Longsword vs Greatsword: Size, History and How to Tell Them Apart

Longsword and greatsword both describe big, straight, two-handed European swords, so it is easy to see why the names blur together. The difference is mostly one of scale and purpose. A longsword is the knightly sword of the late Middle Ages, long enough for two hands but still light and quick. A greatsword is a larger class of two-handed sword, such as the German zweihander or the Scottish claymore, built so big that it needed its own techniques and, often, its own soldiers.

The Short Answer

Size tells you most of it. A longsword usually measures about 40 to 48 inches overall and weighs around 2.5 to 3.5 pounds. A Renaissance greatsword usually measures 55 to 70 inches and weighs around 5 to 7 pounds. Greatswords also tend to carry features a longsword lacks, such as an unsharpened section of blade above the guard (the ricasso) and extra parrying hooks or side rings.

Longsword vs Greatsword at a Glance

What Is a Longsword?

The longsword appeared in the 1300s as plate armor made the shield less necessary. Knights could now use both hands on the grip, and the sword grew a longer handle to match. It stayed a sidearm, worn at the hip and drawn when needed, and it was nimble enough to be used for civilian fencing as well as war. Masters such as Johannes Liechtenauer in Germany and Fiore dei Liberi in Italy built entire systems around it. Our history of the longsword tells that story in full.

What Is a Greatsword?

Greatsword is an umbrella term rather than a single design. In the 1300s, English writers sometimes used grete swerd or war sword for an especially large longsword. By the 1500s the word fits a distinct group of true two-handers that grew well beyond longsword size.

The best known is the German zweihander, carried by Landsknecht mercenaries. Its users were often called Doppelsoldner, double pay men, because handling such a sword in the front ranks was dangerous, skilled work. Iberia had the montante, Italy the spadone, and Scotland the two-handed claymore. Many later greatswords were made purely as parade or bearing swords, carried in processions, and some of those were far heavier than any fighting sword.

The Key Differences in Detail

Scale

A longsword is sized like a large personal sidearm. A greatsword is sized more like a short polearm, which is why it was usually carried over the shoulder rather than worn in a scabbard.

The ricasso and hooks

Many greatswords have a long blunt section above the guard so the user could choke up and grip the blade itself for close work, plus parrying hooks that protect that forward hand. Longswords rarely need either.

Role

The longsword was a knight's and fencer's weapon for duels, tournaments and the battlefield. Greatswords were specialist battlefield tools, used to guard banners, defend gaps in formations and fight around pike blocks, and later became ceremonial symbols.

Handling

A longsword's lighter weight lets it move quickly and switch to one hand. A greatsword relies on momentum and leverage, with wide sweeping movements and the ricasso grip for control at close range.

A Note on Modern Labels

Modern sellers, including us, often label two-handed swords in the 44 to 49 inch range as greatswords because of their long grips and heavier blades. In strict historical terms, those sizes sit at the large end of the longsword family. If you want the full Renaissance scale of a true greatsword, look for swords of 54 inches and up, such as the zweihanders and claymores below.

Which One Fits Your Collection?

A longsword suits collectors of knightly and medieval history and fits most display walls. A greatsword makes a dramatic centerpiece and suits anyone drawn to Renaissance mercenaries, Highland clans or the sheer spectacle of a six-foot sword. Measure your wall first: a 60 inch blade needs more space than most people expect.

Longswords to consider

• King's Sword Longsword, Damascus Steel, 42", $239.99. A classic knightly longsword with a 33 inch blade.
• Charlemagne Longsword, Joyeuse Sword, High Carbon Damascus, 47", $259.99. A full length longsword at the top of the classic size range.
• Build Your Own Longsword, starting at $199.99. A made to order longsword built around the options you select.

Browse the full longsword collection.

Greatswords to consider

• Zweihander Sword, High Carbon Damascus Steel, 60", $399.99. True Renaissance two-hander scale for a centerpiece display.
• Zweihander Sword, Damascus Steel, 54", $299.99. The German greatsword at a more manageable size.
• Claymore Sword, 1095 Steel, 56", $299.99. Scotland's two-handed greatsword in 1095 high carbon steel.
• Build Your Own Greatsword, starting at $199.99. A made to order zweihander, claymore, spadone or similar.

Browse the full greatsword collection.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a greatsword just a big longsword?

Partly. The earliest greatswords were enlarged longswords, but Renaissance greatswords like the zweihander developed their own features, such as the ricasso and parrying hooks, and their own fighting methods.

How heavy is a greatsword?

Fighting greatswords usually weighed around 5 to 7 pounds. Ceremonial bearing swords could be much heavier, which is where some exaggerated weight claims come from.

Is a zweihander a greatsword?

Yes. The zweihander is the best known greatsword. Our claymore vs zweihander comparison covers how it differs from Scotland's version.

Is a short sword or a greatsword better?

Each suited a different job. We compare them in short sword vs greatsword.

More Sword Comparisons

• Longsword vs Broadsword
• Claymore vs Zweihander
• Katana vs Longsword
• Saber vs Rapier
• Cutlass vs Saber
• Katana vs Tachi
• Rapier vs Longsword
• Bastard Sword vs Longsword
• Katana vs Wakizashi vs Tanto
• Odachi vs Nodachi
• Scimitar vs Katana

For every sword family in one place, see our guide to the types of swords.