Katzbalgers and Related Landsknecht Swords

[Matchlock]

... preserved in the Castel Sant' Angelo, Rome, the Katzbalger of unusual length and therefore probably mounted with a later blade!

m

[fernando]

Ah Michl,
Definitely your picture is much better than mine, 'secretely' taken with a friend's camera, when i visited the Castle last year.

[Matchlock]

Oh 'Nando,

They are not mine, I found them on the web.

Best,
Michl

[Matchlock]

German two hand swords in the Norwich Castle museum: the one on the left a bearing sword of ca. 1600, the one on the right an early Landsknecht sword of ca. 1490, also illustrated in detail below.

Associated with the armor is a hand and a half sword of ca. 1550-60.

Best,
Michael

[Matchlock]

Hi there,

Some 20 years ago, my friend Ottmar saw an unusually good and fine Katzbalger in perfect old patina in a North German private collection, and offered them what would 10,000 euro today. They would not sell though.

Today, that same piece - unfortunately cleaned meanwhile - was sold at auction by Czerny's, Italy, where it was fortunately labeled as 19th c. copy. So my friend bought it at the estimate of 1,500 euro.

Sometimes all you have to do is wait patiently ...

Now here it is, Southern Germany, ca. 1520, overall length 94.5 cm. Please note the small piece of wood inlaid in the iron grip and framed by a brass band, and the fine roped decoration on the hilt, which is characteristic of the early Renaissance period. The short lateral fullers at the base of the blade can be found on most original Katzbalgers.

The mark struck two times has not yet been identified, it might be a variation of the so-called Brescian eye though.

Enjoy, and best,
Michael

[fernando]

Fantastic !!
Hey Michl, did you notice the auctioner dates it XIX century ?
... or is my italian far too rusted ?

-

[Matchlock]

Originally Posted by Matchlock

sold at auction by Czerny's, Italy, where it was fortunately labeled as 19th c. copy. So my friend bought it at the estimate of 1,500 euro.

But that's exactly what I pointed out, 'Nando - and that's also what the joke is all about! It really is, as I said: ca. 1520 and all original!

Best,
Michl

[fernando]

Sorry for being too speedy; didn't read the whole paragraph .

[Matchlock]

Originally Posted by Matchlock

A Katzbalger ... preserved in the Castel Sant' Angelo, Rome, the Katzbalger of unusual length and therefore probably mounted with a later blade!
m

The pretzel quillons on this are a modern replacement of course. I just wished to make that perfectly clear.

Best,
Michael

[Matchlock]

For another good Katzbalger sword new to the market, and in our member Fernando's collection, please see

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=14555

Best,
Michael

[Matchlock]

A good and rare Landsknecht one-hand sword, in excavated condition and missing its originally sandwiched and cord-bound leather-covered wooden grip scales, ca. 1525-30, just failed to sell at only 1.600 euro at the Dorotheum, Vienna.
Overall length ca. 110 cm.

Best,
Michael

[Matchlock]

This one-hand sword is very similar to a hand-and-a-half sword of identical date, overall length 119.5 cm, preserved in the Historisches Museum Regensburg (author's photos attached, the one top is the one discussed here).

The blade bears a deeply-struck South German cross-and-orb mark.

m

[Matchlock]

The orb-and-cross mark.