Landsknecht 'Katzbalger' Sword - How was It Used? With Windlass Example Review

[@TS-iz1ov]

Hi, maybe I can help as a German a lil bit. "Katz", means cat, and "balgen" is an old-fashioned word for fighting. I once read a history book for children the name comes from the fact that the Landsknechte with the sword will be the battle or in the tavern fought in close quarters and that this should then have the same outcome as cats fighting each other. No elegant fencing but a brawl

[@gilde915]

there is still the word in english for woman fighting.."catfight"...this word might originate from Katzbalgen

[@Leftyotism]

Hello, also German guy here! 😅 I just want to add, balgen and katzbalgen are synonyms. And "Balg" is also an old word for a whole animal hide. So Katzbalger could also mean Catskinner. 😱

[@TS-iz1ov]

@@Leftyotism yes that are true and also possible

[@Leftyotism]

@@TS-iz1ov Hehe, words are fun! 😁

[@StevenFox80]

@@Leftyotism my guess it had a double-meaning back in the day because in phases of the 30-years war the Landsknechte would eat anything they could get their hands on, so a cat wouldn't be off the menu. The double meaning could be the reason why the name has stuck.

[@dreadsleeper]

I’ve been doing landskneckt re-enactment for almost ten years, and in that time of handling, wearing, and swinging around katzbalgers I mostly agree with what Matt’s said here. From looking at artwork and surviving swords they vary quite a bit from sword to sword. I think it was Oakshott that hinted that most katzbalbers were actually older swords that were rehilted and resold as cheap used swords.

[@rtbinc2273]

Archaeology has shown that weapons were often reused many times. That theory would explain may things.

[@frankharr9466]

That might explain the lack of point.

[@rtbinc2273]

@@frankharr9466 You could easily have a 2 handed sword that either broke or was cut in half to make two smaller swords. One might not have much of a point.

[@forevertoremain]

That's interesting. What sort of older swords would be used as the basis?

[@rtbinc2273]

@@forevertoremain Any and all that fit the wanted size. I think we need to keep in mind there are thousands of swords from this era still existent and they represent only a few percent of what existed at the time. A thicker sword could be thinned if wanted, or for that matter two broken ones forged together. There would need to be a lot of research to see what was happening. Sidebar - research means money which often isn't there. In this period Power-hammers existed as did powered forges - this allows for all sorts of recycling of materials. The Landsknecht existed during a period of intense military activity so there was lots of broken stuff around, so any method of cheap sword making was likely used. It's not clear who paid for the sword or if the Regiment provided one sword and you could get a different one if you wanted. A Katzbalger weighed about 1 to 1.5 kilos, so anything of the mostly correct weight could have been used. How hard is it to reshape a bad halberd head into a Katzbalger? I don't know.

[@cnschu]

@scholagladiatoria: At he time, katzbalgen was "to bicker" or "to quarrel" and also "to fight". So a katzbalger was a person who enjoyed this activities. So the katzbalger sword is a sword for people who like to quarrel/fight/bicker" (usually Landsknechte).

[@superrobotmonkeyhyperteamf3194]

Great Video as always big fan of your channel. I want to mention/add few things regarding Katzbalger. The word Katzbalg does exist already in the 15th century and means something along the lines of "strong argument " or brawl. In Germany we sometimes still use the verb balgen for exactly this context. When cats brawl or fight super close and are entangled in each other we use the verb balgen for this. Older books use that as well for people that brawl and wrestle with each other in an arugment. Also historical sources do mention the word balgen in this context as well for example in german war books for example in the malefiz-recht/laws. There the rules state that its strictly forbidden to use your main arms for "balgen". However sometimes the commander or an seargant could allow them to solve their problem but only with their side arms. The confusion may come from a similar word "balg" which means animal skin. Meyer does have a so called balg-cut which is special form of a cross-cut maybe that explains why the Katzbalger-Guard was like this. There are also a few Pictures of two dutch fencers fencing with katzbalger on wiktenauer in a dutch treatise forgot its name. What interest me is that the pommel does look similar to later Katzbalger and Dussack pommels. I remember that someone theorised that it could have been to ensure that the Dussack/Katzbalger stays in a Hammer Grip or close-to hammer grip. Theres also the problem that according to some experts many of the Katzbalgers are 18-19th century fakes. Some were openly sold as replica but later resold as real ones. Quite a few of them are insanely well done and often it takes a long time for them to be indentified as fakes. Could also explain why some Katzbalger look somewhat weird. I heard that some estimate 80% of the Katzbalger being fake (however not sure if true). Last thing i wanted to add is that while there seem to have been some law about thrusting during a short period in the HRE Meyer clearly says that theres absolutely no problem for thrusting against enemies of the HRE/the city you live in. Anyways interesting video didnt know about the length of the grip quite interesting. Hope my comment had some useful information.

[@ClockworkAnomaly]

so similar then, as a native english speaker, to how we use "Dogfight(ing)" as a term for close in air combat, with the winding, brawling, tooth-and-tail fight structure. but in this case Cat fighting has more of a "all limbs involved" sort of fight structure, which would match the conditions of a combat involving this sword?

[@superrobotmonkeyhyperteamf3194]

@@ClockworkAnomaly Yeah that could be a good analogy. Mostly used like brawling, like two friends brawling or a bar brawl depends. Its mostly a lot of grabbing, wrestling and hair grabbing with a few punches involved. that kind of thing. Although it would be more interesting to find out if the sword was really named Katzbalger in contemporary sources and if how often(most sources just call the sidearms swords or short cutters)

[@matteoreggiani3157]

Since in Italian the word for "landsknecht" is "lanzichenecco" (plural: "lanzichenecchi") this sword is also called "lanzichenetta", just thought you might find that interesting

[@manfredconnor3194]

Aha! We have the Italian connection now! Perfetto!

[@808bigisland]

Reisläufer is what the Swiss would call travelling for hire swiss. "Knechtschaft" is a one sided contract of submission. A farmhand is called a "Knecht" in celtic-infused german dialects.

[@Jcraft153]

I visited a museum in France, I forget where but It was towards the southern border with Spain. The museum staff there talked about this being a weapon of last resort, to be used in a close scrum where order had broken down among your pike unit and the enemy was at very close range (closer than pike-point) so a backup sword was required.

[@greggs1067]

I agree. This sword was not pointy because stabbing would tie up the weapon when personal defense or causing as much chaos in a crowded scrum would be the priorities.

[@a-blivvy-yus]

"Brawling sword" seems like a really good description of the weapon, given what you can tell from how it's constructed, and from where these kinds fo fighters are most likely to be using them.

[@TheFlyguywill]

Windlass does themselves a huge favor by sending these swords for you to review. After your reviews I have a much more positive view of their new items, which I didn’t used to.

[@benstoyles1297]

I was doing a bit of research on messers a while ago regarding the postulation that messers were short to fit within an ell, that being used as the maximum length a messer could be within a given cities limits. What I didn’t realise initially was the massive amount of variance in how long an Ell was in each city/town in Germany, varying from 1200mm at the top end to 403mm at the bottom (majority between 550-700mm). If you were regularly travelling between towns it would probably benefit you to reduce your sword length to the shortest ell you regularly dealt with, which would very depending on which bit of Germany you were in.

[@Leftyotism]

22:46 Well, being born, raised and living in Germany, I can fill you in on the meaning Katzbalger officially. I looked it up in the Duden, which is our Myriam Webster I guess: Katzbalger comes from the verb katzbalgen, "sich katzbalgen" means to have a fight with someone. In German the synonyms for katzbalgen are "sich balgen, sich keilen, sich prügeln, raufen", which are all words for fighting. Like having a scrap over something or someone, to have a tussle, to have a thrashing, having a brawl, and such. So Katzbalger would mean something like -Rowdie,- Thrasher, Tussler, or some other noun made of an old word for having a fight, or fighting. 🙂 I just also found out: "Balg" is also an old word for a whole animal hide. So Katzbalger could also mean Catskinner. 😱 (Nowadays "Balg" means "brat" by the way.😅)

[@chasingbadger3340]

Much apprecieated, I lived in germany for a few years and only knew it to mean brat. Needless to say, i was confused by the name.

[@Leftyotism]

@@chasingbadger3340 Haha, yeah, I wonder where you heard it though. As far as I know nobody uses that word anymore.

[@chasingbadger3340]

I was there as a missionary for my church, so i talked with a lot of old people

[@Leftyotism]

@@chasingbadger3340 Ah, that explains a lot. Thanks! 🙂

[@AggroPhene]

I was introduced to the weapon by a reenactor that spent time in Germany, his description of it was a "cut gutter". I can also appreciate that a 'cat fight' is worse than 'duking it out'. Could have been a reference to a last resort effort, all platitudes aside.

[@kyleflanagan963]

The Katzbalger always really made me think of a much later period viking sword. With the pommel that catches your hand, very little cross-guard, and the general blade design that is short-ish and focuses on powerful cuts.

[@philipptreichl3552]

If you thought that about katzbalgers, take a look at some baselards or swiss degens, some make you think a reenactor bought the wrong era sword 😅 same as with some lange messer and viking scramsax

[@kyleflanagan963]

@@philipptreichl3552 While I see where you're coming from in the sense of the silhouette of the blades, Baselards and Degens tend to be much, much stabby-er. I was thinking more in terms of function than shape.

[@forlornfoe]

Katzbalger always reminds me of a Roman gladius (The scabbard end point decoration too). Might be a renaissance remodeling for looking extra fancy and enlightened, since in that time period everything ancient Roman or Greek was so popular.

[@Dolritto]

Every single time humanity reinvents short one handed sword: -Choopa again? -Less gooo

[@StevenFox80]

I love you mentioned legal reasons for a sword or knife not having a blade not having a point. This is often not considered at all and it was awesome to hear you bring it up!

[@cliffordjensen8725]

Nice video. The rounded scabbard tip makes sense in a tight battle formation. You would not want to poke the rear ranks with a sharp tipped scabbard.

[@noneofyourbusiness3288]

I really like the aesthetics of the double ring guard. Looks elegant and functional, yet also a bit fancy. Very nice.

[@simoneriksson8329]

Yes it is a very beautiful weapon

[@VonDilling]

Thanks for this review Matt! First sword purchase I have made in the better part of a decade. Very happy with this one.

[@genuinelyconcerned3504]

Can't wait to get my hands on the new windlass swords

[@RrRr-or5tw]

Been waiting for this one since you showed it in one of the last videos

[@dougsinthailand7176]

The blade itself seems to be proportioned similar to an earlier sword, even type X or “Viking Age” sword.

[@sintramdragonis4794]

Your point about the rounded tip not getting stuck is something I never considered and it makes perfectly sense in a brawl. Thanks for teaching me something new.

[@josephfrederic3456]

Great review. I'd been looking forward to your thoughts on this distinctive German weapon. Thank you! Can't wait to see your museum accurate series soon.

[@Ne0spartan]

When you demonstrated how the pommel help index the draw. It occured to me that the shape of the guard (less material towards the edges) might also be a design feature. As your hand was able to flow quickly and smoothly to the grip. The lack of projecting quillions removes an obstacle to quickly indexing and drawing. This might be especially useful during the press of a pike formation.

[@Ne0spartan]

And is it just me or do alot of early modern blades meant to be used as side arms from around the world have similar hilt features? Kukuri, Yatagan, various southeast asian blades, etc?

[@wiskadjak]

The whole idea of a quick draw reminds me of Japanese Iado. Perhaps the draw and the counter attack/defence, were integrated movements like Viggiani's "reverso almost tondo" from his 1st guard. If some huge angry peasant suddenly broke through my line I'd want my 1st counter cut to be a good one.

[@vibechecker3168]

Really love this type of sword, its something a can imagine being 6 for a pound and being used as the last resort when the pike blocks collapse and it comes down to the wire.

[@bretthines1020]

Great Review! As you know, ordering a new sword is a torturous but highly enjoyable process. Proper reviews are essential

[@switch4960]

Excellent rundown on my favorite weapon to use as my side arm is blade and sorcery! Such an intriguing design 😮

[@alexanderguesthistorical7842]

That thing is gorgeous! Really nice proportions (to my modern eyes). It seems to me that the grip is somewhat round in section. And given the fact that there aren't great big quillons coming out of both edges, to show where the edges are, do you find that edge alignment is somewhat compromised??? Do you sometimes pick it up thinking that you're gripping it so the edges are straight up and down, when actually the blade is somewhat canted over and mis-aligned? If so, that could be another piece of circumstantial evidence which would help strengthen the case for projecting the thumb through the guard, as you say. As this would help greatly with edge alignment. It could also help explain why the guards were wrapped around in a circle. Because if the thumb is projected down the blade THROUGH the guard, the outside of the thumb and the top of the hand would be protected from cuts by the bent round guard. A straight guard cannot do this.

[@orthano]

I think the context of a backup weapon for a predominant pike unit may shed some light to the katzbelger design and use. The landsknecht fought in close ranks with pikes. (Adapted from the Swiss who were the first to stay there ground against mounted charges.) If the landsknecht formation got compromised the pike becomes a useless weapon as it's dependent on the units ability to work coherently. So imagine yourself attacked by an enemy that's already past the pike points. You have nowhere to go couse your comrades are all around you, pike shafts everywhere. What you need is a short sturdy blade with good hand protection so you can push those pikes away and defend yourself. The point of no point may be so that you don't stab your comrades by mistake. This kind of fight is not what the landsknecht seek. It's a failure of the strong point of pikes and may as such been referred to as a "catfight". (Katz)

[@Specter_1125]

Many of the people who get past your pikes though are going to have good armor, so a point would be incredibly useful.

[@mnk9073]

THIS. It's a weapon for a cramped chaotic brawl, the "Bad war" (or your local crowded tavern at 2 am).

[@joschafinger126]

@@Specter_1125 What about the push of pikes? Yes, cavalry breaking your pike block would be well-armoured, but folks in an opposing pike block that has come too close would mostly be armoured just like you: very little. And panicking pikemen, I guess, would be less likely to make good use of the point than to mess up with it.

[@TheS4ndm4n]

Also in the case of a pike coming in closer than you would like, you might be tempted to lift it's point up above everyone's head. Using halfswording to accomplish that seems like a convenient way and if the part of the blade you use to guide the pike is dull (which I think on a lot of katzbalgers the lower part was), then the pikes shaft won't bind if for some reason you can't push it with the flat of the blade or you just need the extra stiffness of aligning the edge. Anyway, point goes up, pike becomes useless and the person still holding it may have advanced further than they would have liked. Extra handy to have a rounded tip here, because of the greater danger of stabbing your friends. All conjecture of course. EDIT: not sure about that blunt section of the blade anymore. Don't know where I got that from. Also I remembered people weren't wearing gauntlets, so halfswording may have been risky. Still gonna leave these thoughts though. No reason to delete a perfectly wrong comment.

[@brendandor]

@@joschafinger126 lots of pikemen were pretty heavily armoured though. Maybe not a closed helmet, but there's plenty of depictions and descriptions of near fully armoured pikemen, see Swiss pikemen and the aforementioned landsknecht.

[@Crypt4l]

Notably, it has a ring guard, not a disc guard. Might just be for weight considerations, but it allows a thumb grip, which would make the back edge way more relevant.

[@Greensleeve11]

I think it's also worth noting that the landsknecht were part of a shifting battlefield where armor became rarer and rarer. When you need a sidearm for brawling in the press, and you can expect your opponents to have open-faced helmets and maybe breastplates, why would you go for a point-centric sword? Cuts will disable foes plenty well in that environment, and the short length makes it easier to wear in formation. I very much think it's a sword made for the soldiers who wore them and their role on the early modern battlefield.

[@TheMan-je5xq]

I just ordered mine from Museum Replicas, I was waiting the Kingston Arms one to come back into stock but this review convinced me this one was pretty solid

[@Leftyotism]

Looks great for medieval EDC! 🥰

[@christopherreed4723]

Amazing timing! I noticed this in Kult of Athena's New Arrivals section a day or two ago, flipped through the images, and remarked to myself that it looked a lot better than Windlass blades of yesteryear. Then - Lo! And behold! - here's a review of it! Especially appreciated since while I like Katzbalgers in general, I've never really been attracted to the short, shovel-pointed version that is most often reproduced. I may have to acquire one. So, thank you very much! Or, in proper south German style: Servus, Meister Easton!

[@nathaniellamb2154]

with regards to the rounded point; talking to, following and dabbling in test cutting, I have formed the impression that rounded tips do particularly well with a "tip slash" opening up layered fabric defences. I think it was ... crap, forgotten their name, but viking reenactors who had a channel of backyard cutting and reviews... anyway, had one test with a Viking age sword vs a 20 + layer gambi over a braced ballistic gel torso. Hacks and cuts got through maybe 7 layers tops. tip slash in about half the tries able to slice through all layers and deliver a shallow cut to the torso. I am not aware *why* that would be specifically be an advantage for a landsknecht, but there you go.

[@jrhamilton4448]

Nice under armour shirt Matt! Fun little side note there's an UA facility about ten minutes away from my house. I grew up in Maryland where the company was founded.

[@garyledford2901]

Matt, bro... the dust is renaissance wax- microcrystaline museum wax. Windlass has always used it on its swords.

[@ltjamescoopermason8685]

Windless make good swords in a certain Price bracket. I'd love that sword just for its original look .

[@RrRr-or5tw]

8:44 there are some examples of katzbalger where the circle the guard effectively forms is bigger then this or skallagrims example sometimes just a little bigger and sometimes and especially on the two handed once a lot bigger but maybe those are technically not katzbalger anymore. So depending on the individual sword it can be more or less of a problem and in some cases the guard is so big that there is plenty protection everywhere. Although sometimes in art the size of the guard looks like it’s a little exaggerated.

[@Leftyotism]

Just saying, I would still put a Nail through the blade to have a more secure cross. 😅

[@phantomapprentice6749]

That's an interesting one , The guard design doesn't seem all that good until you consider that it can be wielded with the flat of the blade along the forearm like a thin shield a bit like a tonfa, also helps with concealing in case you were not allowed to wear it along your waist. Or even have a rope loop pass through the guard , which might be useful if you do a lot climbing: Think Thief: The Dark Project where you need to descend from a rooftop into a window and need an anchor that would hold fairly well between large bricks or in wooden beams . the split pommel design would further ensure any rope tied to the hilt won't slide off , makes easy to hammer in the blade if need be. So in opinion it might be more of a utility side-weapon. Otherwise it makes more sense to have a rapier or a langmesser which provides more protection and maneuverability..

[@mariaconcepcionrodriguezhe2850]

Lmao

[@manfredconnor3194]

The "Katz" referring to female genitalia is very unlikely. Katz is a cat. "Balgen" can have several meanings depending on the CONTEXT. 1.) To fight or brawl. 2.) To have a particularly nasty or bloody fight. 3.) To have a (verbal) row. 4.) To be angry "Balg" can also be . . . 1.) A bratty kid 2. ) The skin of a dead animal 3.) A bellows ("Blasebalg" or "blowing-hide") The most plausible explanation is a "Catfight" and this does not mean two females fighting. It simply means a loud very nasty fight, like you would have when two Landsknechts had a bit too much to drink at an Inn and got into a fight about who had really won at dice. In the worst case, there would be a brawl and the Katzbalgers might come out. If someone died, as a result of the fight, there would likely be a "Spießrutenlauf" for the winner as a punishment the next morning. Spieß = Pike Ruten = A long winding path lauf = to run Spießrutenlauf = to run the gauntlet, which was a common form of execution for Landsknechts, who had committed severe dishonorable crimes. The company provost acted as the prosecutor and would present the case. The offender was allowed to make his pleas. The company of Landsknechts would then divide into three independent groups and act as a kind of jury, voting on whether the man was innocent or guilty. I guilty, the company would form a East-West path with three rows of pikemen on each side. A gap was left at one end of the path so that the guilty man could escape, if he was lucky. At the end of the path near the gap the company Fähnrichs ("ensigns") would stand with the flags lowered tip down to the ground as a sign of dishonor. The offender would then have to admit to his comrades that he committed the crime. He would then be paraded thrice through the path lined with pikemen, to take his leave from his comrades and to "ask" them forgiveness for his crimes. The provost would then hit the offender thrice on the shoulder and the offender would have to march through the gauntlet of pikemen. This form of execution was also termed the "law of the of the long pikes" or "execution by lances". "Knecht" is old-Saxon for "Knabe" or "´Jüngling" , which is a young man who is not yet an adult. The term had various meanings and various times. The term was used during the 15th-16th Century to denote a mercenary. The term underwent several transformations during this time. The "Waffenknecht" or "Weapon-Knecht" was a man-at-arms and later was applied to the Landsknechts or "Kriegsknechts", who were mercenaries. A "Fußknecht" or "Foot-Knecht" was simply a foot soldier or footman in The English word for "knight" actually comes from "Knecht" in Middle-High German and Old High German. The word "Knecht" was bandied about quite a bit: An "Altknecht" was a Journeyman craftsman or the most senior Knecht at a farm or manor, who took care of the horses. A "Bauernknecht" was a servant or a sharecropper on a farm, who took care of menial work for the farmer/owner. A "Bootsknecht" was a sailor, especially one, who worked in the rigging and with the sails. A "Brauknecht" is a brewer's assistant. A "Dienstknecht" is simply a servant. An "Edelknecht, was the adult son of a knight, who, if he distinguished himself in battle or through his service, could later be dubbed a knight. A "Folterknecht" was a torturer. A "Fuhrknecht" was a teamster. A "Fürstenknecht" was the manservant of a prince. A "Fußknecht" was a footman. A "Gottesknecht" was a servant of God. A "Großknecht" was the most senior farmer on a farm and later became the term for a foreman. A "Hausknecht" was a house servant. A "Henkersknecht" was depending on the time in question either the executioner's assistant or the executioner himself. A "Holzknecht" is a woodcutter. A "Jungknecht" is simply a young servant. A "Kammerknecht" was a lower financial officer or Steward, during 1000-1200 this office was often a held by a Jew as handling money and dealing with interest was considered to be "dirty" and a sin for Muslims and Christians. Later this term came to mean a valet. A "Kleinknecht" was a lower servant or earlier a shepherd. A "Kriegsknecht" this term had various meanings at various times throughout history. Originally, the Kriegsknecht was a man-at-arms serving a lord later this term took on the meaning of "soldier" and still later the term was used to denote a mercenary (e.g. Landsknecht). A "Landsknecht" is also a term that had various meanings at different times. Originally, the term Landsknecht was used to denote soldiers mostly from the house of Hapsburg, who when they were not at war for their lord would serve as mercenaries. They were considered elite shock-troops at times, but they could also be as scourge to the countryside. Later the term came to denote mercenaries modelled on the Swiss "Riesläufer", who were originally soldiers armed with polearms and later pikes. The term took on a more negative connotation with each passing century. A "Mahlknecht" is a grinder of grain - A Miller's assistant. A "Marterknecht" was a martyr. A "Pfaffenknecht" was a clergyman a Pfaff is simply a priest, so the Pfaffenknecht, was a lower clergyman, who assisted the priest. A "Pferdeknecht" is a person, who takes care of and grooms horses. A "Reitknecht" was a servant usually under a count, who served as a teamster or coachman and took care of the horses. A "Ruderknecht" is an oarsman. A "Schalksknecht" is a knave or a dishonest unscrupulous person. A "Schinderknecht" is the same as a "Scharfrichter" (or "sharp judge") or a "Henker" (Hangman), so basically an executioner, but these executioners have the connotation of flaying the convicted person. A "Stallknecht" or (stall-servant) is just another word for groom or someone who grooms and takes care of horses on a farm A "Trossknecht" is a porter. A "Waffenknecht" could be a man-at-arms or s squire responsible for carrying the knight's weapons (which is essentially what a man-at-arms later became). A "Weberknecht" or "weaver-servant" is a harvestman spider or a spider belonging to the order Opiliones. A "Weiberknecht" is a man who is subserviently to his wife or woman (e.g. vulgar "pussy-whipped"). I realize that this was more than anyone wanted, but I hope it clears up the concept of what a Knecht is and perhaps a few other things as well? Cheers!

[@croncorcen]

gotta love the this community! thanks for the effort!

[@manfredconnor3194]

@@croncorcen Gern geschehen.

[@anthonyspaltro3643]

A pommel like that also lends itself to be drawn into a hand or face for a crushing blow; like a katana. Also most German and Swiss mercenaries in a pike block were unarmored beyond the front rank, as they needed to move quickly in formation. A close quarters cutter would be handy against pikemen and their allies, the plethora of light cavalry like stradiota.

[@brianknezevich9894]

As far as rounded points... They don't get caught in fabric as easily with a slash at the tip, in my experience. (Obviously not combat experience, just cutting things at work.) Would make sense for an unarmored context as much as a curved blade.

[@NeriKafkafi]

Interesting point about the quick draw. Incidentally, the S guard shape is equally usable from both ends of the sword. So if you needed protection very fast, even while still holding your pike in your right hand, you could draw your katzbalger in your left hand, holding it in reverse grip (sorry...) but by the base of the blade, not by the grip. Then you could use either the S guard or the flat of the blade on your upper arm for defense, against a coming blow/cut, or even with a more skill against a stab. After that, you could easily grip the sword with your right hand by its grip, and continue in a more conventional way. Such a technique would also explain why they liked rounded tips (less of a chance to stab yourself when the sword is reversed). Also why there are no manuals (this technique might have been a trade secret).

[@michaeljdauben]

Great discussion and review on a sword I didn't know about! Thanks!

[@DJRockford83]

Given the width of the blade it seems to almost fill the roll of a falchion against semi armoured foes. It would be interesting to see if it can go through a pike shaft. I agree that the rounded tip being a civil law thing is probably a good shout 👍🏻

[@nemo-79000]

Just a quick thought about blade points. These swords saw a lot of use by the landsknecht and in use the points would be likely to chip or snap because of the edge hardening. The most obvious solution in the field would be to round off the point and re-harden. The swords use would seem to be defensive in nature with the offensive action performed by rondel daggers. thou would account for the surviving examples having rounded tips.

[@peem]

Could the shape of the chape, which you said was quite a common one for this type of sword, influence people to think most had a rounded tip? Making them assume that the tip was shaped like the end of the scabbard?

[@shotgunridersweden]

Joachim Meyers 1570 treatise talks about dusacks and how the material shown are to be used with them and other similar sized swords. From this we can assune, since the katzbalger was contemporary with the dusack that this atleast on Meyers part included the katzbalger. Similarly he says the same thing on daggers, that the material demonstrated can be used with daggers and other similar weapons

[@shotgunridersweden]

For my part i use, pretty successfully meyers dusack for fencing with the messer. As for the siderings, my hypothesis is that siderings are more usfeull for fighting against other weapons than swords. Hence we see them in some longswords as well as katzbalgers for example, but less so in longswords in the treatises as they are for a fencing longsword vs longswprd context

[@melinnamba]

Many people have already discussed that Katzbalger basically means cat brawler. Here is a little fun fact about the pronounciation of the word Landsknecht: the letter combination ch should sound somewhat like a cat hissing.

[@markusfreund6961]

Not gonna lie, I tuned in primarily to see (or rather hear) how you'd pronounce "Landsknecht" and "Katzbalger". Honestly, you pretty much nailed it. And I'm not blaming you for substituting the "ch" in "Knecht" with a "k", that sound probably being about as outlandish to a native English speaker as they come. Anyway, greatly interesting vid as always 👍🍻 Edit: as for the name's etymology, I wasn't aware of the "female genitalia" connotation, but then it's not a surprise, either, seeing as "Katze" simply means "cat". Anyway, "Balg" is an animal's hide, removed in one intact piece so as to retain a certain bag-like quality. Going from there, I'd simply translate "Katzbalger" as "cat skinner", assuming there's some amount of humour or irony to that name. Edit #2: the idea provided by T S seems even more plausible.

[@StoningXStephen]

I find it too be a highly attractive sword. such an interesting style that seems both ornate and simple. seems fitting for Windlass being known for little distal taper on their swords

[@garywheble4534]

I used to watch my older brother who was an English civil war reenactor a pikeman I could see where a sword like that would be very handy for a pikeman . In a pike push a front row or second row gets his pike broken that size blade with its guard stile would be very usefull to parry a second and third row enemy pike away from you untill the enemy's pike block broke or both side got within hand distance , particularly as you pointed out its a secondary weapon as you said there main weapon mite be a Swiehander halberd or pike . Thinking of how it could be used , your in a pike push your pike bracks you draw your Kat useing the flat and the ring you trap the pike in front of you using your left hand as well trap it between you kat your right side of your neck and left hand then move forward along the pike useing the thick end of the sword by the rings to apply force and the left hand and your neck to hold onto the like now here's my thoughts on why you mite use a rounded tip than a pointed one is that because of the restrictions you can not slash the sword around only use a hammer stroke so now your within reach of your opponents hand then useing a sliding cutting motion aim for the fingers and hand if you get closer then strike at the neck shoulders and arms , now of course I am most likely wrong but if I were a pikeman and had a kat then this is what I would most likely use it like

[@НикулинАкимСергеевич]

I would say, that longer handle of this model is a way to get a better balance with a blade a bit longer than in average. And, of course, it makes the finding grip with your hand much more easier

[@jolioding_2253]

I've recently watched a german Medieval historian talk about the katzbalger as simply being the favorite choice of sword for the landsknechte and that when they were used in battle, the one using them would be in between the pike rows, trying to make an opening so more of their men can soften up the formation. This of course is simply its role, not the technical use of the katzbalger but if you know what it was mostly used for, you could try to recreate the techniques that are and were effective. EDIT: The historian also showed two handed versions of katzbalgers which could be worse or better for fighting in between the pike rows.

[@Leftyotism]

The powdery leather inside the scabbard is a good moisture indicator and absorber. 😋

[@BigHossHackworth]

The circular guard being a response to flamboyant clothing is an interesting idea. I’d imagine pointier guards get hung up in a clinch.

[@joeyvanhaperen7715]

Personaly I think katzbalger have a lot incommon with viking age swords. A short blade with a round tip, a short, but wide guerd, and a wide handstopper pommel. One centences that could describe both swords. I suspect you would hold these at the pommel which would then help you index the blade and your bassicly primairly using it to chop up lightly armored people.

[@AndICanTalk2]

That blunt vs pointy tip discussion sounds interesting.

[@EnkaMexi]

Great Video about the Katzbalger, vielen Dank, thank you very much! 🙂

[@paultemple5042]

Function and Form are always closely connected. And so it is reasonable to conclude that similarly shaped objects were used in the same way.

[@RuneZar]

Hello Mathew. Just a question here, which I asked on Skalagrim's channel, which I will repeat here. Could have it been intended as (for want of a better word) an 'Anti-Pike weapon'? What I mean by this is the flat of the blade pushing against the pike shaft, the S guard locking against the underside of the pike haft and then bringing it down in a slicing motion, running the blade down towards the pike-man's hands/fingers? ...Obviously this would when both sides were up close and personal in the melee.

[@jasonbrody8724]

Same thought I had and the only idea I came up with for why the cross guard is shaped that way

[@AggroPhene]

i have used my katsbalger hilted weapons (rattan) quite reliably with mitten gauntlets, and i think it would be reasonable to assume gaunts would remain in use with this sword in many cases. I base this on both the extra grip space i have seen on many examples, the pommel run-up providing a bit of protection to handle while the overall shape eliminates binding of plates. The style as mentioned thus makes sense, being hammer and clever like, since wrist mobility in mitten gaunts doesn't allow for counter thrusts from guards (other than flat as demoed) and poke moves.

[@camerongunn7906]

That's a really nice sword. I'm really thinking about getting one.

[@trollsmyth]

Could the big ring guard be useful in pushing pike and halberd shafts aside when you're trapped deep in the press of 16th century pike-on-pike battles? That would seem to be when you'd most likely need a smaller weapon after the enemy has gotten past the point of your pike.

[@huwhitecavebeast1972]

Yes, entering a pike formation once you have past the blades or points a short weapon is a benefit. But I figure this was used more in scuffles out of wartime, like bar fights etc.

[@sumakwelvictoria5635]

If scholagladiatora ever was sent back in time - he would likely easily become a very well known arsenal master or master of weapons...

[@calebthemechanicatradiofre6011]

The hand protection being opposite the edge is more ideal when pressing into pike formations by using the flat of the blade to push aside the shafts of the swiss pikes. Landsknecht were formation fighters on the battlefield. I love this channel and Skall's both, but the dueling focus that most people in Historical Martial Arts often have leaves out the actual wartime function of many weapons.

[@ivanharlokin]

Wow, you really seem to be an expert here. What sources have you got detailing how katzbalgers were used against pikes?

[@calebthemechanicatradiofre6011]

I'm a military history guy. The documents detailing the effectiveness of battlefield tactics are typically separate from the manuals of martial arts. Spanish fencing manuals (as an example) talk about one-on-one combat, an area where rodeleros excel, but the rodelero formations were not particularly effective on there own, so they were integrated with pike formations. This doesn't appear in the fencing manuals of the time. Just as the Katzbalger doesn't appear in many texts detailing their use in fencing manuals, but is well known to be used by the Landsknecht with great effectiveness in battle. It's the same today with the differences between marksmanship manuals and combat manuals or self-defense manuals.

[@jessesmith7553]

Hi, Mat. You put out a video not too long ago talking about how the one handed, short-ish, cut and thrust sword was the most common type across most of the globe and throughout most of history. To me it seems this is sort of the ultimate representation of that. Other than the lack of quillons there isn't really anything very special that would influence how it's used. Sort of just a typical side arm that you could hand to any trained soldier and they would know how to use.

[@secutor0972]

You have a good point.

[@jacobskeffington6540]

Please do that whole video on rounded points.

[@luisyanez6261]

I might be alone in this but It seems to me like Katzbalgers are quite similar to european ancient world swords, particularly the Xiphos. There's a paralelism between them for sure, shorter backup weapons used alongside a very long polearm. They might, thus, be swords designed to be drawn fast when the pike lines get close and the shorter weapons offer better manuverability

[@theeddorian]

There are some sources that derive the term "baslard" or "baselard" from a French corruption of "Basel" - as in the Swiss city - "messer." That would make the association to the Langmesser even more appropriate.

[@williamarthur4801]

Watched this a few times and can't help thinking this could be a contender for best all round catch all sword.

[@enamaguilar3548]

my gosh what a beautifull sword... greetings from Venezuela lov yar chanel btw c:

[@carloparisi9945]

Hi Matt, I'm thinking that the point removal may be a safety issue, in close formation, while transitioning quickly to the sword from a primary weapon, it may be easy to stab somebody by mistake, who doesn't need to be stabbed, just because they step back into it, or you move the sword from side to side. On the other hand, the edge requires more of an intentional swing to be really effective.

[@mariaconcepcionrodriguezhe2850]

Yeah thats why the romans had swords with no tips

[@carloparisi9945]

@@mariaconcepcionrodriguezhe2850 for the Romans, the gladius was the primary weapon, I doubt they had to draw it without knowing beforehand

[@robertschriner5143]

buyer be ware, I just purchase this sword from museum Replicas and they asked me which province I was in to estimate the shipping. when I paid for the sword my invoice included the shipping in the total which I paid in full. They then emailed me saying the shipping would now be almost 3 times as much. so I then had to pay it or they would not ship it. I live in Canada they said there site does not calc international shipping even though it asks my country and province. So be aware if you live outside the US your shipping will not be what they say at first.

[@TDM4895]

My first thought on the lack of point would trend toward battle damage; a landsknecht is fighting somewhere and the point of his katzbalger gets broken off somehow (possibly in something wooden, or it hits a stone weird, or it gets stepped on while being wrenched up, any number of things in the context of an active mercenary campaign). Now, our landsknecht wins the fight, but he needs to get his blade repaired. It's still mostly functional and new swords are expensive so buying a new one is out of the question. It's just after a battle as well, so lots of survivors are getting their gear repaired and the local weaponsmiths/smiths serving with the landsknecht company can't spare the time to put a tip back on his sword in any reasonable time/price scale. So our boy just has them grind a sharp rounded tip that'll work pretty much as well and hopes to survive the campaign.

[@ollimoore]

That’s a pretty specific set of circumstances to get that result, though. Enough time or money for sidearm repair/modification to grind a load of material from the blade and do a good enough job rounding and sharpening the tip that it’s not immediately obvious that the tip shape is a result of modification, but just not quite enough time/money to grind off slightly more to get a point on there? Then the sword has to not only survive to our day, but to do so without being subjected to further modification at a later date when more time or money was available? I could see it happening a few times, but often enough for it to be considered a potential feature of that particular type of sword? I’m not convinced. Also, why would this be unusual to the katzbalger? Why the rounded tip modification multiple times but not other variations on possible tip modifications - chisel tip, angled tip so there’s a point in line with one edge, other types of asymmetrical point? The only way it makes sense to me is if a pointy tip was not considered to be particularly important, or the lack of one was considered preferable by some…. Which puts us back at square one because if that’s true, those swords could just as easily just have been made like that from scratch. I do think there could be a kernel of truth to your idea, though, because one guy could’ve done exactly as you said….then figured that the end result was actually good, cuts well towards the tip in a more compact package which is less likely to catch on clothing, that sort of thing. He tells his mates and maybe some of them get the same modification done on their swords, or get their new swords made that way. The idea could then spread to become a relatively popular design feature.

[@TDM4895]

@@ollimoore Maybe; like I said it was my first thought. Certainly it's not gospel truth. However; you're also making a lot of assumptions. The existing examples are just all that's left, not all that were made. In the 1500's metallurgy and blacksmithing techniques had made swords cheaper as evidenced by blades like the katzbalger that were something that a person of not outstanding means was supposed to be able to procure. Any blade at that time that was too badly damaged would more than likely have been recycled into another weapon (like a dagger, or spearhead, or reconditioned as a shorter sword like what you talked about when the smith had time to work on it). Besides which, coming at it from the modern perspective, do you think that people (even trained people) are going to look at a 500-odd year old sword with battle damage and repairs and say that anything is an aftermarket modification unless it was obviously more recent than the rest of the weapon or done with modern tools? I also never intended to say that all katzbalgers with rounded points were modified (my bad if it came across that way). There are enough examples that that's pretty obviously untrue. That being said, my Google-fu showed me several (at least purportedly) antique katzbalgers with flat tips where the corners were rounded off. That would be a quicker job than reshaping a point even if the flat tip were sharpened. All that being said; I'd easily buy your theory that some landsknecht had his katzbalger modified/damaged and repaired, didn't immediately get killed, he and his buddies noticed that it worked fine, got more like it, and then a ripple effect took over to the point where some katzbalgers hat points and some didn't.

[@JCOwens-zq6fd]

Nice sword for a Katzbalger. The chape on the end makes it remind me very much of a greek xiphos scabbard.

[@whatvwouldjustisdophilp1208]

In the picture Engraving by Hans Holbein the Younger the fighters seem to carry their swords lashed to their waist. I wonder did some carry rounded end swords to simply avoid causing injury to their own fellows in the scrimage?

[@joshuabordelon2192]

Can you show us a baselard sword Uncle Mat?

[@FlatcapHobbit]

Can’t help but feel that the rings are a combination of “Rule of Cool” fashion and the very real possibility of having to deflect pikes.

[@thomashofer8163]

If I may ad to this: Since I am doing some Landsknechtsreenactment and HEMA; 1) 'Rule of Cool' is absolutely a thing in my opinion but it might be important to take the Landsknechtstracht (=their fashion-choices) into account and not just the side-weapon on it's own. Landsknechtstracht is characterized by wearing a lot of cloth (like really a LOT) and having it lavishly decorated by slices and patches and... what not. That means you have a lot of places (laches, slices in the cloth it self etc...) where a cross hilt can get stuck while drawing or using the blade. (Don't know about you fellow HEMAists but I have tendency to tear on my pockets some times with my cross guard if they are not closed by a zipper....) So that might be a reason for the short, circular and closed cross guard. About the rounded Points: The other way around it also might be an explanation, but that's very much speculative. What I mean is: A rounded but sharpened point might less easily get caught by 'puffy' stuff (like they are wearing in the Meyer manuals) since it would more cut less pierce the cloth. But.... purely speculative as I said. One point to make that holds a little more water: One sees a lot of plate and cloth when looking at landsknechtsprints but hardly any chainmail. Maybe the Points were not necessary any more since a thrust just needs to find the opening in the plate but doesn't need to punch through chainmail underneath... One more Point if I may: 2) Moving in Formation: When looking at pictures of Landsknechts we should be distinguishing between the various roles in a Gewalthaufen. There is Spießer (=Pikemen), Hellebariere (Halberdiers), Musketiere and Trabanten (can't translate; get to it later!). Spießer, Hellebardiere and Musketiere can be viewed alike (in this regard) since they are the ones maneuvering in tight formations. Believe me when I say: The longer your sidearm the harder maneuvering gets: It just get's in the way! I use a Messer and it's a pain in the a**! Wish I had a Katzbalger like that (but shorter!). There is one command especially 'In reihen kehrt um' (=turn around in rows) where short blades really come in handily. The Trabanten on the other hand are some kind of a bodyguard to the commander, banner and musicianscrew signaling with drums and pipes. They are not committed to fight in formation but to generate space around their protectees if the primary formations of pikes and halberds breaks down and all descends into the pure chaos of one on one fighting and well... brawling cats. Therefore Trabanten are often equipped with Halberds, Greatswords and all sorts of (longer) bladed weaponry. Which makes sense if you anticipate a more individual kind of fighting. So the Katzbalger of a Trabant would probably be a longer variant than a Spießer-Katzbalger. At least that would make a lot of sense in my opinion. I hope this ads to the conversation! Cheers from Austria Thomas from INDES Vienna PS: Great fan, love what you are doing! Keep it coming! ;-)

[@Ariovistvs]

I love how your pronunciation of the word "Landsknecht" has improved from some years ago :D

[@cwmyr]

In early modern German "katzen" meant fighting or scrapping, as does "balgen" so most likely it just mean "fighter-scrapper" or something like that. "Katzblag" in 16th and 17th century sources is used for "fight/disagreement", you can be in Katzbalg with someone (im Katzenbalg liegen) or just katzbalg with them (e.g. 1524: "das sich die knecht mit den feinden dester paß kazpalgten"). Katzbalger was also used for a person that likes to fight or quarrel.

[@Katzbalger001]

Ah, my favorite bladed weapon...finally!

[@benmoore8809]

If I could just make an observation; I would love to see you do independent overviews and lectures on weapons irrespective of what other channels have already done. I enjoy your channel and appreciate your professionalism. On the other hand, I do not particularly like Skallagrim's channel. Not bashing it, it's just not for me. I don't watch his videos so it would be great to see a more comprehensive take from this channel that's not artificially limited by what other creators have previously covered. Just my 2 cents.

[@seanpoore2428]

pre watch comment: is this sword type similar to the early medieval "viking" swords in thatthe pommel is meant to facilitate holding the blade in either a hammer grip or a perpendicular(?) grip? ive always got that impression ever since i heard you bring it up as a possible function of early medieval pommels love how all the sword channels build off eachothers knowledge

[@corneliussulla9963]

Dear Sir, its been a long time since the last military saber video. May I ask if Swiss military sabers will be a topic some day? They are quite cheap and available, compared to others. Great choice for beginners imo. I own two. A patterm 1867 and a pattern 1896. Both simple, functional troopers versions and I would love to know more about them.

[@WinyPouh]

Katzbalger looks like a regular sword with cross points BENDED to be circle. May be cross points were prohibited for Landsknecht's swords inside a sity as well as pointed tip. Thus they rounded a tip and bended cross points at their regular swords.

[@chikitabowow]

Could the edgeguard be shaped like that so it also wouldn't get tangled in any clothing or leather straps worn by the wielder? I mean, it's a backup weapon so the last thing you'd want is having to untangle it when you need to unsheathe it asap

[@lukasbocker6740]

I never undersood why people think that you can't thrust with a rounded pommel. Yed, the force is spread a bit more, so the power of your thrust is applied by maybe 2-3cm of blade instead of just the one spot if the point. But it's still gonna hurt a lot.

[@svenboelling5251]

It seems to me that the deployment would be limited to very few situations, or maneuvers, so not necessarily as a substitute weapon, but as a main weapon if, for example, a rapid advance into enemy lines was the case. Push spears, long swords etc. aside and roll over the enemy would have to go with that? I don’t know, but the idea just came to me.

[@leonpeters-malone3054]

Have to admit, I do like the idea that it's been designed for quick draw, quick indexing. That grip, the fish tail, it would seem to put the plane of the sword online by feel alone. No chance I could talk you into a blind test, can Matt guess the blade position by feel alone? Compare to say, long sword, side sword, arming sword.

[@DaleDreessen]

I’ve watched several videos from different sources over the years. As a reenactor myself, the thought that often crosses my mind is these are soldiers that may not live long in any battle. Not well off citizens or nobility that would have availed of the fencing schools. This was a weapon of last defense in a pike block. Simple, quick grip. Every part of the weapon is a part to fight with, yet no one mentions the use of that heavy pommel as a hammer strike for an enemy skull. As for the lack of a point…possibly a financial reason. Might it be cheaper not to forge and grind a point?

[@alexanderguesthistorical7842]

I think I have the derivation of the word "Katzbalger". The English translation of the German "katz" is cat (feline). The translation of "balg" is ANIMAL SKIN. Therefore the name "Katzbalger" quite clearly (IMHO) can be translated into English as "CAT-SKINNER". I shudder to think where they got that name from. Although it's interesting to note that the Schiavoni, the bodyguard of the Doge of Venice, who were around at the same timeframe as the Landsknecht (from the 16th Century), bore a sword called the "Schiavona". This type of sword has a characteristic "cat's head" shaped pommel. As the Landsknecht and Schiavoni were largely contemporaneous, it is a distinct possibility that they came into conflict with one another at some stage. It is also a possibility that the style of the Schiavoni pommel was an indication of the Schiavoni having some metaphorical or totemic link with some type of cat. Therefore it may have been that the Landsknecht thought of the the Schiavoni as the "Cats". In the manner of a modern sports team. Therefore the term "cat-skinner".......well, you get the idea.

[@aryafeydakin]

I imagine that a landsknecht just bended the quillons of an arming sword in a close S shape because it kept getting caught ripping into his garnments, then the katzbalger was born.

[@saltyfruits3961]

I wondered about this too!

[@r.h5550]

The use of the flared pommel reminds me of caucasian shashkas. One could deliver a cut with the same motion used for drawing as it is also done with japanese swords.

[@NoName-lo9ym]

How does the Katzbalger compare to the Viking era one-handed sword? They seem to be of fairly similar proportions and designed with a similar battle field role in mind (e.g. back up weapon used when the fighting is most desperate).

[@2bingtim]

If you're fighting in a dense press of pikes(Most Landsknechts were pikemen, c10% Arquebusiers or halberd/two hand swordsmen), you need a fairly short sword to be able to weild it in what is basically a scrum.

[@hrishitelcontar]

One question that come's to mind is how often did sword preference dictate techniques preference vs technique preference dictating sword preference? Especially when it comes to rather notably distinct swords such as for example this one.

[@hermespino9985]

When are the royal armouries colabs being released?

[@ulflidsman3064]

Matt, talking about Windlass, what's new about the Easton- Royal Armouries collection?

[@riccardomercante6751]

Any updates about Windlass collaboration? 😁