The Katzbalger was the signature blade of the Landsknecht and used between the 16th and 17th century.
While the main weapon of a Landsknecht was either a pike, a two-handed sword or an arquebus almost all of them used the Katzbalger as a side-arm.
Consequently, this short sword was used as a last resort weapon in case the enemy got too close so that their superior main weapons became unusable.
As the Katzbalger only had a gradual taper and sometimes even a rounded tip it was generally used as a cutting weapon. Thrusts were only useable when fighting unarmored targets.
The broader blade may have been advantageous when blocking strikes from heavier weapons like a Zweihänder.
There are two different theories on the origin of the name Katzbalger.
The first one is that the sword usually wasn’t carried in a scabbard but was only attached to the soldier’s waist by a cat’s skin (The German word “Katze” means cat and “Balg” translates to the skin of an animal)
The second theory is that the sword’s name is derived from the German word “balgen” which describes an intense close-quarter battle. In this case a fight between “Katzen” (cats)
Don’t normally post swords because I’m not a big sword guy but I found this and thought it was interesting. But sword nerds are welcome here. Also maybe someone needed this for DnD reasons.
For our non native English speaking members the title is word play. Pointless usually means something lacks purpose but here it refers to the lack of an point at the tip of the sword.
Read more: https://medievalswordsworld.com/what-is-a-katzbalger/
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Swords and combat arms interest me more than firearms because there are more varieties and a longer history to find weird things.
If you know any that you think are worth sharing post them here.
If you know any that you think are worth sharing post them here.
100%! Moar Swords and historical melee weapons, please! @[email protected]! 😁
the short sword’s longevity in melee is a testament to its versatility.
most weapons are an answer to an armament technology of the time. no one would ever fight with a 2 handed sword if it wasn’t necessary for defeating heavy armor. no one would fight with a 14’ polearm if there hadn’t been a 13’ polearm it was meant to counter.
the short sword was the first weapon meant to counter another weapon - the dagger. the extra reach gave the wielder a slight advantage. that was the beginning of the ‘arms race’, but the short sword proved useful for thousands of years. most other weapons did not have that kind of shelf life.
I wonder if the name is a play on words, ‘skinning the cat’? I’m not fluent in German.
