8. The Katzbalger may have lacked a sharpened tip, but that didn’t matter when you were slashing at an opponent’s legs on a crowded European battlefield
In Renaissance-era Europe, bands of German pikemen and archers offered their fighting skills to the highest bidder. With their pikes and their bows and crossbows, they were fearsome warriors. And when the enemy got too close, they got out their unique swords. Called the katzbalger (perhaps because some soldiers covered their blades in scabbards made from cat skin), the weapon was ideal for close-up, hand-to-hand fighting and proved decisive in countless battles the so-called Landsknecht mercenaries were involved in right across Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries.
A typical katzbalgerwas lightweight and measured less than one meter in length. They were backup weapons, designed to be used by a pikeman or an archer who ended up in a melee. That’s why the tips were rounded; in a close-up skirmish, a soldier didn’t want to risk getting his sword caught up in an enemy’s armor, or even his body. Instead of being a thrusting weapon, it was instead used for slashing and cutting. In many cases, the soldiers would use this type of sword to aim for their enemies’ legs, chopping them down and then finishing them off.