Which one-handed grip is correct, for a hand-and-half sword? I read somewhere that a proper grip has the edges aligned parallel to the knuckles. I took a picture of one way to hold it with the grip somewhat perpendicular to my knuckles - this is quite uncomfortable because the grip is biting into my palm, yet it feels quire secure. The second picture has the grip much more parallel to my knuckles, this feels much more comfortable and fills the inside of my palm, yet it somehow feels a bit less secure than the first grip.

I'm almost positive the second picture is the correct way... any expert opinions on which is right?

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Proper for what? I find I shift my hand(s) quite a bit in use on a wide range of swords and grip lengths.

Cheers

GC

For cutting. There is no problem in two-handed use, it's just that this is supposed to be a hand-and-half sword, so it should be able to be used one-handed if necessary.

I'm sorry if I seem dense by now asking; Cutting what?

I tend not to use any of the pictured hammer-like grips when cutting at an angle or horizontally. Try rolling your grip around a bit until your thumb orients to the flat of the blade, especially for horizontal cuts. Heel of your thumb to the wide side of the grip. Maybe it's just me. Overhead my left to righ low, yes, more of a hammer grip and knuckles aligned to the edge but not otherwise really (for me)

Whatever feels good to you but you shouldn't have a death grip in any position (imho). Don't let go but don't strangle it, or wring with two hands.

Cheers

GC

Yes, avoid a death grip- you may have heard the expression to hold the sword like a bird- too soft and it will fly away, too hard and you will crush the life out of it.

I just ran through the times when I drop the left hand off the grip, and I am never cutting like that- it is almost always for a grapple. Cutting I am always using both hands. If I had to cut one-handed, the grip would most likely be based on how I was holding the sword when I dropped the left hand off.

On the other hand, if I am cutting with a single-handed sword, I'll probably have my thumb against the flat (as has already been mentioned) so my grip isn't like either you've shown. All depends on the style of swordsmanship you use, of course.

Thanks for the tips, guys, more like this? It definitely feels less tense when I put the heel of my thumb against the flattened portion of the grip, which would probably explain why the grip itself narrows in thickness (not width) going towards the guard. I had originally thought that grips like these were supposed to be thicker to fill the palm out a bit more, but that would only make sense if I were holding it in a hammer grip. So... I started holding this sword in a two-handed grip and then taking my left hand off, and I found that my right hand was left holding it more or less like this...

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