I had a small 3D printed handle for another sword that I didn't end up using, so I ended up using that as the base for shaping. I developed the base shape for a grip, and realized the tube idea I had earlier would look way cooler as a snake. I contemplated just using plastic tubing and winding that around, as that would stay cylindrical, but that meant I would have to wait until after class to work on that, and I wasn't that patient.

I sculpted the sausage shape, constantly holding it as I would to check if anything needed to be shaved down or scootched about. It was very helpful having the fiberglass core, as it meant I could hold onto it while shaping the handle without smudging or otherwise unintentionally marking the handle. It would have been nice to have even harder clay that wouldn't smudge as much as the clay did.

Ergonomically, the handle has some cool features. The area behind the index finger is further out compared to the areas behind other fingers to accommodate for my preferred grip. The bump on the back fits nicely in the hand, yet the contour up means I could choke up on the grip without cramping the thumb webbing. It also acts in conjunction with the snake, acting as a pommel would to prevent the sword from slipping.