Ryan Lellis' Albion Munich - Medieval Longsword Oakeshott Type XVIIIb

German Style Longsword - Ryan Michael Lellis' Two Hand Sword

Bend the knee to this beautiful re-creation. My second addition to the stash is based off of a sword found near Munich Germany. With its 37.5" blade length and relatively stiff diamond cross section it is basically a full metal spear. Looks like I am drawn to thrusting weapons.

Albion sells multiple versions of this sword with different hilt types (all the same blade). I went with black leather and wire wrap. The extra weight towards the pommel allows for more tip control and wire just looks better. A drawback to wire wrap is gripping it bare handed can cause hard to clean to rust. The circular pommel has sockets that can accommodate something the size of a nickel. If I could loot some more coin I'd like to socket some silver or gold in there, although I would rather not use glue on something with value.

The curved cross quillons feel like they could be used to catch and turn your opponent's blade in certain circumstances. Unfortunately I have not tested that since nobody wants to stand in front of this thing (nor do I want to play knight)! The grip is long. Some people call this a hand and a half sword, but it is a clear two hander. I have room to spare gripping with both hands while wearing bulky gloves.

As mentioned above, this is primarily a thrusting blade. It pierces soft targets like nothing is there. I have not tested on hard objects because I don't want any damage, but it feels robust enough to take a beating. It is clearly designed for piercing chainmail. Although the Munich looks like a dedicated thruster, it can actually cut. Blade alignment takes practice, and the thick cross section causes drag. You won't win any tatami cutting competitions with it, but chopping up one or two at a time is fun. Tip cuts with it are weak. Overall, looks great, feels great, performs as intended. I just need a pretty scabbard to go with it.

Next up: Something I'm working on