"Kuse" of Maximillian I's Bodyguard. -- myArmoury.com

Merv Cannon

See...this is what Ive been talking about recently.......just when you think you got all your Àrms & Armour files sorted, you go and find a whole new thing ! So, what the heck is a "Kuse" ? So, here goes the mandatory questions......
Are there any period illustrations in European regions ( I know that other countries all round the world have unusual blade weapons. etc.).........anyone have a pic of one of these Bodyguards of Maximillian's showing this weapon.
How were they held / suspended ? What about these weapons elsewhere in Europe ? Any other drawings, Museum photos, paintings, written descriptions........anything ?
(This pic is from the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Dresden . )

Thanks for any info on these !

Allen W · Posted: Wed 01 Nov, 2006 5:36 am Post subject:

Kuse generally refers to a species of glaive and their are some vey fine Austrian examples from the 16th. cent. in the Landeszueghaus Graz. I've never heard of their being carried by Maximillian's body guard though(or anything about his body guard for that matter). What are your sources and where did you find that knife?

Merv Cannon · Posted: Wed 01 Nov, 2006 6:29 am Post subject:

Russ Ellis · Industry Professional

I like the Kuse or Cuse and fully intend to have one someday. This is one that Arma Bohemia makes:

and here is a Kuselike (not sure it really is a Kuse) weapon from a museum I would love to have custom made:

Sean Flynt · Posted: Wed 01 Nov, 2006 6:57 am Post subject:

It's very strange. A typical Kuse head with a long grip instead of a haft...hmmmm... I wonder if the grip is a later replacement of the haft. If not, then I suppose the idea was that these were elite ceremonial guards who didn't really expect to use their weapons at polearm range (if at all). I would guess that these would not have been scabbarded, but carried point-up and edge forward, either stright up-and-down or resting on the right shoulder, as is often seen in illustrations of the longer weapons. They'd be pretty fearsome weapons at close range--falchions, essentially.

Allen W · Posted: Wed 01 Nov, 2006 8:40 am Post subject:

Russ' second pic is of those Austrian Kuses I mentioned earlier (called Gussys in Hafted Weapons of Renaissance Europe.) The blades are about 30" long. Though I think they slightly post date Maximillian. The pic Merv posted I mistook for a knife instead of the extremely short hafted Couse head that it is. I think this a later rehafting for display as there is not enough useable grip to even employ it as a descent falchion.

Merv Cannon · Posted: Wed 01 Nov, 2006 5:46 pm Post subject: Kuse

Lets all remember too that its on display at a German museum and that the photographer is also German and I know that the translation is not always what it seems as many of their words have a more general application. Lets face it, its a handsome sharp pointy thing with a nice handle that was probable used as an elite Knife...perhaps cut down, or knowing Maximillian, specially made......and, like I've been been winging about lately, there are probable boxes of the dam things stored in some Museum's basement that will seldom see the light of day !....who knows ! Dont ever be decieved by the "samples" that Museums have on display. I'm sure that most of Museum's staff would have little clue as to whats in their total storage.
Meanwhile, please post any other "Kuses" or miscelaneous weapons as I love seeing things that are different......it helps me imagine what they've got tucked away ! ...... Eek!

Merv Cannon · Posted: Wed 01 Nov, 2006 5:52 pm Post subject: Kuse

PS............Just been looking in my files.......is'nt a " Kuse " really a " Glaive " ?? If not, then whats the difference ?

Roy K. · Posted: Wed 01 Nov, 2006 6:47 pm Post subject:

Does anybody know what the dimensions are of that lovely little beast? I want one!

Merv Cannon · Posted: Wed 01 Nov, 2006 8:17 pm Post subject: Kuse

Roy K. · Posted: Wed 01 Nov, 2006 11:18 pm Post subject:

I (poorly) remember seeing a catalogue from when they did a US tour in the mid '80s. It listed, with a small picture, a "cutlass in the Japanese style". Does anybody else remember that?

Russ Ellis · Industry Professional

Sean Flynt · Posted: Thu 02 Nov, 2006 10:21 am Post subject:

Waldman distinguishes between the glaive and the kuse/Couse/couteau de breche. The glaive has a central socket while the sockets of the latter weapon tend to be in line with the back of the blade. Also, while the glaive is broad and tends to have a slightly concave back (like a falchion) the kuse tends to be slightly narrower, with a convex back (like a kitchen knife). I'm not aware of any size difference between the types. The photo attached to the original post (not the one visible in the post) gives a good idea of scale.

MRL sold a "glaive" (kuse, couteau de breche) many years ago and recently had some of the heads on clearance for $50. I got one and modified it. You might find one online somewhere. The langets are easily removed, and then you could just carve yourself a nice grip.

Here's the thread about mine (pre-Waldman).
http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t...ght=glaive

As for the nomenclature problem...we're working on that....

Sean Flynt · Posted: Thu 02 Nov, 2006 10:35 am Post subject:

Further adding to the confusion is that the kuse/couteau de breche is distinct from the gusy/vouge shown above, which look somewhat similar, but tend to be narrower, straighter and have a back edge/diamond section for approximately 3/4 the length of the blade. Of course, the name "gusy" is derived from "kuse," so folks may not have made such fine distinctions between these arms. MRL's "Hero Spear," head can be converted to a vouge, by the way. I got one with that project in mind but went a different direction. For the more well-heeled, here's a custom vouge francais from A&A: