THE TWO HANDED KATZBALGER

[cornelistromp]

Originally Posted by Roland_M

Hello cornelistromp,

Nice swords but the Katzbalger is always a short sword with a maximum blade length of 60cm.
The Katzbalger is intended for closest combat.

In English "Katzbalger" is Katz(e)=cat and Balger=scramble, because of its fast Action.

Kind regards
Roland

Hi Roland,


your statement about the katzbalgers is somewhere between very amusing and total nonsense.

Total nonsense is the Katzbalger is always a short sword with a maximum blade length of 60cm, this is based on nothing, where did you get this crap from?
Like other types of swords there are katzbalgers with long and short blades. the shortest Katzbalger blade that I know of is in the Historical museum of Bern, No. 7390/10099 with a blade of 56,2x4,4 cm.
All the others are all much longer!!
for example, the two onehanders posted above in #2, have a blade length of 67,1cm and 77,5cm.


the etymology of the German name katzbalger;
Schnieder1957, according to Seitz, the mercenaries used instead of a scabbard a cat's skin sheath, they had the ability to stab the sword quickly without pulling the sword from its sheath.
This seems unlikely since there are many 16thC images where a scabbard can be seen.

Another theory is that the word katzbalger comes from how cats fight, ( in the Germany Language wie Katzen balgen) cats fight like mercenaries in close combat.

most likely is the theory of JP Puype in Arms and Armour of knights and landsknechts, page 152: The etymology of the german name katzbalger is unclear but there is consensus that balger comes from the middle high German verb balgen, meaning to brawl, whereas the word KATZ(cat) might be a corruption of KURZ(short). Nonetheless there are also katzbalgers with longer blades apparently worn by mounted landsknecht officers.


because Katzbalger comes in different types of appearances, with flared grips, pommel caps and real pommels etc, I have drawn a Katzbalger definition in 2008 to indicate the limits.

to my understanding, a katzbalger must meet all 3 of the following criteria;

1. Sword of the landsknecht(infantry) with a horizontal or S- or 8-curved guard. (cf. Seitz blankwaffen P173, puype p152)

2. a broad straight mainly two edged blade, in the first place used for cutting and slashing blows and not for stabbing, in most cases with a rounded tip.

3. basic hilt form;The speading end of the grip is made ​​of metal and no true pommel exists, alternatively hilt subform; the grip ends with a pommel or in a cap, fitting down over it. (norman1980 hilt3 p66 )


best,
Jasper