The longsword is a straight, double-edged blade with a grip long enough for two hands, used across Europe from roughly the fourteenth to the sixteenth century.Hand-and-a-halfIt is often called a hand-and-a-half sword because the grip allows either one or two hands. That is the whole design: one hand for reach and a shield or a free hand, two hands for leverage and control in the bind. The cross guard is long enough to protect the hands during that exchange.Ours are hand-forged from high-carbon or Damascus steel with wood or leather-wrapped grips and steel fittings.Please check your local law before ordering.