[Pedro Paulo Gaião]

https://pacodosduques.gov.pt/monumentos/paco-dos-duques/colecao/armas/montante-pd1039/?fbclid=IwAR0Si42VVo9kg_spDxW3vuIJc80ZdADAH358hCYUlTs3W4cR2pjiZtTdoyc

The Paço dos Duques' collection features a very interesting Montante with an overall length of 132cm, crossguard of 42,5cm and 2,475kg of weight. Given how the grip seems to have some 45cm (plus extra 5cm for the pommel), the blade length would be mere 82cm, making it one of the smallest two-handers in both OAL and BL.

Another small zweihander can be seen acidentally in an myArmoury's article about Gustav Vasa's Rapier, at Bjorn's back:

http://myArmoury.com/feature_vasa.html

While this Swedish Zweihander is wider than our montante, it still brings the question for why such smaller two handers were made and what they could offer that 150/160cm OAL two handers couldn't.

What's your thoughts?

[M Hermes]

By the end of the 16th century, the zweihander's role had largely been played out and it became more of a symbolic status. It is striking that they also become longer and heavier. Maybe because it no longer really needs to be used for what it was initially designed for. Perhaps the one in the Paço dos Duques' collection is a somewhat older type that was actually designed to be used!?