Katzbalger Collector Sword with Scabbards of Wood and Leather

Katzbalger Collector Sword

The Katzbalger sword is a short one-handed battle sword from the Renaissance. This short sword was the favored close combat weapon of the Landsknechts, the mercenaries of the late 15th and 16th centuries. Its most distinctive features are the relatively short, wide blade, the S-shaped hand guard, and the fishtail. There are two possible linguistic origins for the name: It may be a reference to cat leather, which may have been used for the hilt or scabbard. However, it is more likely that it derives from the German word katzbalgen, a synonym for brawl or brawl. Katzbalger were often used by pikemen or archers or as a last resort, when the opponent was too close for their long-range polearms.