A two handed sword is one built around a grip long enough for both hands and a blade heavy enough to need them. That covers a lot of ground, from a medieval longsword you can still manage in one hand at a pinch, up to a greatsword that is a two hand proposition and nothing else. The extra hand buys leverage, control at the tip and the ability to move a long blade quickly, which is why the shape dominated European fencing manuals for two centuries.
Lengths and fittings
The range here runs from 37 inches overall up to a 50 inch fantasy greatsword with a slab sided blade and rune etched panels, with blades between 30 and 35 inches on the historical pieces. Two sit at 47 inches: a medieval longsword with a ring terminal crossguard and a two hand leather grip, and a hand and a half sword with a ring terminal guard, a knotwork ricasso wrap and a steel scabbard. The rest cover a 46 inch Damascus longsword, a 43 inch Damascus bastard sword, a 42 inch piece with a faceted pommel and a navy leather grip, a 40 inch medieval longsword with a blue grip and scabbard and an etched ricasso panel, and one with a cast wolf head pommel over an etched knotwork ricasso. The wave bladed pieces bring a parrying hook guard and an S curved crossguard. There is also a Damascus longsword at 37 inches with an olive wood handle and a turned olive burl scabbard. Steel is plain 1095 high carbon at 54 to 58 HRC or forge welded 1095 and 15N20 Damascus at 58 to 60 HRC, with a few stainless display pieces among the Viking swords. Prices run from 289 dollars to 695 dollars.
Buying at this length
Length is not the number to fixate on. Grip length and point of balance decide whether a sword feels alive or dead in the hand, and a 47 inch blade with the balance close to the guard handles better than a 42 inch one that is tip heavy. If this is your first, our guide to buying a first sword works through it. To browse by shape, the classic European two hander is in longswords, the mixed grip form is in bastard swords, and the genuinely enormous ones are in zweihanders.
Ransack Viking is a US company based in Chicago, Illinois. These pieces are handmade in the Czech Republic, then imported, inspected and shipped from Chicago. Engraving is done in the US after arrival: text 19 dollars, symbol 39 dollars, family crest 49 dollars.
Free US shipping
On most pieces. Heavier and oversized ones carry a flat charge.
Hand Forged
Heated, hammered and ground by hand.
Engraving available
Names, dates or Norse runes on most pieces.
