later Landsknecht sabre

[Jim McDougall]

Outstanding sword!!! and thank you for posting this. Actually this is well placed among the number of posts on basket hilts etc.

The Landsknecht swords typically termed katzbalgars, were a colorfully termed arming sword of the landsknechts, mercenary soldiers of the early 16th c who often congregated in or around Passau. For this reason, Passau became a known center for armorers who were literally suppliers for weaponry in general for these soldiers.

The simplistic mark, which was likely used by a local maker resembles marks often used by makers in these regions in those times, and with the almost indiscernible Passau wolf was pretty much a standard combination on these arms. This 'wolf' was in my opinion purely talismanic, and placed on the blades of these times in that manner. Contrary to the efforts of writers to establish any sort of chronology or consistency to these (Wagner, 1967) these were typically randomly scribed into the blades, often so stylized or virtually unrecognizable in early examples it seems just the act of placing these chop marks imbued the supposed 'magic' . Later in Solingen, more recognizable versions became more consistent.

The styling of this hilt shows the later departure of these arming swords into more developed elements from the simple S guards of earlier in the century, and this as noted seems more toward the early 17th. The ring guard on the hilt comes from a feature often on Italian swords of these times.

The flattened sphere pommel recalls the 'kosarice' type types on early schiavona (attached) and similar on early katzbalgars.

It has been noted that by adding a outward guard bar from the knuckleguard to the cross guard, this might be deemed the beginning of the development of the basket hilt and though unrelated, the schiavona hilt. That would be a far more complicated discussion.

The illustration from "Sabres of the Hapsburg Monarchy" (Konipsky & Moudry, Prague, 1991, p. 21)

While of course not a landsknecht example, it has a similar feel so added it for compaison on how these earlier swords were evolving. In the photo of the grouping of weapons one of the katzbalgars can be seen with the kosarice pommel.