The katzbalger is a short arming sword of the Holy Roman Empire, recognizable by its distinctive S-shaped or figure-8 guard, and was the signature sidearm of the Landsknecht, German mercenary infantry. Carried during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, including the Habsburg-Valois Wars and the European Wars of Religion, it measured 70 to 80 centimeters, weighed 0.8 to 1.5 kilograms, and had a straight, broad, flat blade suited to cutting rather than thrusting. It served pikemen, archers and crossbowmen as a close-quarters backup weapon for when the enemy closed too near for bows or pikes to remain effective. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Weapon Class
Weapon Class (category) Weapon Class (category)Sword / Polearm / Bladed 1 Weapon Class Sources
1. Wikipedia: Katzbalger
Weapon class classified from the entity's own sourced description text.View the Source Wikidata: Katzbalger
Wikidata Q1432731, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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