Hood Ripper, Teutonic Order Great Longsword

'Hood Ripper', Teutonic Order great longsword Longsword, pommel with Cross inlays, circa 1370, inspired by original examples and historical sources. 
Dark brown grip color.

An exceptional sword, although fully historical in every respect.

The name of this sword comes from the novel by Henryk Sienkiewicz, where the Polish name of the sword was 'Zerwikaptur' and can be translated as Hood Ripper. It was wielded by the famous Polish knight Podbipięta, who received this sword as a hairloom, and his ancestor obtained it from the Teutonic Knights. The sword from the description was huge, although the knight wore it on his belt, in a scabbard. Looking for the prototype of this sword in museums, I long ago came across a large group of heavy, long German swords, which were certainly in use by the Teutonic Knights in the 14th and 15th centuries. This is how the 'Zerwikaptur' could and probably would have looked.

From a historical point of view, this type of heavy and really long sword became popular in the 14th century and useful in fighting a heavily armored opponent. Despite weighing over 2200g and being over 130cm long, it is quite easy to wield thanks to its very good balance. The octagonal cross-section provides good reinforcement for the blade, adapted to powerful cuts. A magnificent sword with almost all the features of swords from this group. The largest and heaviest sword I have made so far, within historical parameters and historically correct.

Hood Ripper is based on dimensions of swords in the museum in Zagreb, where we can find several swords of this size and type. They all weigh close or over 2000g, there is also a significant group of these swords in the museum in Berlin.
What can I say about handling? It is still a very agile and maneuverable sword, it is simply adapted to greater striking / cutting power. It is still a handy knight's weapon worn at the belt and not on the shoulder, like later larger swords. It allows you to efficiently perform all long sword techniques. The blade is held rigidly thanks to the hexagonal cross-sections.

I once wrote a special article (in Polish) about the history of the sword from the book, which for those interested can be found at this link: https://artofswordmaking.com/gallery/zerwikaptur 

You will also find examples of such swords in museums.

Measurements:
total length 1325mm
bladse length 1035mm
blade width 61mm
grip 220mmm
crossguard 190mm
pommel 55x42mm
balance 95mm
weight 2210g