Albion Maximilian Zweihander Review w/ Matthew Jensen ft. Ballistic Gel Human Analog Test Cutting

[@UnsheathedSwordReviews]

I love sword KZbinr collabs more than I like super hero team up movies!

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Me, too!!

[@MatthewCross2]

Such a thorough review! Well done! I love this sword. And thanks for the recognition!

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Beautiful sharpening and cutting, well deserves the credit!

[@iratezombiemann]

Wow a collab between the best swordtubers on the internet. Awesome!

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Thank you so much! It's been a great pleasure collaborating with fellow swordtubers especially an OG like Matthew Jensen.

[@r.h5550]

Great to introduce a deeper discussion of weight distribution to sword reviews!

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Glad you enjoy the discussion. Mass distribution is the most important factor to a sword’s handling.

[@r.h5550]

@@FortuneFavoursTheBold I totally agree. I started experimenting with drawfiling distal taper into cheaper blades and learned that the overall weight reduction has far less of an impact then reducing weight in the second half of the blade. Also it’s satisfying to make a pleasantly handling sword out of a deepeeka or a windlass.

[@dlatrexswords]

Well this is a match of reviewers made in heaven, along side an awesome sword! Time to settle in for a good one.

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Thanks and enjoy the review. Maybe tomorrow. Somehow KZbin is bugged of late and refuses to show the 4K resolution but only 360p...

[@marcusaurelius2649]

This was a great review from you both! Excellent!

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Thank you, Marcus!

[@KF1]

Impressive and extensive collaboration. Bravo! That ballistic gel looks adaptable for making all sorts of targets. Is it expensive? Itching to try some. Great vid, man

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

I bought a package of 2-lb gelatin powder that costs 30 CAD or 22 USD. I used 2/3 of the bag to mix with 4 liters of water and put a soaked wooden dowel in the center. It should be fairly consistent formula for sword friend everywhere to try. It's certainly a challenge to cut through completely.

[@ALonelyJester]

Thank you for such an in-depth and precise review vid. My brain feels 2 pounds heavier with all the info. I wish you continued success and growth on KZbin.

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Thank you so much for these encouraging words!

[@masaruchannelsstudio4558]

Hello. Powerful enough to smash all the armor of the opponent! Smash and slash" is the perfect expression. It has a different image from a Japanese sword. These things are also interesting.

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Thank you! Sadly this video was uploaded in 4K, but now somehow it's stuck in 360p and the processing goes indefinitely, and KZbin studio just says "it might take longer" instead of showing the exact time for the processing to finish. Worked very hard on this one... Thanks for the encouragement and interests!

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

4K is finally available after 24 hours. Thanks for the support! Hope you can enjoy the better quality visual now. I enjoy your videos on games too. Hope you van stream Like a Dragon Gaiden soon.

[@bladeoftheemperor3133]

Truly a blade worthy of an emperor. And not just any emperor, Maximilian I.

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Certainly. You would obviously love it! 😉

[@Feanorian01]

Excellent review. I just placed an order for one; I’ve wanted it for years. One of my favorite Albions.

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Excellent choice! Hope you enjoy the sword when you get it!

[@Feanorian01]

Thanks! Will you do a review of the Baron or Kingmaker? They’re both beautiful swords.

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

@@Feanorian01 I definitely will do reviews of those two.

[@stevenramirez9945]

I'd love to see a comparison or even a review of the Dane

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Looking forward to the day I can do a compare and contrast to the Dane, too.

[@michaelklein672]

There is an overflow of information. 1 hour of awesomeness! Thanks to both of you!

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Thank YOU for tuning in!

[@hansvonmannschaft9062]

Jeez Ken, I just paused at minute 14:38, carefully analyzing that extremely curious Object 18 (1,3kg, PoB: 16cm!), and already got to say, wow man. Just wow. This is a University level class, not a simple review. By the way, several years ago I ordered from, welp, England, the... _ta-daa!_ English Longsword described a minute earlier, got it 'cause I loved it, didn't even know it is such a faithful replica, at some point even wondered if diamond cross-sections were ever used in such lengths. Oh and again the landscape, views... man can't thank you enough. Will most likely edit or add a second comment as the video goes on. Ah! Almost forgot! That Katzbalger you pulled at some point - I got it and man do I love it, (despite no peening), balance and mass are just perfect! This is a placeholder line pretty much, will continue commenting for sure haha! Can't help myself! Oh and I'm craving that Maximilian already 😄👍🏼

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

I’m very glad to see you enjoy the knowledge and data I presented. On Object 18, full credit goes to the gentlemen at the Martial Arts Museum in Botticino, Brescia for tirelessly cataloguing all the detailed measurements of the dozens of late medieval and Renaissance swords in the Gotti Collection. I will use their data to talk extensively about the importance of distal taper (swords ALL start at 8-12mm thick at the base) and their interplay with the profile taper and fuller setup. Yes, that katzbalger is a sweet rendition. Not super lightweight but very balanced and very quick to draw and deploy. Excellent sidearm for a Landsknecht.

[@calvinburton2170]

You need a joint command center to coordinate these cooperations among influencers! Fascinating history of this sword, well presented. Salute to you, sir!

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Thank you! I plan on having even more collaborations with fellow KZbinrs and reviewers in the future. Stay tuned!

[@Didamina101]

Fantastic joint review Kane! Ive heen tempted to pull the trigger on this one but im 5'9 and I couldnt justify it . Gonna stick with the principe and crecy 😂😂😂😂

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Yeah, that's my conclusion as well. It is a sword for larger men, or women. Doesn't make a whole lot of sense for someone with a smaller stature, or someone who enjoy exclusively smaller (but otherwise still sizeable) and nimbler swords.

[@superrobotmonkeyhyperteamf3194]

Good Review for a good Sword really wish the waiting time wasn't so long. Definitely one of the more interestng longswords. Unlikely but still hoping Albion will one day produce a true greatsword. I also want to point out few things regarding their usage etc. German sources all point to theorie 2. Greatsword and halberds were there to protect the banners not open up pikeblocks. Fronsperger, the Trewe Rath etc place the weapons rather deep into the formation. Also a woodcut from Erhard Schön that depicts halberds and Schlachtschwerter has poems in them explaining their job. With the greatswords it's something along the lines of " if our formation is defeated/broken, and the enemy trying to break in to bring us shame and take our banner we will cut away. Interestingly enough there is an italian author who favours the halberd instead of the Schlachtschwert because unlike the Schlachtschwert it can actually break pikes by binding and putting them into the ground. None of the military sources mention any pike cutting with greatswords rather the fear seems to be with cavalry doing it. So its definitely theorie 2 because sources do state when there is weakness in the front ranks and the enemy trying to break in rendering your own pikemen useless the short arms aka Greatswords, halberds, Poleaxes etc are supposed to meet them to defend the pikemen and banners. On a side note the pike was actually the thickest in the middle and tapers toward point and butt of the pike. And definitely agree that sword has a lot in common with the the greater swords of war. Some of the greter swords seem to be of the same length as the maximilian and were still worn on the hip. There are also some depiction of german and swiss soldiers carrying similar swords on their hip which is why i believe they're kind of cutting optimised longswords like the 18c and not true Schlachtschwerter. Definitely predecessors to it. The Greatsword you showed would not necessarily be from the late 16th century there are already some of the same style from the 1520s. Anyways just wanted to give some information simply because there is sadly not much on this topic yet.

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Great citation of sources. I do think halberds have an advantage of being able to hook in binding, however I think having an all-steel blade with two long cutting edges have certain advantages in binding as well. Certainly two-handed swords have great use protecting your own when your line breaks.

[@superrobotmonkeyhyperteamf3194]

​@@FortuneFavoursTheBold Oh defenitely for example if its an one vs one or a situation where this doable. In fact palladini mentions that a man that is not well experienced with a halberd will lose against the greatsword. I assume because in the bind or with cutting the greatsword wins. The montante manual of Figi mentions something similar.

[@vinlandraider]

That sword is brutal! Congratulations!

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Indeed it is!

[@seanmacdougall6390]

Dia duit, Kane! And look at you upgrading from a war sword to a greatsword! This review is grand!

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Greetings to you, Sean! Indeed this is a scaled up version of the grete swerde of war.

[@SyoutaMaeda]

両手剣は槍襖を食い破るための武器として非常に効果的だった。ハルバードも同様の目的で使用されたが、ランツクネヒトは槍襖を食い破る目的においては両手剣を優先した。

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Indeed I talked about the interaction between the zweihanders and polearms like pikes and halberds in this video.

[@maievshadowsong7471]

Even though this is a large greatsword, you still handle it with grace and control. There is an elegance in your routines.

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Thank you very much!

[@lorenzhelmschmid]

Once again, your video exceeded expectations. It's a bit long but it was well worth the watch. Keep up the good work.

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Thanks, will do!

[@mouseinatutu]

Very good video!

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Thank you very much!

[@cattycoon3939]

Another good review! You included as many details as possible. I particularly enjoy the history lessons.

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Thank you! And glad you enjoy the ride!

[@AntonNikolausMeyer]

I like this impressive sword. The hexagonal blade is really rare on reproductions.

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

I totally agree.

[@mgrif737]

Cool collab! Also liked the gel-in-milk-jug test! There are not many similar tests out there.

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

@@mgrif737 yeah it’s a consistent way to test the cutting capacity of a sword comparing to other swords.

[@henninghesse9910]

Saw the this review three month later. Very detailed (specially the historical background) and really good cutting. Just because it’s not mentioned in the comments I would like to add that Zweihänder is a 19th century term the historical one would be Schlachtschwert (Battlesword) and as far as I know there is one or two historical sources calling them Beidenhänder (Both“ hander“?) spoken like Biden. And if you want to make shure old Maximilian is not rotating in his grave you could use the german plural for “der Landskecht“ witch would be „die Landsknechte“. The english s for the plural makes every native speaker thow up emidiatly (not that this should bother you).

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Thanks! I have contemplated calling all two-handed swords from Germanic regions beidenhander instead of zweihande--which is an anachronistic name--in the past, but I just don't like the sound of associating Biden with hands, if you are very familiar with the reports of what Biden were known for doing with his hands in the past. 😆 But seriously, English grammar mixed with original language terms tend to butcher them altogether. Katanas? Daos? They all sound weird. Not to mention how these words are used in English is completely different from how they are used in their original language. "Katana" just mean a single-edged bladed implement--no connotation of the size, origin, period, style. A kriegsmesser is decidedly a "katana" in Japanese, a dao is also a "katana", so is a military saber, or even khopesh. But in English when we say "katana" it only means a Japanese sword of a very specific style.

[@AdoreYouInAshXI]

You deserve more subscribers for the amount of effort you put into your videos. Very well informed. Also, beautiful surroundings.

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Thank you very much!

[@dk_fischer]

There is so much information and so many comparisons in this review. Really well done!

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Yes, it took me dozens of hours to put this video together. Thank you for the recognition.

[@dk_fischer]

@@FortuneFavoursTheBold Very dedicated! Set an example for all of us!

[@William.Mortimer]

Albion always crafts such beautiful items! Kane, if you train daily with a sword this large, how long would it take you to get used to the size?

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

I used this sword to drill twice a week and used it practice cutting three times per month prior to filming this review. Eventually your body learned to adapt to its weight and move with its momentum instead of fighting it.

[@HimikoKikuchi]

Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge.

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Thank you for your kind words!

[@michaelklein672]

I’m glad that I watched this review and promptly placed an order on the Maximilian 😂

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

I'm glad then I help expedite your decision making.

[@apocalypticswordsman768]

Good damage on the ballistic gel target!

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Yeah, it was more of less what I expected from such an imposing two-handed sword. It’s a good medium to test cut against.

[@apocalypticswordsman768]

@@FortuneFavoursTheBold Did any other sword do better than this beast?

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

@apocalypticswordsman768 actually the ultra broad bladed katana designed by Brother Nathaniel performed better than this sword, but that’s an outlier. The Lk Chen Tang Zhanmadao also did better or at least comparable.

[@lw8249]

What a wonderful venetian greatsword, what's the maker if i can ask? Custom?

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

@@lw8249 that Venetian spadone with lugs and side rings are made by Del Tin.

[@arnaghadofgemmera5277]

If you ever form your own mercenary company, give one of these to each of your employees.

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

That would be hell of an expense, not to mention that only dopple-soldiers need to be equipped by zweihanders.

[@StarShade0]

Regarding the cut on the ballistic gel: I’m fairly certain it would go through with a simple step forward contributing in the cut, engaging the hips more to provide power. The cut from a standstill is still impressive though.

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

I usually do cutting with a passing step, you probably have realized that by watching some of the bottle cutting I did in this video. The reason I did not make a passing step while cutting the gel block is that the most important part for that cutting challenge is to land the cut precisely on the central portion of the jug containing the gel. Failing that might knock the jug off causing the gel to break or tear. It is very limited resource unlike regular water bottles. That is why I didn't do the passing step while cutting it, because it will very likely lower the precision.

[@StarShade0]

@@FortuneFavoursTheBold That’s fair.

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Yeah, I did the same cuts when cutting on ballistic gel with all other swords, so the comparison would be fair. And I did try to incorporate hip rotation even though I didn’t make the passing step so there’s enough power.

[@matts9821]

Have you heard of the demi-scabbard to cover the base that you can buy from Albion? Maybe that will make halfswording easier? Otherwise, you have really talked about everything there is to talk about this sword, haven't you?

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Yes, I'm aware of that. Originally I recorded the discussion about it, but then I found nowhere it is offered officially by Albion for the Maximilian model, but only for the Tyrolean, and the video is already 57 minutes long, so I exclude the footage. Otherwise yeah, I generally talk about everything I can think of about a sword in my reviews.

[@raphaelhanna8345]

Out of curiosity is there any potential benefit to a sword like that of The Royal Armouries 15th century two handed sword having ring guards for extra hand protection?

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Of course there’s always the benefit of added hand protection at the cost of increased weight. Adding weight at the hilt may not be noticeable at first, after all it might bring the point of balance closer to the hilt, but these two-handed swords are already heavy, further padding on mass might just be dead weight, and side rings in some cases may interfere with techniques.

[@raphaelhanna8345]

@@FortuneFavoursTheBold Well something random I want to say is that I've spoken to a person on Facebook named Ryan Renfro and he said that he studied the Wallace Collection A474 and said that the thickness was 7.6mm at the guard, 6.7mm in the middle of the blade and 3.4mm near the tip do you think that might be plausible?

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

@raphaelhanna8345 yeah that distal taper seems plausible.

[@raphaelhanna8345]

Hello Kane Shen I want to say that I'm currently researching a greatsword made by Regenyei called TH 01-Beast and I'd like to know if the blade thickness matches the specs I'm going to send Weight: 3600 g (±20) Full length: 197 cm Blade length: 136 cm - from crossguard to tip Blade width at the cross: 45 mm Blade base thickness: 8 mm Blade & crossguard material: 51CrV4 spring steel Blade & crossguard hardness: 49-51 HRC Crossguard: 50 cm Grip length: 60 cm - including pommel Grip cover: carved wood Point of balance: ~16 cm - from crossguard

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

It is quite literally a beast! 8mm thickness would generally be adequate for any sword other than a massive two-handed sword. I have seen stats of massive two-handers like this and they are generally in the range of 9-11mm at the base. That said, this sword’s thickness isn’t far off. I think it’s certainly worth a try.

[@raphaelhanna8345]

@@FortuneFavoursTheBold How much heavier might it be if the blade were as thick as you described?

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

It can still be under 4kg.

[@strydyrhellzrydyr1345]

The grandfather... Idk... We need a better word better name... The one true king.. of sword reviewers

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Haha, you know what it means. It's a metaphor.

[@dawnbreakerii204]

can you post the link where to buy the swords please

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

If you google the Albion Maximilian, the first few links would be it. But here is the product page at the maker: albion-swords.com/product/the-maximilian/

[@ToxicallyMasculinelol]

12:45 😳good lord almighty

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

That sword used to belong to Kaiser Maximilian I is one of the primary inspiration of the Albion Maximilian.

[@raphaelhanna8345]

I want to ask is the Hanwei Lowlander a good design for a sword? I know it has bad quality control but I'm just curious about if the design itself is good

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Yes, it’s a very solid Scottish two-handed sword design. I have one and absolutely love it. A sword of this size (5 feet 9 inches) costing less than 300 dollars? If this isn’t a steal, what would be a steal?

[@raphaelhanna8345]

I want to ask if one were making a sword based off of the Wallace Collection A474 but wanted to make some small design changes could there be any benefit to changing the pommel to that of a scent stopper pommel? Or should it be kept to the same fishtail pommel as the original?

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

I think that’s up to you. I think to keep the unique English two-handed sword aesthetics the original fishtail pommel should be kept, visually it’s a more interesting pommel than the faceted scentstopper pommel.

[@raphaelhanna8345]

@@FortuneFavoursTheBold okay but what could the pros and cons be the functionality of the sword were it to have a scent stopper rather than a fishtail?

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

@@raphaelhanna8345 scentstopper could be a bit more comfortable but there isn’t a huge difference with a grip this long.

[@raphaelhanna8345]

@@FortuneFavoursTheBold Okay but what benefits might the fishtail pommel have over the scent stopper on the Wallace Collection A474?

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

@@raphaelhanna8345 Yeah it should fit. In fact, the A474 has a pear shaped pommel.

[@raphaelhanna8345]

I want to say that I've heard somebody say that apparently the Wallace Collection A474 has a blade thickness of about 10mm at the guard and 6-7mm at the tip which seems like a bit of a stretch but I want your opinion on whether or not if it's plausible

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Can you reveal the source of your information? Without knowing the source, I would just judge the data on their own merit. It's not actually a stretch if the base indeed starts at 10mm, which is very close to the Royal Armouries IX.1787--another English two-handed sword from the same period, with the same blade style and hilt style, albeit with a more slender blade. However, it's very hard to believe the blade remains at 6-7 mm at the tip, which simply does not compute. I don't dismiss the possibility wholesale, but my prediction, is that at 2" or 5 cm from the tip, the blade would be between 3 and 4 mm, and at the point of percussion, which is probably 15" from the tip, it should be between 5 and 6 mm. Again, I could be wrong with how it is on the original, but what I just described would make a very beefy two-handed sword that handles still with certain degree of grace.

[@raphaelhanna8345]

@@FortuneFavoursTheBold I heard it in an Email with a sword maker called Gael Fabre

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

@@raphaelhanna8345 oh wow, I wouldn’t doubt Gael Fabre. If he says so, he must have solid ground. Take his measurements, over my estimation, any day.

[@raphaelhanna8345]

@@FortuneFavoursTheBold Wouldn't it be heavier than 6 pounds if the blade were that thick?

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

@@raphaelhanna8345 Absolutely.

[@spacemichael1177]

I appreciate the TW wh bretonnia music.

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Glad you like my choice of background music!

[@nightcitysamurai]

Next video: compare an odachi to a zweihander!

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

Now that's an interest proposal. Funny enough, the next video I'm working on is a Chinese zweihander that has the same blade length as the Albion Maximillian but slightly longer hilt. It was made about 2000 years earlier than the Renaissance European two-handed swords.

[@raphaelhanna8345]

I want to ask a question out of curiosity do you think that the original Wallace Collection A474 sword could have been a good sword for thrusting?

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

It would be a decent sword for thrusting. Note that the original would be a quite beefy sword as well. Stands at 5 feet, it weighs over 6 lbs. The tip geometry isn't as tapered as many type XVIIIb and XVa longswords but it is decent.

[@raphaelhanna8345]

@@FortuneFavoursTheBold Do you think the Royal Armouries 15th Century Two Handed Sword might be better at thrusting?

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

It would be a better thruster than this sword if reproduced correctly.

[@raphaelhanna8345]

@@FortuneFavoursTheBold Okay but could the Royal Armouries sword be better at thrusting than the Wallace Collection sword?

[@FortuneFavoursTheBold]

@@raphaelhanna8345 i think they are roughly equal.