Two handed swords

[fernando]

Welcome to the forum, Elfina.
I am certain you will soon have a reply to your query.

[Matchlock]

Hi Elfina,

I cannot but totally consent to all your fears.

It takes years of closest possible study on the basis of many objects, genuine and fake alike, in order to tell them apart - and sometimes even the expert opinions vary.

Best,
Michael

[elfina]

Thanks for your reply, Michael!

Actually, my lack of expertise on katzbalgers and other 16th century swords has already cost me a lot of money. About eight years ago I purchased what was purportedly a genuine katzbalger from a dealer (now deceased) who shall go nameless. I found out through Bonhams (I think it was Bonhams and Butterfields then) it was a fake as were the bastard sword, war hammer, and two handed sword I also bought from this dealer (some of the items were not strictly fakes apparently; rather, they were Victorian copies, though the dealer described them as genuine originals). I ended up disposing of all of them through Bonhams in their San Francisco sale of June 29, 2005. If you have a copy of this catalog, the four items I mentioned are on page 79: 2413, 2414, 2415, and 2416.

Eric

[Matchlock]

Hi Eric,

I am sad to hear this, though it was just another version of the same old story.

I am sure you have doing a lot better with the stuff you are collecting now, and I have noticed Jim commenting on your espada ancha!

Best,
Michael

[Matchlock]

Another Katzbalger copy, 19th c., in North Italian early-16th c. style.

It is in the Tojhusmuseet Copenhagen, and an almost identical item is in a German private collection which has been published in a monography.

m

[cornelistromp]

from the sale; the Karsten Klingbeil collection.
attributed to the 19thC.

[cornelistromp]

to make life easy, a probably 19th century katzbalger sold as a 16th century one by Sothebys. and a probably 16th century katzbalger sold as 19th century by Czerny (black background).