Interesting genuine German Double Handed sword Zweihander 16th/17th century
An interesting genuine double-handed sword ‘Zweihander’. Used by the Landsknechts, Bavarian and Swiss mercenary soldiers during the 16th century. Although some of these swords do survive many have been made as replicas during the 19th century due to their dramatic appearance. This example has a very nice early blade, fullered and with many deep clear stamps to both sides, on one is an inlaid marking, maybe a wolf in latten metal. The blade has a very slight kink in it about halfway down which counld fairly easily be straightened with care. The hilt fittings are probably about 100 years later than the blade and have been added to the earlier fighting blade to create the larger swords used for ceremonial parades. Many of these parade swords were made with parade blades, and this is a very rare sword to have a genuine 16th century fighting blade fitted into it. To incorporate this there are several unique features to the hilt, the original tang has had a disc welded halfway up to to allow the large forged iron crossguard to sit comfortably, further up beyond this, as the origonal tang would not have been long enough, a further tang extension has been firewelded on, to which a large counter balancing pommel is fitted. This would all have been done during the later 17th century. Two small spiked lugs were also added on, on has been broken off. The later ceremonial blades usually had these spikes for hand protection forged integrally with the blade, but as this uniquely has a fighting blade they have had to be addedd later. Very good condition and a unique example of one of these enormous swords.
Weight | 15 kg |
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Interesting genuine German Double Handed sword Zweihander 16th 17th century | landsknecht
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