At a full 53 inches long, this is a strong, commanding blade made of Impact-Grade Hickory. The extra handle length provides greater leverage and control. The weapon is handled much differently than a longsword.
History
Possibly in use as early as 1180, these swords are slightly larger than a longsword. They were also known by Marozzo and other Italian Masters as a "spada a due mani" or "two handed sword". They were only used by infantrymen, used against pole-arms and axes. These weapons are typically shown in German manuals such as Han Talhoffer's Fechtbuch. They weighed between 3 and 4 lbs and varied from 44 to 53 inches long.
