This longsword was designed to be a bit lighter than our normal 50" longsword. The grip is slightly thinner for smaller hands. The fuller keeps the weight back making this and quick deadly blade.
For best performance, store them as you would a steel sword when your equipment is not in use: in a cool, dry environment and resting flat or hanging by the crossguard. Heat, humidity, and resting a weight ontop can all cause the blade to bend and take an undesired set. Treat it well, and this tool will serve you for years with almost no maintenance.
The Purpleheart Type III synthetic longsword was designed for use inthe study and training of approximately late 14th century to early16th century two-handed longsword fencing. Examples include Fiore deiLiberi, Sigmund Ringeck, and Joachim Meyer.
This is the most widely used synthetic waster across all HEMA tournaments in the world. This training weapon was developed in collaboration with some of the world's foremost HEMA instructors, American and European. Its dimension and weight specifications fall within the range of historical examples. It handles very well in both one and two hands, and allows the wielder to perform longsword techniques at the blade, in winding, and ringen am schwert with a minimal loss of fidelity from steel. Furthermore, with appropriate protective gear, the waster handles very well in thrusts -- preserving accuracy of technique balanced against safety for training partners.