.

I think this goes to show that terms such as "nimble" can mean many different things, and when it comes to a sword's design, it often leaves out too much information to be useful.

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Jeff R





Joined: 23 Jan 2007

Posts: 5

PostPosted: Sat 24 Mar, 2007 4:40 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Thank you for all the replies. It seems like I should probably pass on the Regent in favor of either the Brescia or Munich, since I'd prefer to be able to do faster full-swing cuts.

Can any of these swords be wielded single-handed at all?

Joe Fults wrote:
How much sword handling, especially longsword handling, have you done? What are your preferences as far as handling goes? Specifically do you like to grip the pommel or not? Do you have a shape you prefer in your hand?


No experience with 2-handed swords yet. I wouldnt want to use gloves, and I would expect that I'd be holding the grip, not the pommel.

With 1-handed sword it's all different of course, but I find that the round pommel in the Henry V isn't very comfortable because it presses against my hand. I'm sure I can get used to that though.
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Douglas G.





Joined: 30 Mar 2004

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PostPosted: Sat 24 Mar, 2007 6:50 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Dear Jeff,

I'm another one of those who can't speak about the Munich but have experience with the other two.
Of the two, Regent and Brescia, for one hand use it's the Brescia. The Regent cuts like a champ two
handed but is too much for my wrist used one handed for any length of time. The Brescia isn't the ideal
sword for one handed use either, but with its' lesser mass it can be done. Then there's the beautiful
Brescia pommel........but that's a different matter.


Best,

Doug Gentner
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Joe Fults




Location: Midwest
Joined: 02 Sep 2003

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PostPosted: Sat 24 Mar, 2007 7:47 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Jeff R wrote:
Thank you for all the replies. It seems like I should probably pass on the Regent in favor of either the Brescia or Munich, since I'd prefer to be able to do faster full-swing cuts.

Can any of these swords be wielded single-handed at all?

Joe Fults wrote:
How much sword handling, especially longsword handling, have you done? What are your preferences as far as handling goes? Specifically do you like to grip the pommel or not? Do you have a shape you prefer in your hand?


No experience with 2-handed swords yet. I wouldnt want to use gloves, and I would expect that I'd be holding the grip, not the pommel.

With 1-handed sword it's all different of course, but I find that the round pommel in the Henry V isn't very comfortable because it presses against my hand. I'm sure I can get used to that though.


Rounded flattened pommels, to me, generally seem to be most comfortable in hand. They also help ensure edge alignment (although anything somewhat flattened helps with this). How much this matters depends on how much you grip the pommel (I do quite a bit).

The Regent always beat my gloveless hands, BUT, that could be entirely an issue of not knowing how to adapt my technique to the sword. Gloves genrally solved the problem. With tougher hands, or better technique, not an issue. The Regent is a robust sword that comes alive in two hands and inspires confidence. How it handles one handed really depends on how strong you are. It does not have to be muscled, but it is a substantial package (to me).

Bresica...well the pommel ridges can also be a bit unpleasant without gloves if you torque the pommel enough, but its probably a non-issue for somebody that works with their hands a bit. Its geared for speed, control and technique, and to me, it seems to be an unarmoured dueling weapon. That said, and here is where I'm sure I'll make this thread more interesting, I think the Bresica is a bit of sissy boy sword (joking). The Bresica I handled felt pretty light, to light for my preference. I'm more of a power and presence guy, and I prefer a more robust feeling sword. The Bresica seems finesse oriented to me. Regarding one handed use, if memory still serves, the Bresica is fairly reasonable when used one handed.

Munich...never handled or even seen in one person, so I have no idea what its like.

About the one handed stuff. Its a very hard question to answer because strength does play into it quite a bit. I'm a bigger guy than I'd like to be, and I tend to go throughphases of getting in shape and getting out of shape on a yearly basis. There are times when I'm strong and times when I'm not. My condition radically changes how swords feel and perform for me.

"The goal shouldn’t be to avoid being evil; it should be to actively do good." - Danah Boyd
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