Messer

A messer (German for "knife") is a single-edged sword with a knife-like hilt construction. While the various names are often used synonymously, messers are divided into two types: Lange Messer ("long knives") are one-handed swords used for self-defence.They were about a meter long and may have evolved from the Bauernwehr ("peasant's sidearm"). They are also known as Großes Messer (Great Knife). Kriegsmesser ("war knife") are curved weapons up to 1.5m long, used with one or two hands, and normally wielded by professional warriors of the 14th to 16th century, such as the Landsknecht.