The Bastard Sword: A Guide to the Hand-and-a-Half Sword, and How It Compares to the Longsword and Claymore
The bastard sword is the medieval sword that would not pick a side. Its grip is long enough for two hands and its blade light enough for one, so a knight could carry it with a shield on horseback and then take it in both hands on foot. The name comes from that in-between status: it belonged to neither the one-handed nor the two-handed family, so 15th and 16th century French sources called it the épée bâtarde. This guide covers what it is, where it came from, how the grip works, how it compares to the longsword and the claymore it is always confused with, the historical types, and what to look for in a modern one.
What is a bastard sword?
A straight, double-edged sword of the late 14th to 16th centuries with a blade of roughly 33 to 37 inches, an overall length of 44 to 48 inches, a grip of 7 to 9 inches that takes one hand with room for the second, and a weight of 2.5 to 3.5 lb. The crossguard is straight or slightly curved, the pommel a wheel, scent-stopper or pear shape heavy enough to balance the blade a few inches in front of the guard. Hand-and-a-half sword means the same thing.
History
The bastard sword appeared as plate armour spread in the 14th century and the shield began to disappear. A knight in full plate no longer needed a shield, which freed the left hand, and a longer grip let him use both hands for leverage against armour while keeping a blade short enough to manage from the saddle. It is the sword of the later Hundred Years' War (1337 to 1453), the Wars of the Roses and the Burgundian wars, and it narrowed and stiffened through the 15th century into a thrusting weapon before giving way to the rapier and the true two-hander in the 16th.
Design
Blade
Early bastard swords have broad cutting blades with a fuller; later ones are narrower, diamond-sectioned and tapered to a stiff point for the thrust. Both are double-edged.
Grip and pommel
The grip is the defining feature. Long enough for the second hand to sit behind or on the pommel, short enough that one hand alone can control the sword. The pommel is heavy, which is what makes a 3 lb sword feel light in the hand.
Crossguard
Straight or gently curved toward the blade, usually plain, sometimes with a ring on one side on later examples.
How the hand-and-a-half grip works
With one hand, the sword handles like a heavy arming sword and pairs with a shield or buckler. With two, the second hand on the pommel adds leverage and control for the thrust and for close work against an armoured opponent. The historical fencing manuals of the 15th century also describe half-swording, gripping the blade itself with the left hand to drive the point into the gaps in plate. The point of the design is that the same sword did all of it.
Bastard sword versus longsword
Modern collectors use longsword for the whole family of double-edged swords with a two-hand grip, from about 1350 to 1550, and bastard sword for the shorter, one-hand-capable end of that family. So every bastard sword is a longsword in the broad sense, but not every longsword is a bastard sword. In numbers: a longsword runs 36 to 40 inches in the blade and 2.5 to 4 lb; a bastard sword 33 to 37 inches and 2.5 to 3.5 lb. The blade geometry is the same range in both; the grip length is the difference. The longswords and bastard swords collections overlap for that reason.
Bastard sword versus claymore
The claymore is the Scottish two-handed sword of the 15th to 17th centuries, and it is a different weapon. Blade about 42 inches against 33 to 37; weight 5 to 6 lb against 2.5 to 3.5; a grip for two hands only; a forward-sloping guard ending in quatrefoils against a straight cross; a Highland battlefield weapon against a European knight's sidearm. The bastard sword is versatile and can be carried and used one-handed; the claymore has reach and mass and nothing else. In Elden Ring the two are separate weapon classes, and the real swords differ the same way the game's do: one is a hand-and-a-half sword, the other a greatsword. Our claymore guide covers the Scottish sword in full, and the claymore collection holds the range.
Historical examples and Oakeshott types
Ewart Oakeshott's typology sorts medieval blades by shape, and the hand-and-a-half swords fall mainly into Types XVa, XVIa and XVIIIb: tapered, stiff, diamond or hexagonal in section, built for the thrust as much as the cut. The best-known surviving example is the sword associated with Albrecht Dürer in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum in Nuremberg, a classic German hand-and-a-half sword of about 1500. The famous swords sometimes listed under this heading, the Sword of St Maurice (a coronation sword) and the Wallace Sword (a two-handed greatsword), are not bastard swords. Our types of swords guide puts the family in context.
Choosing a bastard sword
Steel
1095 high carbon is the traditional monosteel, typically finishing around 56 to 58 HRC, with a satin or antiqued finish and the option of clay tempering. Pattern-welded Damascus is layered high carbon steel with a visible forged pattern, no two alike. Both are working standards; stainless is for display. Our Damascus and 1095 bastard swords are hand forged, and the sword steel guide explains the differences.
Tang and fittings
A full tang running the length of the grip, peened or threaded through the pommel, and a guard seated with no play. Construction varies by design, so read the listing for the piece you are buying rather than assuming from the family.
Size and balance
Check overall length against the wall or stand, and look for a point of balance a few inches in front of the guard; a sword balanced at the tip is a bar with an edge. The 44 inch clay-tempered 1095 bastard sword is a representative piece.
Care
Wipe after handling, oil lightly, store dry, and check the fittings for play once or twice a year. The sharpening guide covers the edge and the care guide covers the rest.
Frequently asked questions
What is a bastard sword?
A late medieval sword with a grip long enough for two hands but a blade light enough for one. Also called a hand-and-a-half sword.
Why is it called a bastard sword?
Because it belonged to neither the one-handed nor the two-handed family. The term comes from 15th and 16th century French sources, the épée bâtarde.
What is the difference between a bastard sword and a longsword?
Grip length. Longsword is the broad family; bastard sword is the shorter end of it that can still be used one-handed.
What is the difference between a bastard sword and a claymore?
The claymore is a dedicated two-hander, roughly a foot longer in the blade and about twice the weight.
How long and heavy is a bastard sword?
33 to 37 inches in the blade, 44 to 48 inches overall, 2.5 to 3.5 lb.
What steel should a bastard sword be?
1095 high carbon or pattern-welded Damascus for a working standard; stainless for display.
About the author
Owen Juarbal is Director of Marketing and head writer at Battling Blades. He has been with the company since 2021 and writes or reviews every guide the team publishes. Read more about Battling Blades.
