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Originally Posted by Matchlock
The three holes near the tip of the blade are of course not for making the piece lighter by 2-3 grams (!) but are the last Baroque decorative element of the older Gothic trefoil (Dreipass).
This of course is no longer a Renaissance sword as that epoque ended in the early 17th century. It is of High Baroque type (2nd half 17th c.).
Best,
Michael
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The three holes are supposedly not for removing but rather adding weight by attaching two pieces of steel via nuts or rivets. This is probably an urban myth, the reason is purely decorative and religious, a trefoil indeed. However not all beheading swords of this type have the three holes. I can think of a secondary benefit created by the holes: a sinister whistle while the blade spins rapidly in mid air... Unlike the axe, the motion was paralell to the ground and the executioner had to build up speed with 2-3 free spins, before the death blow was struck.