Schweizersäbel
Encyclopedia
The Swiss saber is a type of backsword
or early 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 (1800-1947) 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.
Backsword
A backsword is a sword with a blade on one edge, or an "edge-and-a-quarter." The back of the sword is often the thickest part of the blade and acts to support and strengthen it....
or early sabre
Sabre
The sabre or saber is a kind of backsword that usually has a curved, single-edged blade and a rather large hand guard, covering the knuckles of the hand as well as the thumb and forefinger...
design that was popular in Early Modern Switzerland
Early Modern Switzerland
The early modern history of the Old Swiss Confederacy , lasting from formal independence in 1648 to the French invasion of 1798 came to be referred as Ancien Régime retrospectively, in post-Napoleonic Switzerland.The early modern period was characterized by an increasingly...
.
Unlike the terms Swiss degen
Swiss degen
The Swiss degen was a short sword, an elongated version of the Swiss dagger, with the same double-crescent shape of the guard.It was used as a type of side arm in the Old Swiss Confederacy and especially by Swiss mercenaries, from the first half of the 15th century until the mid 16th century.The...
(Schweizerdegen) and Swiss dagger
Swiss dagger
The Swiss dagger is a distinctive type of dagger used in Switzerland and by Swiss mercenaries during the 16th century.It develops from similar dagger types known as basler which were in use during the 14th and 15th centuries...
(Schweizerdolch) which are attested in the 16th century, Schweizersäbel is a modern term, coined by antiquarian and curator of the Swiss National Museum
Swiss National Museum
The Swiss National Museum — part of the Musée Suisse Group, itself affiliated with the Federal Office of Culture — is one of the most important art museums of cultural history in Europe and the world...
Eduard Achilles Gessler (1800-1947) in his 1914 publication on the topic.
The contemporary term for this weapon was Schnepf or Schnäpf, literally "snipe
Snipe
A snipe is any of about 25 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill and crypsis plumage. The Gallinago snipes have a nearly worldwide distribution, the Lymnocryptes Jack Snipe is restricted to Asia and Europe and the...
", 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.