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There are various explanations about the origin of the name katzbalger: one explanation is that it comes from the custom of wearing a sword without scabbard, held only by a cat's skin (in German, Katze means "cat" and Balg means the skin or fur of an animal). Whether such a custom actually existed is disputed.
The word katzbalger literally means "cat skinning" or "cat fight." This name refers to the way the weapon was used: when a Landsknecht stood too close to an opponent or when the fight turned into close combat, he could draw this sword, as the long two-handed sword or pike were not effective at close range due to their length and weight. He drew his katzbalger, a sword that was very quick to handle. Once the Landsknecht drew this weapon from the scabbard, it was clear that the duel would become more violent and neither would show mercy – a true "cat fight." The katzbalger was one of the last true ‘arming swords’ and characteristically referred to the rich past of the knightly swords.
Composition of the katzbalger
The katzbalger is the "short" sword of the Landsknecht, made for hacking. Sometimes the sword is also called a Doppelsöldner named. The word "short" is misleading in some cases: while a regular katzbalger was between 50 and 100 cm long, there were also specimens with a blade of 1.20 meters long that had a grip comparable to that of the two-handed sword. Usually, the katzbalger is short, but there were also longer models, less common but certainly not rare.
The katzbalger typically has a broad blade ranging from 50 to 80 cm long, equipped with multiple fullers to reduce weight. The blade has two cutting edges and a rounded tip. Usually, they have a simple but practical grip and a S-shaped crossguard. The S-shaped crossguard protected the landsknecht from the slashes of enemy weapons, but made him vulnerable to thrusts. Around 1570, the shape of the handles changed. From around 1590, the blade became longer and the handles were given a basket. They were influenced by the Italian Schiavona, which later also replaced the katzbalger.
Around the end of the 16th century, the Landsknecht era came to an end. This also marked the end of the use of the katzbalger. This was the period when firearms definitively took over.
Original specimens can now be seen at the Klingenmuseum in Solingen, the British Museum in London, and the Historical Museum in Dresden.
