[Dustin Faulkner]

Hello Everybody:

I'd like to have a Germanic two-handed long sword called a "Zweihander" - zwei meaning "two" in German. Does anyone make an authentic replica of one of these without a wavy flamberge blade? I noticed one on the Kult of Athena web site by Cold Steel, but it is too short. I've also noticed a custom one was made by Arms & Armor, but I bet it cost a fortune. Museum Replicas shows an authentic one, but with that wavy flamberge blade. Does a company make one with a straight blade and appropriate length?

If I ever do get a custom one made, I'd like to ask about a Zweihander's anatomy. Most Zweihanders (if not all) have not only a crossguard with quillons in various decorative patterns (and ring guards), but there are also two shorter "wings" approximately 6 inches farther up the blade of slightly various sizes - usually crescent shaped. What are these "wings" called? In aviation parlance, I'd call them canards.

Is there any surviving literature about how a Zweihander was used? I have the impression it took a special kind of training to use a Zweihander. All I know is troops like the Landsknechts & Swiss used them and were paid more. Was it only used for chopping pike heads? Were they used in hand-to-hand combat or dueling? Were they an export weapon too? I noticed Warwick Castle in England has one in its Great Hall. Also, is there any relationship between the Zweihander and the Scottish "Lowlander" sword I've seen advertised. It seems like the "Lowlander" is a poor man's version of a Zweihander - simplified and not as fancy.

I'm a short guy so I don't know if I'd ever be able to physically handle a Zweihander properly, but it sure would look cool above a fireplace or hanging on the wall.

Thank you and have a nice weekend!

- Dustin Faulkner

[Jean Thibodeau]

Del Tin makes a large one with side rings and parrying hooks but a strait blade that they call the Venetian Twohander.

http://www.deltin.net/home.htm

Specifically this one: http://www.deltin.net/2162.htm

Kult of Athena has Del Tin swords in stock but not this model currently you could e-mail Ryan and ask if he can get one for you faster an easier than ordering directly from Italy.

http://www.kultofathena.com/deltin.asp

This one is shorter than the Venetian and doesn't have side rings:
http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=...nded+Sword

Note although called the " Venetian " Twohander it's very much of German style even if used in Italy and I think the name is mostly because the original is currently part of a museum collection in venice.

The sub-guard is called parrying hooks in English and are there mostly to protect the hand if one puts one hand between the main guard and the parrying hooks to better fight close up i.e. similar to shortening the blade by half swording.

[Steven Reich]

Ironically, the only surviving material we have found for such weapons so far is not German, but Iberian and Italian. Marozzo has a moderate amount of material in his 1536 treatise--he refers to the weapon as the Spada da Due Mani or sword for two hands, although others refer to it as the Spadone (big sword). Additionally, The Anonimo Bolognese manuscript from the early 1500s also has some material. Alfieri also gives some details in his 1653 treatise, although his actions are more like exercises. There is also some material in Lovino (c. 1580), Altoni (c. 1550), Di Grassi (1570), and perhaps the Anonimo Riccardiano (c. 1560), although they are minor sources. There is also Iberian material for the weapon (which they call the Montante).

Unfortunately, not muchof the material is available in English. However, Eric Myers and Steve Hick have released a translation of Figueyredo's Montante treatise in English which is available (for free!) as a pdf document.

There might have differences or at least different tendencies as regarding the forms of the weapons from German, through Italy, to Iberia; however, I'd still consider it to be essentially the same weapon.

Steve

[Timo Nieminen]