I love the enthusiasm, sword folks. :]~ This sword was expected to be just like my regular ones except bigger, but it's hard to know what to expect from this much metallic real estate. For one, it's length is half the width of my metalworking area, so it gets bonked on things. When securing the hilt, it even got bonked into the
ceiling a few times!
Another thing is the sheer amount of surface area to grind. A 34" sword feels much bigger than 28" one - the zweihander is about 60", and it tapers at each end to the thickest part at the foreguard. About two pounds of titanium alloy was ground off of the blade billet.
Here is the hilt, fully secured; it will now get an over-wrap of black deerskin, and can be easily gripped all along its length, pressed with the palms, and the guard hooked with a finger. The pommel is a simple bullet shape of solid silicon bronze secured with a copper pin, which will patina to a dark golden color match the guards. The balance point is between the two handguards.
The gentleman who's behind this sword project has had a name for it since it was a blueprint: the ancient Greek word for the dragonfly, derived from the word for "tooth."
Odonata, the dragonfly zweihander. I hope the sword is reminiscent of a dragonfly, a colorful beast that can move with ferocious speed and graceful quickness like no other insect can.
Just a few minor details to finish and then it's time for a video!