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Messer (sword)
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Messer (sword)
A messer (German for "knife") is a single-edged sword of the 15th and 16th century, characterised by knife-like hilt construction methods.
While the various names are often used synonymously, messers can be divided into several principal groups:
A Bauernwehr ("peasant's knife" or "peasant's sidearm") or Hauswehr ("home/household knife") is a single-handed knife, used for utility and defence. Typical blade lengths range from 15 cm (5.9 in) lengths up to around 35 cm (14 in).
Messer, Langes Messer, and Großes Messer ("knife", "long knife", and "great knife" respectively) are usually single-handed swords used for self-defence. These blade lengths ranged from about 45 cm (18 in) to 90 cm (35 in). Hilts are normally suited to single handed use, but the larger examples may feature extended grips suitable for a second hand-hold.
Kriegsmesser ("war knife") are the largest examples of messer-hilted weapons, ranging from around 1 m (3 ft 3 in) long with approximately 80 cm (31 in) blade, up to around 1.35 m (4 ft 5 in) long with blades up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in length. Designed to be used with both hands, such messers were dedicated military arms, normally wielded by professional soldiers during the 15th and 16th century, such as the Landsknecht.
These names are subjective, and there are no known texts which clearly codify the differences between groups. As such, A large Bauernwehr might well have also been called a Messer, or a large Großes Messer might have been called a Kriegsmesser.
To combat the inherent uncertainties in using the period terms like "Messer", "langes Messer", and "Großes Messer" which are sometimes interchangeable, there is a typology created by James G. Elmslie for European single-edged arms, which classifies messer and falchion forms, similar to the Oakeshott typology used for double-edged arming swords. For more information, see Elmslie typology.
Messer appear to have emerged in the region of Southern Germany, Switzerland, or Northern Austria in the first few years of the 15th century, as small Bauernwehr and Hauswehr civilian knives of low social status. As such their exact date of origin is uncertain, the earliest known depiction being from around 1430. Those knives grow steadily larger, and depictions of sword-sized messer are found by the end of the 1440s in Fechtbücher.
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Messer (sword)
A messer (German for "knife") is a single-edged sword of the 15th and 16th century, characterised by knife-like hilt construction methods.
While the various names are often used synonymously, messers can be divided into several principal groups:
A Bauernwehr ("peasant's knife" or "peasant's sidearm") or Hauswehr ("home/household knife") is a single-handed knife, used for utility and defence. Typical blade lengths range from 15 cm (5.9 in) lengths up to around 35 cm (14 in).
Messer, Langes Messer, and Großes Messer ("knife", "long knife", and "great knife" respectively) are usually single-handed swords used for self-defence. These blade lengths ranged from about 45 cm (18 in) to 90 cm (35 in). Hilts are normally suited to single handed use, but the larger examples may feature extended grips suitable for a second hand-hold.
Kriegsmesser ("war knife") are the largest examples of messer-hilted weapons, ranging from around 1 m (3 ft 3 in) long with approximately 80 cm (31 in) blade, up to around 1.35 m (4 ft 5 in) long with blades up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in length. Designed to be used with both hands, such messers were dedicated military arms, normally wielded by professional soldiers during the 15th and 16th century, such as the Landsknecht.
These names are subjective, and there are no known texts which clearly codify the differences between groups. As such, A large Bauernwehr might well have also been called a Messer, or a large Großes Messer might have been called a Kriegsmesser.
To combat the inherent uncertainties in using the period terms like "Messer", "langes Messer", and "Großes Messer" which are sometimes interchangeable, there is a typology created by James G. Elmslie for European single-edged arms, which classifies messer and falchion forms, similar to the Oakeshott typology used for double-edged arming swords. For more information, see Elmslie typology.
Messer appear to have emerged in the region of Southern Germany, Switzerland, or Northern Austria in the first few years of the 15th century, as small Bauernwehr and Hauswehr civilian knives of low social status. As such their exact date of origin is uncertain, the earliest known depiction being from around 1430. Those knives grow steadily larger, and depictions of sword-sized messer are found by the end of the 1440s in Fechtbücher.
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