A messer (German for "knife") is a single-edged sword of the 15th and 16th century, characterised by knife-like hilt construction methods.

While the various names are often used synonymously, messers can be divided into several principal groups:

A Bauernwehr ("peasant's knife" or "peasant's sidearm") or Hauswehr ("home/household knife") is a single-handed knife, used for utility and defence. Typical blade lengths range from lengths up to around .

Messer, Langes Messer, and Großes Messer ("knife", "long knife", and "great knife" respectively) are usually single-handed swords used for self-defence. These blade lengths ranged from about to . Hilts are normally suited to single handed use, but the larger examples may feature extended grips suitable for a second hand-hold.

Kriegsmesser ("war knife") are the largest examples of messer-hilted weapons, ranging from around long with approximately blade, up to around long with blades up to in length. Designed to be used with both hands, such messers were dedicated military arms, normally wielded by professional soldiers during the 15th and 16th century, such as the Landsknecht.

These names are subjective, and there are no known texts which clearly codify the differences between groups. As such, a large Bauernwehr might well have also been called a Messer, or a large Großes Messer might have been called a Kriegsmesser.

Typology

To combat the inherent uncertainties in using the period terms like "Messer", "langes Messer", and "Großes Messer" which are sometimes interchangeable, there is a typology created by James G. Elmslie for European single-edged arms, which classifies messer and falchion forms, similar to the Oakeshott typology used for double-edged arming swords.

Origin and geography

Messer appear to have emerged in the region of Southern Germany, Switzerland, or Northern Austria in the first few years of the 15th century, as small and civilian knives of low social status. As such their exact date of origin is uncertain, the earliest known depiction being from around 1430.

See also

  • Falchion
  • Johannes Lecküchner
  • Machete
  • Nodachi
  • Swiss degen
  • Zhanmadao

References

  • Video interpretation of Four Sources on Messer Combat
  • Video interpretation of several of Lecküchner's Messer Plays
  • James Elmslie's Research
  • The Elmslie Typology