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C. Stringer
Location: Minnesota Joined: 28 Jan 2010
Posts: 5
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 Posted: Thu 28 Jan, 2010 2:45 pm Post subject: Zweihander Specifications? |
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I was wondering what the specifications of a typical Zweihander are?
How long were they usually? Both the blade and the handle.
How wide/thick was the blade?
What Oakeshott type were they?
Were their blades designed for thrusting or cleaving? I know they used half-swording techniques, but were they mainly cleaving weapons aside from that?
Did they all have,( I forget what they're called), parrying hooks along the blade?
Were they used like standard longswords? Or did they have a unique fighting style besides use against pike men?
Also, is it true that they cleave through a horse? If they were meant for cleaving I wouldn't be surprised if they could cut of a horses head.
Thanks.
Nothing Gold can stay...so let us wait for the coming day...
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JG Elmslie
Industry Professional
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| Posted: Thu 28 Jan, 2010 2:59 pm Post subject: |
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simple one first, the typology falls outside the oakeshott typology, as they're mostly post-medieval blade types.
length; 150-175cm is the typical average for blade and hilt.
width, 50mm diamond section is a reasonable average.
weight, 3-9 lbs is the range, with the average probably somewhere around 5.
not all have the flukes, the parrying hook, but they're common on german ones.
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Timo Nieminen
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| Posted: Thu 28 Jan, 2010 3:41 pm Post subject: |
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A two-hander isn't a big longsword. It's a similar shape, and you can and will use similar guards, but movement is different. A longsword is just a little steel stick you can wave around with your arms, while a two-hander is a dance partner - you move together with it. Especially if you have one hand on the ricasso, it's more polearm than sword. Lever and thrust, push and hook with your parrying-hooks/flukes/secondary guard if present.
They can cut, and cut well, in good hands. Whether or not they're capable of the feats sometimes attributed to them (e.g., cutting clean through horse and rider at once for Chinese two-handers) is another story, but given a sharp blade moving at high speed, it will cut. There are some cutting vids on youtube using the Cold Steel two-hander (which is short) and the Hanwei Lowlander.
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Robert S. Haile
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| Posted: Thu 28 Jan, 2010 4:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Timo Nieminen wrote: | A two-hander isn't a big longsword. It's a similar shape, and you can and will use similar guards, but movement is different. A longsword is just a little steel stick you can wave around with your arms, while a two-hander is a dance partner - you move together with it. Especially if you have one hand on the ricasso, it's more polearm than sword. Lever and thrust, push and hook with your parrying-hooks/flukes/secondary guard if present.
They can cut, and cut well, in good hands. Whether or not they're capable of the feats sometimes attributed to them (e.g., cutting clean through horse and rider at once for Chinese two-handers) is another story, but given a sharp blade moving at high speed, it will cut. There are some cutting vids on youtube using the Cold Steel two-hander (which is short) and the Hanwei Lowlander. |
An accurate description of movement with a two hander...though I don't know if I'd call a longsword a mere steel stick you wave around with your arms. I would say it requires just as much of a different breed of finesse.
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C. Stringer
Location: Minnesota Joined: 28 Jan 2010
Posts: 5
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| Posted: Thu 28 Jan, 2010 10:25 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for your help guys!
Nothing Gold can stay...so let us wait for the coming day...
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Greg Coffman
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| Posted: Fri 29 Jan, 2010 6:51 am Post subject: |
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See the following ARMA article on this subject. And also, search the forum to find the information you are looking for, because it has all been covered elsewhere.
http://www.thearma.org/essays/2HGS.html
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
-Hebrews 4:12
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Walter Neubauer
Location: Bayreuth/ Germany Joined: 07 Apr 2004
Posts: 2
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This is a standard topic
