The Swiss sabre (German, ''Schweizersäbel'') is a type of two-handed

sabre A sabre ( French: �sabʁ or saber in American English) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the light cavalry of the early modern and Napoleonic periods. Originally associated with Central European cavalry such as th ...

design that was popular in

Early Modern Switzerland The early modern history of the Old Swiss Confederacy ('' Eidgenossenschaft'', also known as the "Swiss Republic" or ''Republica Helvetiorum'') and its constituent Thirteen Cantons encompasses the time of the Thirty Years' War (1618–164 ...

. 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 The Swiss National Museum (german: Landesmuseum)—part of the ''Musée Suisse Group'', itself affiliated with the Federal Office of Culture, is located in the city of Zurich, Switzerland's largest city, next to the Hauptbahnhof. The museum bu ...

Eduard Achilles Gessler (1880-1947) in his 1914 publication on the topic. The contemporary term for this weapon was ''Schnepf'' or ''Schnäpf'', literally "

snipe A snipe is any of about 26 wading bird species in three genera in the family Scolopacidae. They are characterized by a very long, slender bill, eyes placed high on the head, and cryptic/ camouflaging plumage. The ''Gallinago'' snipes have a ...

", 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.

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

Carl Beck Collection (with literature)
Sabres Renaissance-era swords Weapons of Switzerland {{Switzerland-hist-stub

See also

References

External links