[Alexander O]

Hi guys

I just returned from a trip to the local Museum in Heidelberg, which didn't have a lot of material on the Middle ages, but there is one painting there from 1518 which depicts three similar swords with lovely curved guards and pretty rounded tips. One of the examples has some decorative plumes around the pommel which I have never seen before.

Was that common during that (or any) time? I think it looks pretty dashing.

Any idea why the tips are so rounded? Reminds me of Katzbalger blades. The blade profile is not overly wide though, it doesn't look like they naturally only lend themselves to be used for cutting.

The blade length is also rather short compared to the handle with these swords.

[Victor R.]

Form reminds me a bit of a "Swiss Saber". I think liberties are being taken with the blade length. They tended to be single edge weapons, so the "rounding" may just be the way the artist depicted this, with the tip sharpened from one side and not acutely pointed. Most Swiss sabers I see depicted have a more complex hilt, but the "S" hilt was common on Germanic blades of the era, so it could be an amalgam or "proto" version in the development cycle.