Subject: Landsknecht mercenary infantry
Culture: Imperial German
Setting: Holy Roman Empire, Germany/Italy 16th-mid 17thc
Object: Katzbalger sword
* Royal Ontario Museum > Samuel European Galleries > Arms & Armor
"Epée a une main Poignée en acier avec incrustation en corne. Allemagne, modern, d'apres un original de 1530 environ."
* Higgins Armory Museum
Royal Armouries Museum > War Gallery *
"Sword Italian, early 16th century This Landsknecht sword with brass pommel and guard is inscribed on the blade ME FECIT BISCOTTO
and bears their mark. The North Italian Biscotti family specialised in the manufacture of swords and staff weapons."
"Sword Italian, Venice, mid 16th century Of so-called Katzbalger form, with characteristic S-shaped cross-guard and cat's-ear pommel.
The Landsknecht mercenaries of this period carried both two-handed swords and short swords of this type."
Kingston Arms *
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* Arlington Museum of Art > A Knight's Tale
"Katzbalger Sword Southern German manufacture Late 15th century Steel, copper, horn
The katzbalger was a sword used by the German Landsknechts. The rather short, wide blade was very functional in the melee environment of infantry engagements. Usually wielded by infantry, the katzbalger was a low quality weapon for poorer soldiers, but the refined details of this example are well above the norm.
"The sign of a wolf is incised on the blade. This was a trademark that originally denoted manufacture in Passau, Germany, but later was used across all of Europe to signify a quality-made blade."
)Ω( *
Higgins Armory Museum > Story of the Sword *
"'Katzbalger' (infantry sword) late 1400s-early 1500s
Probably Gemany Steel; brass; briar wood Weight: 2 lb. 2 oz." ...
