Katzbalger - request for assistance in identifying blade mark

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Victrix

For what’s it’s worth, Milan is also a Catholic Archdiocese headed by an Archbishop whose symbol is a double cross. ”The Archdiocese of Milan is the metropolitan see of the ecclesiastical province of Milan, which includes the suffragan dioceses of Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Crema, Cremona, Lodi, Mantova, Pavia, and Vigevano.” (source: Wikipedia).

I would just make the observation that the Katzbalger under discussion has a Germanic looking blade (IÂ’ve heard similar diamond cross section shaped blades described as Saxon in style). Solingen was wellknown to add other famous bladesmithÂ’s marks on their blades. The Italian swords shown so far with the trident mark all look typically Italian: flat and wide with very shallow fullers. ItÂ’s possible of course that the bladesmith was very versatile and also produced Germanic looking blades for the Germanic markets, or even traveled to Solingen to work there (?), although these guilds were pretty much closed shops so he would need special invitation.

Well observed Victrix! and you have brought up a very salient point. The Solingen situation was indeed very controlled, and the guilds very powerful.
There are references which describe limitations to the number of swords, knives blades which could be produced in regulated periods of time.

While it is known that there were instances of a number of German smiths who went to Spain, France and Holland to work (not aware of to any Italian centers)....the situation does not seem to have been reciprocal.
The 'influences' of Italian arms and armor does seem to have been well established as conveyed into these other arms centers, and in many cases, as for example Spain, was provincially present in Italy, their arms were well known in Spain and its dominions.

Returning to the case in point, the observation that latten was not used by Italian makers or artisan engravers is intriguing, and I was unaware that this otherwise European affectation not carried into Italian centers.,