Contents
The Katzbalger or ripper is a Renaissance sword, short but very robust and with a figure-eight guard. It measured between 75 to 85 cm. long and weighed between 1 and 2 kg. It was the characteristic weapon of the Landsknechts. The Katzbalger sword was designed with a large figure-eight guard to protect the hand and prevent the opponent's blade from slipping down.
The term "Katzbalger" can have several meanings, one of them is that of a sword without a sheath, attached to the body only by the skin of a cat; Another is that the German words Katz (cats) and "balger" (brawl or fight) refer to the violent and intense fights of stray cats over cats in heat. The most literal translation would be destripagatos, as an allusion to that fight.
The katzbalger was usually used by pikemen, archers and crossbowmen as a last resort when their main weapons (pikes, bows or crossbows) were no longer effective due to the proximity of the opponent.
