[Bill Fryman]

I'm confused on the difference between what appear to be two very different varieties of daggers, that are both referred to as baselard/basilard or holbein daggers. One has an ][ shaped hilt with a distinct linear tapered blade much like a double edged rondel or ballock. The other has a hilt like a very swollen ][ but with crescent shaped pommel and guard curving (usually) toward the hand, and a blade designed much more with cutting in mind. The second type resembles the shortsword of the same name, the first does not. Are these both really basilard? Is there a term to distinguish between the two types of daggers. I like the second much more than the first.

There are examples of both in the dagger/knife album, but I don't know how to link them here.

[Wolfgang Armbruster]

The real baselard is called a "Basler" by the Swiss, which refers to the city of Basel. Another term for that weapon is "Schweizer Degen" (Swiss Dagger) (see pic below)
This kind of hilt hilt can be seen on a variety of blades, from dagger-sized ones to full singlehanders.
A very popular form was a short-sword sized Baselard of roughly the same size as a Katzbalger. It was very popular among the Swiss Reisläufer-mercenarys in the 15th and 16th century. It was a cut and thrust blade serving as a sidearm just like the Großmesser and Katzbalger.

In all cases, it's always a Baselard.

Pic from a Swiss Chronicle depicting soldiers wearing large short-sword like Baselards

[Chad Arnow]

According to Harold Peterson "Daggers and Fighting Knives of the Western World" the Holbein dagger (aka Swiss Dagger) is a later evolution of the baselard. These Swiss Daggers (a more proper term perhaps) have the curving guards and swelled grips but can probably still be called baselards. The knives with relatively straight grips and guards are baselards without much doubt.