The Swiss sabre (German, Schweizersäbel) is a type of two-handed sabre design that was popular in Early Modern Switzerland.
Unlike the terms Swiss degen (Schweizerdegen) and Swiss dagger (Schweizerdolch) which are attested in the 16th century, Schweizersäbel is a modern term, coined by antiquarian and curator of the Swiss National Museum Eduard Achilles Gessler (1880-1947) in his 1914 publication on the topic. The contemporary term for this weapon was Schnepf or Schnäpf, literally " snipe", apparently based on likening the blade to the beak of this kind of bird.
Swiss sabres have single-edged, slightly curved blades which in the mid-16th century were set in regular sword hilts, including the variety of designs found there, with recurved quillions and/or rings and knuckle guards. By the late 16th century, specialized hilt forms begin to emerge, often with pommels shaped as a lion's head, or plated with silver.
See also
References
- EA Gessler, Die Entwicklung des Schweizersäbels im 16. bis ins 17. Jahrhundert. In: Zeitschrift für historische Waffen- und Rüstungskunde 6, 1913,264-277.
External links
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The Swiss sabre (German, Schweizersäbel) is a type of two-handed sabre design that was popular in Early Modern Switzerland.
Unlike the terms Swiss degen (Schweizerdegen) and Swiss dagger (Schweizerdolch) which are attested in the 16th century, Schweizersäbel is a modern term, coined by antiquarian and curator of the Swiss National Museum Eduard Achilles Gessler (1880-1947) in his 1914 publication on the topic. The contemporary term for this weapon was Schnepf or Schnäpf, literally " snipe", apparently based on likening the blade to the beak of this kind of bird.
Swiss sabres have single-edged, slightly curved blades which in the mid-16th century were set in regular sword hilts, including the variety of designs found there, with recurved quillions and/or rings and knuckle guards. By the late 16th century, specialized hilt forms begin to emerge, often with pommels shaped as a lion's head, or plated with silver.
See also
References
- EA Gessler, Die Entwicklung des Schweizersäbels im 16. bis ins 17. Jahrhundert. In: Zeitschrift für historische Waffen- und Rüstungskunde 6, 1913,264-277.
External links
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| This article relating to swords is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
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| This Swiss history article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |