Katzbalgers and Related Landsknecht Swords

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Matchlock

Hi 'Nando,

As I said: take off the outcurved sides of the wood with a raw rasp to smoothen them, then touch them with glue and apply a rough cord binding. You may then stain the hemp binding brown with wood stain. All that hasn't to be done though to make your Katzbalger look good and authentic. It already does, at least to me.
Did you soak the iron parts in olive oil? Smoothen them just lightly with 600 grain paper and oil them!!! You will be overwhelmed!!!!


Best,
Michael

You are right, i have posted my (hilt) question on the wrong thread, Michl .
Both my query and your reply are now in the right place ... including your lovely pictures .


.

[fernando]

Thanks for your advice, Michl. Since you told me this in the first place i tuned the grip wood a little bit; the results are not so famous. I didn't apply the cord binding and i am not sure i would do a decent work.
But what i find less comfortable, more than the handle, is the iron hilt; it looks clumsy, with that large and non harmonious figure 8 and only twisted in one of the arms .
Concerning the blade, i rubbed it with soap soaked Arbo and after applied the olive oil. It got a relatively brighter and much better look, no doubt.

[cornelistromp]

Hi Michael and Hi Fernando,

beautiful landsknechts saber what you have posted, a while ago, a similar type has been offered on ebay.
These swords date back to around 1550, at least after 1549 as the first datable illustration with this inner guard of norman type 17 is in the portrait of William Oberst Froehlich by Hans Asper of Zurich dated 1549.

best,


@ Fernando,
I also think that if you carefully clean your katzbalger, not overclean(= a kill) of course, you do not believe what you see.

[Matchlock]

Hi Jasper,

Thank you so much, I overlooked that! Was it on Ebay.com? What did it fetch?

It is doubtlessly a strikingly similar piece to that of my friend!

Did you notice it on Ebay, 'Nando?

Best,
Michael

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Matchlock

... Did you notice it on Ebay, 'Nando? ...

I wouldn't; i am not an Ebayer .


.

[Matchlock]

Neither am I ...

m

[fernando]

Fascinating piece though.
Thanks for sharing, Jasper

[fernando]

Originally Posted by cornelistromp

@ Fernando,
I also think that if you carefully clean your katzbalger, not overclean(= a kill) of course, you do not believe what you see.

Noted

[cornelistromp]

I have sent a few pictures of my scabbard to JP Puype the former curator of the Army Museum, and author of Arms and Armour of knights and Landknechts.

here is a quote from his mail reply( I have translated it from Dutch into Englisch);

Finally, the sheath (P1020890 pictures and -889), I think a good example of a sheath for a landsknecht. Only we know too little sheaths of landsknechtdaggers for this one to be called typical or atypical , but it seems OK to me, I think the sheath dates back to the mid-sixteenth century.

I am currently working two days a week at the archeology department of the municipality of Amsterdam on the handling of the weapon finds from the north south line. Among the many hundreds of objects I have a sheath of a landsknecht dagger identified, please note almost identical to the sheath of such a dagger at the Army Museum, see my latest book Cat.73, p.234-237 Arms and Armour of knights and Landknechts (thanks for your compliment!). I attach a scan of the magazine which I describe below nr.350 a rough sketch of the sheath that I have made. The service had indentified the object initially as " flag shoe", or as also a tube to carry a flag pole.

Sincerely,
Jan Piet Puype.


best,

[Matchlock]

Wow, that's what I call a well-based piece of information!

m

[Matchlock]

A fine hand-and-a-half sword, ca. 1530, part of a polychrome wooden statue of a knight, photographed by the author in the Museum of Weissenburg, Bavaria.

Please note the knife and bodkin in their separate compartments of the sheath!

Best,
Michael