Is This the Ultimate Self-Defense Sword?
Now THAT’s a “knife”… By medieval German standards. The messer (AKA langes / grosses messer or langmesser) is a single-edged sword with a characteristic guard and a knife-like hilt typically consisting of riveted handle scales with a pommel cap. It was a “common man’s sword” particularly popular in the 15th & 16th century.
Have you seen my other videos about these and similar weapons?
Falchion or Messer? – Definition and Differences
One Hell of a “Knife”! (Langes Messer by Lukas Mastle-Goer)
How Practical is my Saber-Messer-Yatagan Hybrid Design?
This reproduction is made by Landsknecht Emporium and fully functional (“battle-ready”, as you might say). In this video I talk about its role in history and show you the results of the testing I did in order to review its build quality.
The weight, balance, and handling are just right. A remarkably powerful yet nimble sword, with an efficiently shaped, comfortable grip. The sharpened clip point makes it practically double-edged, and the blade geometry and seriously sharp edge make it cut impressively well.
*** Specifications ***
Overall length: 60.5 cm (23.8’’)
Blade length: 49.5 cm (19-1/2’’)
Blade width: 5.1 cm (2’’)
Blade thickness: 5.7 mm (7/32’’) tapering down to 4mm (5/32″) near the tip
Point of balance: ca. 8.5 cm (3-1/3’’)
Weight: 997 g (2 lbs / 3 oz)
Blade material: 6150 spring steel
Handle material: Walnut (other options: beech, oak, pear, boxwood, antler)
Price (as of 22 April, 2022):
270EUR = 366 CAD = 294 USD
Scabbard: 120 EUR = 163 CAD = 130 USD
*** Where to get it ***
Coupons:
• GUSKALL10 – 10% off of any Gustav messer (applies to the first 10 buyers)
• GUSCAB15 – 15EUR off of any Gustav scabbard (applies to the first 20 buyers)
*** Sources ***
Debunking the loophole myth:
“Ungewoenliche Lange Messer: Weapons regulations in Southern and Western Germany in the 15th century” by Bastian Koppenhöfer, 2021
*** Music credits ***
Outtakes:
“The Cavern of Wonders”, “RPG Ambient 3”, “RPG Ambient 4 (The Dark Woods)” by Hitctrl
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license (CC BY 3.0)
“Medieval: King’s Feast” by Random Mind
CC0 1.0 Universal – Public Domain
Outro:
“Highland Storm” by The Slanted Room Records
Used with artist’s permission
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