Also known as a hand-and-a-half sword. A bastard sword has a blade length of ~30"-44" and a grip (the part of the hilt that you grasp) that is long enough to accomidate two hands, but the weight (~2.75-4.25 pounds) is such that the sword can be used with either one or two hands. Versatility is a Good Thing. Longswords are only meant to be wielded with one hand, and two-handed swords are only meant to be wielded with two hands.