Large zweihänder at the Amsterdam Rijksmuseum

werecow · 7th June 2022, 09:58 PM

The Rijkmuseum in Amsterdam has on display this enormous zweihänder, which made all the other two handed swords there (and frankly most of the polearms) seem rather puny by comparison.

If anyone here is familiar with this sword or others like it, I was wondering about the museum's claim that a sword like this might have been used as a fighting sword. This seems rather dubious to me; not only is the blade maybe some 8cm broad at the base (from memory and rough estimation; comparing proportions in the picture and assuming the 46cm given is the distance between the now bent quillon tips, gives me about 8.4cm), but it also looked to be roughly 1cm wide at the base (though it was very hard to gauge), and tapering only gradually, from what I could make out in the low lighting. Given that the whole thing is 207.5cm long and has only shallow fullers, that would be one hell of a heavy metal bar to have to swing around.

But then, I've never held a zweihänder or studied them in detail. Would you say the museum's claim is feasible, or is it more likely that it was a ceremonial sword?

EDIT: Added a second picture that shows the puny normal zweihänders next to the big one. Neither picture does it justice.

7th June 2022, 09:58 PM	#1
werecow Member Join Date: Sep 2021 Location: Leiden, NL Posts: 505	Large zweihänder at the Amsterdam Rijksmuseum The Rijkmuseum in Amsterdam has on display this enormous zweihänder, which made all the other two handed swords there (and frankly most of the polearms) seem rather puny by comparison. If anyone here is familiar with this sword or others like it, I was wondering about the museum's claim that a sword like this might have been used as a fighting sword. This seems rather dubious to me; not only is the blade maybe some 8cm broad at the base (from memory and rough estimation; comparing proportions in the picture and assuming the 46cm given is the distance between the now bent quillon tips, gives me about 8.4cm), but it also looked to be roughly 1cm wide at the base (though it was very hard to gauge), and tapering only gradually, from what I could make out in the low lighting. Given that the whole thing is 207.5cm long and has only shallow fullers, that would be one hell of a heavy metal bar to have to swing around. But then, I've never held a zweihänder or studied them in detail. Would you say the museum's claim is feasible, or is it more likely that it was a ceremonial sword? EDIT: Added a second picture that shows the puny normal zweihänders next to the big one. Neither picture does it justice. Attached Images