1:20 Yeah, I think if anything messers were a loophole to a different kind of law. Namely, swords could only be made by swordsmiths. So if knifemakers wanted to benefit from the growing popularity and demand for sidearms among commoners messers were the way to go. I don't have solid evidence for that but there is one court case from XV century Kraków that lead me to this conclusion. Namely, in the mid-XV century, the guild of swordsmiths in Kraków sued the guild of knifemakers over the right to produce sabers. Knifemakers were arguing that sabers were, like messers, just a variation of very long knives. In the end, the knifemakers lost the case and the exclusive right to forge sabers went to swordsmiths. Edit: Ah, shit once again I should've waited and watched further before commenting. Of course, you addressed this.
It's crazy that left handed stuff is still so niche when lefties are like 25% of the world. Trying to help my friend find a left handed guitar took calling half a dozen local shops and eventually resigning to buying one online.
@@aniquinstark4347 It's really annoying. The thing is, there are some right handers who use left handed stuff as personal preference, so there is definitely a market for lefty objects. But no, a lot of companies don't want to do that
"The townsguard didn't run around with tape measures [to check if the knife is of legal length]" Not sure about that. They could easily carry a stick one ell long, which would serve the double purpose of checking knives' length and beating people up. I'm not saying they did, this is purely speculation about how they could theoretically go about enforcing that law
Guards were checking your EDC knife with an ell length stick? I think it's a fair thought, it doesn't even need to be for whacking people with, you can carry a thin, light and uncumbersome piece of wood just to check knife lengths. They can be all like "oii mate you've got a loicense 4 dat, lemme check them lengthz bruh yeeeeeh" lol
@@xyxxanx9810 that too! I mean we don't really know for sure we are all speculating here, but it's kinda always the simplest way most likely the way it was done.
They don't even need to carry it around, if I remember correctly most towns used to have the local measures at the town gates and the council house along with a list of the accepted currencies because it was used to collect toll off of what you bring into the city. This was especially necessary since every town may have used a system along the lines of fathom, ell and foot but the actual sizes of the units themselves varied massively (an Ell in Frankfurth was 54 cm where an Ell in Lyon was a whopping 132 cm).
"The measure" possibly refers to a physical representation of how long of a blade you're allowed to carry. I know this was done in my hometown of Regensburg, but unfortunately the tower where it was embedded burned down in 1709. Also there was probably no need to explain this, as it was common practice to have physical representations of common trade measurements displayed for all to see in order to hinder scamming.
I've heard of this too, a wooden sword hung up at the gatehouse as an easy 'anything smaller than this is fine' measure. I'd not heard of other common measures being on display alongside but it makes sense for collecting gate tolls and tariffs. I also like the Ell as the 'rule of thumb' since a guard stopping you in the street can easily spot-check the length by comparing it to his own arm.
@@Vespuchian We had something similar here in my state until it was done away with. Originally you couldn't carry anything that had a blade longer than the width of your hand, if the blade tip went from the edge of your hand to just past your thumb it was illegal to carry.
I just really love the designs of messers. I dunno why, prolly because the falchion is my favorite sword, but messers look more refined, yet still just as simple and rugged.
Curious that you think messers look more refined, as falchions seem to have been swords of the nobility during their heyday; whereas messers seem to have started out as much more of a commoners weapon and then spread to be all over the social classes
I saw Shad's video about swords as self defence but came away not exactly wanting a machete, despite agreeing with pretty much everything he said. After seeing this I realised I had always wanted a messer, I just didn't know it until now. Thanks Skall for the heads up!
The problem when talking about german medieval times: there was no Germany. Every city and every town had different regulations and while there almost always was some kind of restriction on "Messerzücken" (drawing a knife), it varried immensley, even in the same town, but at different times.
I come from southwestern part of Germany, which was up to 1268 Duchy Swabia, and from 1496 to 1803 Reichskreis / imperial district Swabia. This small area was split into 100 territories ( socalled Reichsstände), the villages of Reichsritterschaft/ Imperial Knights and curiosities like Reichtal/ Imperial Valley Oberharmersbach not included. This means not only different laws, but also different measurement units. The Elle noted in this Video had different lenghts, the length of state was in former times shown by an iron bar fixed at townhouse.
That is correct, yet people were organized in the HRR and they spoke the same language enough to be seen as one people from the outside, so did the Italians at least. Politically they were fractured far more than culturally because how little central power the king/Kaiser held. So technically speaking it wasn't Germany as in the modern nation state, but it was a cultural and political entity that was more than a fiction. What you are right about is identification on a micro-level. People identified with their city, hometown and so on, and (same as everywhere) people could be distinguished by their accents, but they probably didn't see themselves as "citizens" (a concept that simply didn't exist) who identified with the larger society. But then, most people in Europe back then didn't do that before the nation state emergence. So, I think middle age Germany is more a middle age "Germany", referring to it with the historical knowledge behind the concept of nation state vs. feudal state.
Not quite true. The HRE was absolutely real. It was just not one single state with one single law; neither is modern day Germany, neither are the United States.
I own one of these myself. Absolutely love it! One of my favorite swords. It's quite a few years old now. They really have improved their grip game and honestly I'm jealous that mine doesn't have the newer grip 😑.
@@samuraiS30v @BladeLover NiTiNOL 60 HI, I've had great service and products from them. Just be sure to check so other reviews. They have a rough handmade finish to their products that some people may not like. Obviously nothing that effects performance. I know Matthew Jensen also did a review on their product that was very honest regarding this.
I can absolutely see why you would classify it as the best self-defense sword. It's just so very convenient in ease of carry, adaptability, and cutting. Edit: Huh, I really wasn't expecting this much attention. Cool
It’s almost as if SD weapons are typically smaller in nature than offensive weapons. Rifle/pistol, long sword/short sword, etc… Your more likely to carry a smaller tool that you will use far less than a larger tool that just gets in the way 90% of the time.
@@soonerfrac4611 Not to mention that shorter weapons are quicker to draw. In a self-defense scenario this can mean the difference between life and death.
Exactly! You’re going to be in tight quarters more than likely and a rapier or arming sword is probably significantly more tool for the job. Reminds me of the Japanese having multiple sword lengths for different reasons as well. Same today with sidearms. I’ve got bigger ones but I’m more apt to carry a smaller one more often.
@@soonerfrac4611 in WWI Italy fielded a unit for trench warfare that was armed only with knives..just regular butcher/bowie sized ones...under the cover of fire, they would crawl close enough to the trenches & dive in and just slaughter their opponents in those close quarters...
I've always thought the most practical sort of bladed weapon for someone who's not actually fighting a war is a medium-length broad-bladed knife. Too long and it's not practical to carry all the time. Too light and it's not useful for non-fighting tasks. The popularity at various times of things like the seax, messer, dirk, and Bowie knife indicates that I'm not the only one who thought this way.
As a complete sword noob who's never even held one, I just find it fascinating how light these things could get. 997 grams? That sharpened piece of steel and wood weighs *less* than the water bottle on my desk, sans the plastic.
997 grams is actually really quite heavy for something this short. A lot of medieval arming swords are around that weight, and many later infantry sabres are lighter than that (perhaps around 800 grams). If you look at smallswords you get down to even 500 grams if memory servers me well. Though of course the latter is a very different kind of sword to this
@@Skallagrim Even (non-ceremonial) Zweihänders are only a few pounds or so and those are huge even for 2-handed swords. A layman will see how big they are and think they are a lot heavier, not knowing how the weight distribution makes a managing the size a lot harder than a little dumbell nor how quickly you need to change direction in combat. I know I was such a fool at one point.
Feedback again: Small, this video is perfect! Great title and thumbnail. Amazing product. You have some interesting history, live demo, test cutting, practicality considerations, both in historical context and modern day. It's everything I wanted from my previous feedback. I know you can't always do weapon demos for every video, bit this is a really excellent execution. Also, the first messer joke made me chuckle, and the second one made me laugh. That's really good too. Keep up the great work. I'm still rooting for you.
Landsknecht Emporium is the best on the market when it comes to Messer, and the Gustav is probably my favorite of their standard fare. Really glad to see it get the Skall treatment.
They sell good stuff, yet too bad I find the blade shape of their longer 2 handers disappointing. I very much prefer the aesthetic of the albion kriegmesser.
I just received this today and I am blown away by the quality of this tool. It is everything you said it would be and then some. This has such visual presence that it is actually a work of art. A long wait but worth every penny. This excellent review is the reason I now have an heirloom my kids will fight over.
They certainly do pommel you right in the ol' humerus. They cut right to the heart of the joke and you get the point nigh instantly. This sort of humour always gets my heart going pitter pata, I'm always gladius when I blunderbuss onto such opportunities to whip out my armoury of puns. Thank you I'll be here all week, I khopesh to see y'all later.
Hey Skall! Just leaving a comment for the algorithm monster :) Thanks for the video, we're really glad you like Gustav so much and also love to see the test cutting went this well :)
I'm honestly starting to get a fondness for german style swords. Messers really are quite an elegantly simple design, and when well made are genuinely artistic in the craftsmanship on display. Aesthetic of of form through function, as it were.
They really have a subtle beauty to them don't they? There's something elegant in the gall of going into combat with a giant knife, as contradictory as that sounds.
Be careful with attributing things to Germany just because someone slaps a German word in front of it. You'll get a lot of swords from around Europe called messers when not even the blade originates from a german state. It can fit the definition of a messer, but have no direct connection to what is modern day germany, so calling it a messer can be misleading. It's a little bit like how people have decided to start calling all greatswords "zweihanders" despite the fact that very large two handed swords obviously existed outside of what is modern day Germany; and "zweihander" is pragmatically a less helpful term than "greatsword", and the latter doesn't have any national connotations. Honestly there's a pretty suss infatuation with all things germany in a lot of online circles, and unfortunately it exists in the hema world; though it's thankfully less on the nose than in ww2 history circles lol
@@tommeakin1732 And what does have modern day Germany to do with this? Why should the borders of modern day germany matter for this? You know the borders were different back then?
@@xluca1701 Because Germany didn't exist back then. I'm trying to emphasis "the german states" as opposed to Germany. I might not have phrased that very well a couple of times
It's been nine months, come Groundhog day that I asked them to make messers for me. I didn't know I'd wait this long so I'm glad I asked for two and they could be here before Summer!
The Landsknecht Emporium Gustav! I reviewed this blade last May, with some contrast and comparison with the Cold Steel MAA single-handed messer. Quite a beast! Imposing in every and each way. But the short blade length (50cm) really gave me the feeling that the blade hasn't fully accelerated when it makes contact with the targets, even though it consistently cut well in my very extensive cutting session. Maybe I'm just used to cut with much longer bladed swords. I don't know how it would fare against highly resistant targets like gambeson, but the tip speed is definitely an issue. There's a lot of distal taper so it does feel very nimble and maneuverable. For self-defense or home-defense though, this is perfect. The short length works well in confined spaces. I even did some cutting when pairing it with a Talhoffer buckler on my patio, where a longer blade may have some trouble. Even the false-edge is very well sharpened. Kudos to Landsknecht Emporium. I hope they release some more models in the future, like a few more models of kriegsmesser and maybe steel dussacks.
Some notes from a German, Britta is my girlfriend. In old woodcuts of late 15th/ early 16th century ,Germany' mostly the ,Bauernwehr' is shown. Die Wehr ( das Wehr is a quite different thing) is an old term for weapon ( Waffe). Today Gewehr means in german language: a) in military context full size battle rifle b) in civilian context all long firearms ( rifles, shotguns and combined weapons like Drilling), but up to 18th century, Gewehr could also be a polearm or bladed sidearm. In early 16th century there had been in ,Germany' not only the famous 300 states ( the imperial knights not included) with different laws, the non nobles and non Knights hat been by law NOT the same. The inhabiants of towns ( a fortfied settlement with town rights given by a noble or spiritual lord) had been free men, and as free men the right to own weapons ( and use them for defending the town and when travelling), but: In large or midsize imperial towns, in residence towns or otherwise rich town there had been socalled Patrizier , which had similar wealth than Knights, and some very rich Patrizier, for example Jakob Fugger from Augsburg ( the richest European of his time) had the wealth of nobles! They had the money, to buy good weapons, armours and horses and had been the small mounted part of town levy, and some members of such rich families fought as Man at Arms, Gens des Armes , Reisiger. But in the majority of german towns, the richest men had been master craftsmen/ Handwerksmeister . They could buy no horses, no full armour and mid to good quality weapons. But the ordinary craftsmen ( in german Handwerksgesellen), and the realy poor men ( auxillaries/ hands) had not the money to buy armour . In wartime they needed equipment of town weapon house, as private arms the poor towns men, i think they could only buy such a Langes Messer, or the shorter Bauermwehr, or had only their EDC knife and perhaps a wilden stick/ Club/ baton or a tool. Outside of towns the situation was much worser. Most of rural men had been only semifree or unfree ( a bit better than a slave), few freefarmers / Freibauern remained, mostly in more moutainous regions ( in my state Schwarzwald/ Blackforrest and Allgäu) and few coastal regions ( in 1500 the Dithmarschen farmers could beat Danish Army at Hemmingstett). So, the unfree farmers by law had not the right to own weapons ( relict of germanic tribal era) , so only Bauernwehr , tools and auxillary weapons had been possible. Sometimes unfree farmers got some wealth, so their Lord perhaps allowed them a Langes Messer and a,cheap spear. The semifree men had the right to own weapons, but often not the money, so that also here Bsuernwehr, Langes Messer, cheap Spears , tools and auxillary weapons had been the norm. The few remaining freemen could own weapons, but here often money was a problem. During the , Bauernkrieg'/ Farmers war', a large farmers revolt of 1525 ( to be exact 1524 to 1526) most farmers had no armour ( perhaps captured pieces from destroyed castles or town armouries), mostly no good weapons, exeption of captured pieces. Mostly Bauernwehr or Langes Messer, spiked Clubs, flails, scythes, forks, axes. But some farmers crowds/ Haufen of richer regions had been better equipped than average and hired Landsknechte ( which had been mostly former farmers, who knew farmers problems). But the uncoordinated revolts had been crushed down by the rulers,, and the tips of farmers longer knifes had been cut away, and up to 1848 ( three centuries !) german rural non nobles could not own weapons. ( With few exeptions.)
@@FortuneFavoursTheBold : I am no academic, only a german style trained worker ( Facharbeiter) with middle education ( socalled Mittlere Reife), but a Kindergarten daytrip to ,Bear cave' and ,Lichtenstein castle ' in 1971 was the start of historical interesst. In 51 years a solid basic knowledge in history of my homeregion envolved (?) , so i often notice, that non german history youtubers don' t exactly know german situation. For example in my homeregion the ruins of medieval castles are much smaller than in France or England.
"But the short blade length (50cm) really gave me the feeling that the blade hasn't fully accelerated when it makes contact with the targets". I have the sword and tend to agree. The shortness does limit tip acceleration, but this is offset by the comparatively high weight (mass) this weapon has for its size.
Oh yeah, it cuts very well. It just has a weird vibe when you swing it probably due to the fact that most of us are used to longer blades. It has the mass the edge profile to be a beast in cutting.
In February I finally got (after a year! no less) my D-shaped knuckle bow bowie from Windlass Steelcraft. 620 grams and 45 cm blade with a nice enough functional scabbard, all for about 60+ SS. Very nimble and sturdy. I think it will work just as good as this Landsknecht Emporium beauty. The only thing I do not know is which kind of steel it is.
Needs to be a comedy skit from the scene where he says that’s not a knife! This is a knife! Than a medieval knight walks in and shuts him down and says that’s not a knife! This is a knife 😂 Then he says awww and walks away in shame!
That's an awesome reproduction, and it looks like it'd be superior even to the Roman Gladius short sword! Its equally impressive that the cost is so low that us commoners today could easily afford one! Kinda surprised that it doesn't come with the scabbard as most blades do, though, but the scabbard is also very versatile and well thought out! Very nice!
Honestly I love your videos and they really help me come up with "realistic" weapons or items as rewards for players in my DnD campaigns. I wish you good luck with future videos and I hope you still get to make them on subjects you enjoy!
My ongoing hypothesis is that the Knifemaker's guild produced *bauernwehr*, a very similar knife, and once the sword guild got uppity about it, they brought it to the courts. The courts sided with the knifemakers because of precedent and set the reasoning as being because of the handle, and with that pass, the Knifemakers acted with impunity and made the messer. Need to do research on it to confirm or debunk
bad dad jokes are not exclusive to dad's . at that point it's just bad jokes . jokes are always good regardless if the goal is a groan or laugh . love the terry Gilliam style cartoon bit .
I have love the messer for the points that you just mentioned. It's very versatile weapon. You get a lot of things in a "small" package. Hopefully one day I can get one.
I love the new addition to the Skall armoury: Kjallburg the viking puppet! I actually have two mannequins of my own - one carries my gambeson, the other wears my brigandine :-)
It reminds me of the short barreled shockwave shotguns that aren't technically shotguns or rifles or pistols so they can get around the restrictions. All of us who own one always make the joke of "I'm going to the range with my not-a-shotgun" Or my favorite "I'm going to the range with my none NFA Item.
@@dougneon9550 it's a firearm made by the Mossberg, based on their 590 model of shotgun. It's a 12 gauge that has a 13 inch barrel length, but doesn't fall under Short Barrel Shotgun laws. Because, it isn't a shotgun. It isn't a pistol either. And it certainly isn't a rifle. It's the definition of "American gun laws are dumb".
@@dougneon9550 Basically, if I remember correctly, they're not a shotgun, pistol or rifle because they're smoothbore and were created without a stock; it doesn't allow you to shoulder the weapon. SInce it was made stockless, emphasis on manufactured and has never had a stock.
I squealed when I found a Messer in Elden Ring. The only sword I've ever owned - very briefly, before my parents got mad at me for having one as a kid - was a Grosse Messer and man that thing was cool.
you mentioned hand slippage if/when i buy that knife im going to a auto parts store and buying me some rubber car tire plugs and 3 of them are going in to those hollow pins and getting trimmed so that just the smallest rounded bit sticks out. Even with it not being a issue might as well because it would look good and add just a little more security to the grip lol
Thanks for the review, I've never owned a messer, and was meaning to get one at some point, this seems like an amazing sword for a great price. I just ordered one, and I'm looking forward to trying it out on some milk cartons.
@@ssunfish Yeah, it actually ended up arriving a couple weeks earlier than I expected it too. It’s definitely worth getting, it feels like an $900+ sword in the hand, and the fit and finish is very good. The scabbard is wood core and felt lined, with a snug enough fit that you can hold it upside down and shake it fairly hard and the sword won’t budge, but it still comes out freely and easily in a draw while you’re wearing it (no need for a second hand to hold the scabbard while drawing). My only real complaint is that the hilts edges are a bit too angular, and if you don’t wear a glove while swinging it around it can dig into your hand to the point that it’s painful sometimes. When I ordered it, I ordered the scabbard with the Lyse By-Knife integrated into it, which is an option on the scabbard page. If I were to order it again, I would ask them if they could put one of the next two larger knives into the scabbard instead or in addition. That way I have a functional offhand weapon/camp knife/kitchen knife with me rather then just a small eating knife. I got the same knot work integrated belt that Skall did, and chose the walnut grip, and the undecorated brown scabbard so that it would be more versatile with costuming options at the Ren Faire/LARP. Choosing the leather grip option may resolve the hilt digging into the hand problem, but I’m not sure on that point. I chose to use PayPal to pay which cost me a bit more but I preferred to have the security of being able to get my money back if something went wrong since it was a new website I’d not purchased from before and I’ve had issues with failure to receive products online before. Overall I’m very happy I bought it, and would definitely recommend you do too if you’re considering it. I hope that this helps.
Definitely worth looking into. Thanks for the review. Glad they sent it to you. Edit: On a side note I find it amusing how certain fantasy games say that one cannot bash with a buckler. A punch to the face with a buckler like that would not be pleasant.
Nice to see an expert who differentiates between opinion and fact. Not many here on TH-cam are wise enough to do that. I sub'don that alone. Medieval historian here...btw.
Conflicts between knifemakers and swordsmiths were common in 15th century Poland too, and in too make things funnier, in 15th sabres started becoming increasingly popular in the region too. Both swords and knife fellows wanted to produce them.
Messers really came in all sort of single edged ways, from heavy machetes like this one to narrower, longer ones, all the way to weapons that are closer to sabers then malchus/falchion. Some Messers even had blade dimensions very similar to a Katana, although all the ones in this dimension I saw had distal taper, therefor were thinner towards the point, even when the grip had space for two hands.
I've been interested in Landsknecht Emporium for awhile (I'm sort of a messer fanboy) nad have been eyeballing this model for a good while....I think I need it.
I made something similar to that out of a basic 18-inch Ontario machete. I started by trimming about a 40-degree wedge off the tip to drop the point about 2/3 of the way from the spine to the edge, then sharpened the newly-created angled part of the tip so the point is double-edged. It made the blade slightly less choppy, but a LOT more stabby. Then I replaced the original scales with a 3D printed a pair of scales that form a d-guard merged with a katana-style tsuba, so that you have both a knuckle guard and a surface to comfortably push against when thrusting to prevent your hand from slipping over the guard on to the blade. The tang portion of the original hand stop at the bottom of the protrudes from the bottom of the new grip to form a rounded skull crusher, and I used my ring sizes to create finger grooves that fit my hand perfectly. The final result is something like a mini falchion or messer with a blade about 17-1/2" long that weighs a little under 600 grams total, and can chop, slash, and thrust reasonably well. And I've got less than $50 invested into the entire project, not counting my time and elbow grease.
I have often cinsidered a hanger or a cutlass as the best "modern" self defense sword. Curiously, a Long Bowie knife, with a knuckle bow guard, was a popular weapon among Confederate soldiers in the American War Between the States.
My opinion for the best civilian defense/multipurpose blade is the Alehouse Dagger,basically a heavy basket hilted nacksword of blade lenght between one and 2 feet. Basically add a heavy guard that can be used a knuckleduster to this messer and you are set:the best possibile compromise between many different factors.
@@rainsilversplash4376 times may have changed over the last few decades, but back in the day southern folks considered the term "civil war" to be a bit too puffed up and academic, and I suspect they'd agree with you that referring to it as "civil" was a bit offensive. Terms like that are luxuries only afforded to the winners after the fact. Much more common to hear it called simply the War of the States.
Stop messing around. It's messing me up. I think I'm in love. That is the most beautiful steak knife ever. That knife would work wonderfully with my martial art. I'm a big fan of machete but this would do everything just stronger with the right steel. Most don't understand steel is what makes anything worthwhile. Spring steel is where it's at. This is a fighting bowie on steroids. Love to see a long term test doing some stupid wood stuff. Just to justify its usefulness Where we differ is almost $300 for basic spring steel is on the high side. Guess I'll just make my own. As for self defense. Just look up machete attacks. 99.9% don't understand you don't fight the other weapons. You attack the closest target. If you don't understand what I just said seek out a trainer. I promise they will agree if they don't find someone else. Fighting is all about target selection. Experience is knowing how and why and what.
Saw the grip and immediately thought messer. Then the opening gag confirmed it. Love messer demonstrations, especially HEMA competitions. Such a beautiful and effective weapon. Kopesh still tops my favorites list, but messers sit comfortably in my top five
@@r.i.peperoniiiiroh9625 Ye it is, probably also this video had something to do with it as skal made them quite the add here, but also there is the inflation. And I checked again and on kultofathena it actually comes with a scabbard included, which it doesn't come with by default on their website, that is also why the price is that much higher. The price of just the sword went from 270 to 355 on lansknechtemporium, not that bad and still pretty much a bargon for a high quality sword.
I have been watching your videos for the better part of ten years I love how you totally changed the game on european weapons and now you have the skills to show an insanely technical historical self defense technique your channel has always been so interesting and I still think you should get a small toss of royalties to forged in fire ;) because we know you did that hard test on blades when it was controversial.
The price of this and other Messers from the same company have increased significantly since this review. Skall kept saying how inexpensive it is and that it should cost alot more, so I guess they listened and hiked up the price. Thanks Skall 🙄
Six minutes in I have to say it...I am SO DAMN GLAD to see you using 2-liter bottles filled with water rather than the pathetically thin water bottles I'm used to seeing many folks testing with...the water is essentially the only thing providing any rigidity to those and they provide next to no resistance to cutting, where 2-liter bottles have thicker sides and, if your cutting angle and edge alignment are off, you might wind up smacking one across the yard rather than gracefully slashing through one.
Well the messer exist because of a loophole. But the loophole was that knifesmith aren't allowed to make swords.....that is the priviledge of swordsmith and the swordsmith guild guarded it. But there was no regulation how long a knife could be, as long it has a knife grip its a knife. So the knifesmith entered into the lucrative trade in that way and outproduce the regular swordsmith. A complete industrial sector spawned that way that even many swordsmith entered simply it was to quite lucrative on their own. The produce only the blade itself and let the local knifesmith finish it. Many famous swordsmithing cities got quite rich that way, such Solingen, Toledo and many more. And because of this manufacture process pushed the prices for Messer down....it became much more affordable than a normal sword. And it was never forbidden to possess a sword in medieval germany and were also never priviledge for nobility only. The reason why Messer became so popular were because they were much cheaper and were also at the same quality level as many swords. And citizen were forced to pay for their own equipment if they were recruited for a war. So logical speaking pay a cheaper price for weapon that has the same quality, you can afford to spent more on armor to save your life.....and armor were much more expensive. Some cities like Cologne did a temporary weapon ban, simply because they lost control over conflict inside the cities.....but that ban was that you weren't allowed to carry certain types of weapon and it was sometimes specified on what hours the weapon ban came into effect. The possession of weapons were allowed and deemed as necessary since cities (or lords) wont pay for equipment for their own army or hired mercenaries (or mostly of it......they give a poor citizen a spear and that was it).
Finally the explanation. I've seen the thing on forged in fire and they called it a sword, which was confusing to me as a German knowing that the name literally meant knife in English. Thanks for this informative video
Having trained Lecküchner with the longer and thinner messers, I'd say specifically that the one you have there would be much better as a self defence weapon. With a shorter blade it'd be more portable and with the thickness of the blade it'd be much more effective against flesh than something like the Karl Messer from landsknechtemporium I'm familiar with.
👏🏽 This is a great video, and the history lesson. Reminds me of Samurai, when an when the Emperor tried to band Samurai swords. 🤔 Or even in modern times with firearms an trying to get around these ATF weapon band agendas!
Straight-swords Vs Katana? both are inferior to the sheer universal utility that is.... the MACHETE, TRULY the ultimate in self-defense blades, sure it may not have the range of a rapier or whatever, but in overall versatility, the MACHETE is the MOST universal survival blade, hack a human, or hack a tree? MACHETE is ALWAYS the answer
I jumped on this May 2 when I saw this video. I just today got email and tracking saying it should be here from Budapest on Groundhog day. I hope for BEST omens!!!!! Nine month babies. Gustav and Gunther. I'll ever after never again go unarmed without a sword. My first Messer's.
Too short for self defence. You want something that will really make it difficult to close in. I think smallswords evolved exactly for this purpose and provide the optimum ratio of conveniance and power.
I've been watching your channel for quite some time now. and i''ve always been interested in getting a sword for myself to get into the hobby. This langmesser convinced me for it to be my first real messer (sword). Very excited for it!. great review as always.
Messer, I knew it before you said anything. The Germans have some awesome blades. Probably my favorites. I love German craftsmanship. Beer, sausages, watches, cars, guns, blades... Good stuff.
The little bit at the end of the grip, as you called it, is as far as i know called the 'beak' or 'birds beak', I'm guessing for obvious reasons and is intended for exactly what you pointed out.
Love the sword. I think the Cold Steel Loredo Bowie is the best knife for cqb. Blade is a heavy 9.5 inches long. It is easy to throw for reaching out to touch someone. It's a killer.
Ever since I've seen other videos about the messar, I've loved them. When you really look at them, you can argue that they are predessors of other blades: cutlass, and machetes to name a few, that became staples for the common folks who needed well made and inexpensive weapons
I agree with Skallagrim, this blade shows a lot of promise in the role of self defense, along with the length of blade, where a shorter blade is always easier to carry.
1:20 Yeah, I think if anything messers were a loophole to a different kind of law. Namely, swords could only be made by swordsmiths. So if knifemakers wanted to benefit from the growing popularity and demand for sidearms among commoners messers were the way to go.
I don't have solid evidence for that but there is one court case from XV century Kraków that lead me to this conclusion. Namely, in the mid-XV century, the guild of swordsmiths in Kraków sued the guild of knifemakers over the right to produce sabers. Knifemakers were arguing that sabers were, like messers, just a variation of very long knives. In the end, the knifemakers lost the case and the exclusive right to forge sabers went to swordsmiths.
Edit: Ah, shit once again I should've waited and watched further before commenting. Of course, you addressed this.
Ah! A way to get around the Guilds. Very clever.
Makes good sense to me!
I think Shadiversity talked about that guild thing too.
Yea you should've, now you look like a COMPLETE moron
Got egg on your fave dump betch, get wrecked
Another reason I love this company: they offer left handed versions for all their Messer models! And for a $300 sword that is amazing
I was about to ask but then I saw his screenshot and was like, “sweet!”
My jaw actually dropped upon hearing their price, then you drop this fact about them? Enormous respect.
It's crazy that left handed stuff is still so niche when lefties are like 25% of the world. Trying to help my friend find a left handed guitar took calling half a dozen local shops and eventually resigning to buying one online.
@@aniquinstark4347 It's really annoying. The thing is, there are some right handers who use left handed stuff as personal preference, so there is definitely a market for lefty objects. But no, a lot of companies don't want to do that
@@ZeroRoyale same, I was like "damn this is really nice. Too bad I'm left handed." Gonna buy one rn.
"The townsguard didn't run around with tape measures [to check if the knife is of legal length]"
Not sure about that. They could easily carry a stick one ell long, which would serve the double purpose of checking knives' length and beating people up.
I'm not saying they did, this is purely speculation about how they could theoretically go about enforcing that law
Guards were checking your EDC knife with an ell length stick? I think it's a fair thought, it doesn't even need to be for whacking people with, you can carry a thin, light and uncumbersome piece of wood just to check knife lengths. They can be all like "oii mate you've got a loicense 4 dat, lemme check them lengthz bruh yeeeeeh" lol
@@joshuawalker301 just cut a notch in your truncheon, no need to carry an extra piece of gear
@@xyxxanx9810 that too! I mean we don't really know for sure we are all speculating here, but it's kinda always the simplest way most likely the way it was done.
They don't even need to carry it around, if I remember correctly most towns used to have the local measures at the town gates and the council house along with a list of the accepted currencies because it was used to collect toll off of what you bring into the city. This was especially necessary since every town may have used a system along the lines of fathom, ell and foot but the actual sizes of the units themselves varied massively (an Ell in Frankfurth was 54 cm where an Ell in Lyon was a whopping 132 cm).
I'd have given them an "ell" for that one xD
"The measure" possibly refers to a physical representation of how long of a blade you're allowed to carry. I know this was done in my hometown of Regensburg, but unfortunately the tower where it was embedded burned down in 1709. Also there was probably no need to explain this, as it was common practice to have physical representations of common trade measurements displayed for all to see in order to hinder scamming.
Great point. Publicly displaying common trade measurements to hinder scamming is quite ingenious
@@Dang3rMouSe so a Dungeon Master making a campaign could make a tower displaying common trade measurements for all to see? nice! :D
I've heard of this too, a wooden sword hung up at the gatehouse as an easy 'anything smaller than this is fine' measure. I'd not heard of other common measures being on display alongside but it makes sense for collecting gate tolls and tariffs.
I also like the Ell as the 'rule of thumb' since a guard stopping you in the street can easily spot-check the length by comparing it to his own arm.
Heyy, small world. Grüße aus Niederbayern ;)
@@Vespuchian We had something similar here in my state until it was done away with. Originally you couldn't carry anything that had a blade longer than the width of your hand, if the blade tip went from the edge of your hand to just past your thumb it was illegal to carry.
I just really love the designs of messers. I dunno why, prolly because the falchion is my favorite sword, but messers look more refined, yet still just as simple and rugged.
Same, i love the falchion but the other one's look isn't messer'n around
@@benjaminwalker9369 hooooooof 😂
You could definitely pack a Messer as a utility tool as well. You could probably even split fire wood with em.
@@spencer1980 Certainly. In military we were taught to chop wood with way smaller knives.
Curious that you think messers look more refined, as falchions seem to have been swords of the nobility during their heyday; whereas messers seem to have started out as much more of a commoners weapon and then spread to be all over the social classes
I saw Shad's video about swords as self defence but came away not exactly wanting a machete, despite agreeing with pretty much everything he said. After seeing this I realised I had always wanted a messer, I just didn't know it until now. Thanks Skall for the heads up!
The problem when talking about german medieval times: there was no Germany. Every city and every town had different regulations and while there almost always was some kind of restriction on "Messerzücken" (drawing a knife), it varried immensley, even in the same town, but at different times.
Kleinstaatrei was a mess.
So its possible that some places banned double edged swords whilst single edged swords like messers were legal.
I come from southwestern part of Germany, which was up to 1268 Duchy Swabia, and from 1496 to 1803 Reichskreis / imperial district Swabia. This small area was split into 100 territories ( socalled Reichsstände), the villages of Reichsritterschaft/ Imperial Knights and curiosities like Reichtal/ Imperial Valley Oberharmersbach not included. This means not only different laws, but also different measurement units. The Elle noted in this Video had different lenghts, the length of state was in former times shown by an iron bar fixed at townhouse.
That is correct, yet people were organized in the HRR and they spoke the same language enough to be seen as one people from the outside, so did the Italians at least. Politically they were fractured far more than culturally because how little central power the king/Kaiser held. So technically speaking it wasn't Germany as in the modern nation state, but it was a cultural and political entity that was more than a fiction. What you are right about is identification on a micro-level. People identified with their city, hometown and so on, and (same as everywhere) people could be distinguished by their accents, but they probably didn't see themselves as "citizens" (a concept that simply didn't exist) who identified with the larger society. But then, most people in Europe back then didn't do that before the nation state emergence. So, I think middle age Germany is more a middle age "Germany", referring to it with the historical knowledge behind the concept of nation state vs. feudal state.
Not quite true. The HRE was absolutely real. It was just not one single state with one single law; neither is modern day Germany, neither are the United States.
What a world we live in that there is a “Landsknecht Emporium”. Amazing.
Never underestimate a historical design. This one looks amazing.
A weapon that had to be used doesn't get popular unless it *worked* (at least in the context where it was used).
It's striking how the real thing matches the art shown! I'm wondering if it will be dramatically larger in person!!! It could!
A fine addition to the collection
I own one of these myself. Absolutely love it! One of my favorite swords. It's quite a few years old now. They really have improved their grip game and honestly I'm jealous that mine doesn't have the newer grip 😑.
Where can I get one of these?
Nevermind I red the description and found the sight. Worth the price for sure
@@samuraiS30v @BladeLover NiTiNOL 60 HI, I've had great service and products from them. Just be sure to check so other reviews. They have a rough handmade finish to their products that some people may not like. Obviously nothing that effects performance. I know Matthew Jensen also did a review on their product that was very honest regarding this.
A beautiful simple little weapon. Can't beat that
I can absolutely see why you would classify it as the best self-defense sword. It's just so very convenient in ease of carry, adaptability, and cutting.
Edit: Huh, I really wasn't expecting this much attention. Cool
It’s almost as if SD weapons are typically smaller in nature than offensive weapons. Rifle/pistol, long sword/short sword, etc…
Your more likely to carry a smaller tool that you will use far less than a larger tool that just gets in the way 90% of the time.
@@soonerfrac4611 Not to mention that shorter weapons are quicker to draw. In a self-defense scenario this can mean the difference between life and death.
Exactly! You’re going to be in tight quarters more than likely and a rapier or arming sword is probably significantly more tool for the job. Reminds me of the Japanese having multiple sword lengths for different reasons as well. Same today with sidearms. I’ve got bigger ones but I’m more apt to carry a smaller one more often.
@@soonerfrac4611 in WWI Italy fielded a unit for trench warfare that was armed only with knives..just regular butcher/bowie sized ones...under the cover of fire, they would crawl close enough to the trenches & dive in and just slaughter their opponents in those close quarters...
I got a Cold Steel tanto point machete.
Wow that’s cutting edge technology.
I've always thought the most practical sort of bladed weapon for someone who's not actually fighting a war is a medium-length broad-bladed knife. Too long and it's not practical to carry all the time. Too light and it's not useful for non-fighting tasks. The popularity at various times of things like the seax, messer, dirk, and Bowie knife indicates that I'm not the only one who thought this way.
This is one of the resons for almost all the armed forces in the world to still have standart(ish) issue machetes for the troops.
The best weapon is the one that you can still use for non-combat tasks.
@@astranix0198 the hand axe? the hammer? the... hamaxe?
@@mastergwaha a big fork?
@@castielsisko2120 heavy spork
@10:12 So yeah, it's April 2024 and it's now $608 USD! So much for buying one of those.
As a complete sword noob who's never even held one, I just find it fascinating how light these things could get. 997 grams? That sharpened piece of steel and wood weighs *less* than the water bottle on my desk, sans the plastic.
It is wild, yes! Also, cue me in surprised with the information of this comparision!
997 grams is actually really quite heavy for something this short. A lot of medieval arming swords are around that weight, and many later infantry sabres are lighter than that (perhaps around 800 grams). If you look at smallswords you get down to even 500 grams if memory servers me well. Though of course the latter is a very different kind of sword to this
Yes, and for a single-handed sword you don't want a whole lot more weight (most are around 0.9 - 1.3 kg, rarely more).
@@Skallagrim Even (non-ceremonial) Zweihänders are only a few pounds or so and those are huge even for 2-handed swords. A layman will see how big they are and think they are a lot heavier, not knowing how the weight distribution makes a managing the size a lot harder than a little dumbell nor how quickly you need to change direction in combat. I know I was such a fool at one point.
If its well balanced it will feel almost weightless.
Feedback again: Small, this video is perfect! Great title and thumbnail. Amazing product. You have some interesting history, live demo, test cutting, practicality considerations, both in historical context and modern day. It's everything I wanted from my previous feedback.
I know you can't always do weapon demos for every video, bit this is a really excellent execution. Also, the first messer joke made me chuckle, and the second one made me laugh. That's really good too.
Keep up the great work. I'm still rooting for you.
Landsknecht Emporium is the best on the market when it comes to Messer, and the Gustav is probably my favorite of their standard fare.
Really glad to see it get the Skall treatment.
They sell good stuff, yet too bad I find the blade shape of their longer 2 handers disappointing. I very much prefer the aesthetic of the albion kriegmesser.
I just received this today and I am blown away by the quality of this tool. It is everything you said it would be and then some. This has such visual presence that it is actually a work of art. A long wait but worth every penny. This excellent review is the reason I now have an heirloom my kids will fight over.
Crocodile Dundee: "That's not a knife...this is a knife"
Skallagrim: "Technically so is THIS!" 🤣
Stuff like those Messer-puns are AXEctly why I like this channel ;D
Yes. Those types of jokes are the punnicle of comedy.
HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
They certainly do pommel you right in the ol' humerus. They cut right to the heart of the joke and you get the point nigh instantly. This sort of humour always gets my heart going pitter pata, I'm always gladius when I blunderbuss onto such opportunities to whip out my armoury of puns. Thank you I'll be here all week, I khopesh to see y'all later.
@@HenshinFanatic That, my good Sarissa stretch and a half.
When I am sparring with someone I will assert to them if they are using a messer by saying to them: nice knife.
Got the like in the first five seconds for the messer pun. And then you followed up with a second messer pun!!! Knifely done 👍
You don’t messer-ound
I like the music in the background for this. Very fitting, and not very distracting
Glad to see you take this seriously. No time to messer round
Hey Skall! Just leaving a comment for the algorithm monster :)
Thanks for the video, we're really glad you like Gustav so much and also love to see the test cutting went this well :)
I'm honestly starting to get a fondness for german style swords. Messers really are quite an elegantly simple design, and when well made are genuinely artistic in the craftsmanship on display. Aesthetic of of form through function, as it were.
They really have a subtle beauty to them don't they? There's something elegant in the gall of going into combat with a giant knife, as contradictory as that sounds.
Be careful with attributing things to Germany just because someone slaps a German word in front of it. You'll get a lot of swords from around Europe called messers when not even the blade originates from a german state. It can fit the definition of a messer, but have no direct connection to what is modern day germany, so calling it a messer can be misleading. It's a little bit like how people have decided to start calling all greatswords "zweihanders" despite the fact that very large two handed swords obviously existed outside of what is modern day Germany; and "zweihander" is pragmatically a less helpful term than "greatsword", and the latter doesn't have any national connotations. Honestly there's a pretty suss infatuation with all things germany in a lot of online circles, and unfortunately it exists in the hema world; though it's thankfully less on the nose than in ww2 history circles lol
@@tommeakin1732
And what does have modern day Germany to do with this? Why should the borders of modern day germany matter for this?
You know the borders were different back then?
@@xluca1701 Because Germany didn't exist back then. I'm trying to emphasis "the german states" as opposed to Germany. I might not have phrased that very well a couple of times
@@tommeakin1732
I think most people on this channel are aware of the fact that Germany back then didn't exist as today
"No whimsical intro joke with this one"
that line got me so hyped for the joke I knew was coming LMAOO
I’m getting this sword! I bought it online before this review even came out. Can’t wait to try it out.
Good choice. i got mine around Nov 2020 and it is realy amazing.
I also am eagerly awaiting for mine to arrive.
@@arh9068 Bro, I’m still waiting right now. Hasn’t come in yet.
It's been nine months, come Groundhog day that I asked them to make messers for me. I didn't know I'd wait this long so I'm glad I asked for two and they could be here before Summer!
If I'm getting delivery soon, and ordered after the review here, than you should already have yours. I ordered May 2
You got a groan out of me with the opening joke. I always watch your sword (knife) reviews. Great looking blade.
The Landsknecht Emporium Gustav! I reviewed this blade last May, with some contrast and comparison with the Cold Steel MAA single-handed messer. Quite a beast! Imposing in every and each way. But the short blade length (50cm) really gave me the feeling that the blade hasn't fully accelerated when it makes contact with the targets, even though it consistently cut well in my very extensive cutting session. Maybe I'm just used to cut with much longer bladed swords. I don't know how it would fare against highly resistant targets like gambeson, but the tip speed is definitely an issue. There's a lot of distal taper so it does feel very nimble and maneuverable.
For self-defense or home-defense though, this is perfect. The short length works well in confined spaces. I even did some cutting when pairing it with a Talhoffer buckler on my patio, where a longer blade may have some trouble. Even the false-edge is very well sharpened. Kudos to Landsknecht Emporium. I hope they release some more models in the future, like a few more models of kriegsmesser and maybe steel dussacks.
Some notes from a German, Britta is my girlfriend. In old woodcuts of late 15th/ early 16th century ,Germany' mostly the ,Bauernwehr' is shown. Die Wehr ( das Wehr is a quite different thing) is an old term for weapon ( Waffe). Today Gewehr means in german language: a) in military context full size battle rifle b) in civilian context all long firearms ( rifles, shotguns and combined weapons like Drilling), but up to 18th century, Gewehr could also be a polearm or bladed sidearm. In early 16th century there had been in ,Germany' not only the famous 300 states ( the imperial knights not included) with different laws, the non nobles and non Knights hat been by law NOT the same. The inhabiants of towns ( a fortfied settlement with town rights given by a noble or spiritual lord) had been free men, and as free men the right to own weapons ( and use them for defending the town and when travelling), but: In large or midsize imperial towns, in residence towns or otherwise rich town there had been socalled Patrizier , which had similar wealth than Knights, and some very rich Patrizier, for example Jakob Fugger from Augsburg ( the richest European of his time) had the wealth of nobles! They had the money, to buy good weapons, armours and horses and had been the small mounted part of town levy, and some members of such rich families fought as Man at Arms, Gens des Armes , Reisiger. But in the majority of german towns, the richest men had been master craftsmen/ Handwerksmeister . They could buy no horses, no full armour and mid to good quality weapons. But the ordinary craftsmen ( in german Handwerksgesellen), and the realy poor men ( auxillaries/ hands) had not the money to buy armour . In wartime they needed equipment of town weapon house, as private arms the poor towns men, i think they could only buy such a Langes Messer, or the shorter Bauermwehr, or had only their EDC knife and perhaps a wilden stick/ Club/ baton or a tool.
Outside of towns the situation was much worser. Most of rural men had been only semifree or unfree ( a bit better than a slave), few freefarmers / Freibauern remained, mostly in more moutainous regions ( in my state Schwarzwald/ Blackforrest and Allgäu) and few coastal regions ( in 1500 the Dithmarschen farmers could beat Danish Army at Hemmingstett). So, the unfree farmers by law had not the right to own weapons ( relict of germanic tribal era) , so only Bauernwehr , tools and auxillary weapons had been possible. Sometimes unfree farmers got some wealth, so their Lord perhaps allowed them a Langes Messer and a,cheap spear. The semifree men had the right to own weapons, but often not the money, so that also here Bsuernwehr, Langes Messer, cheap Spears , tools and auxillary weapons had been the norm. The few remaining freemen could own weapons, but here often money was a problem. During the , Bauernkrieg'/ Farmers war', a large farmers revolt of 1525 ( to be exact 1524 to 1526) most farmers had no armour ( perhaps captured pieces from destroyed castles or town armouries), mostly no good weapons, exeption of captured pieces. Mostly Bauernwehr or Langes Messer, spiked Clubs, flails, scythes, forks, axes. But some farmers crowds/ Haufen of richer regions had been better equipped than average and hired Landsknechte ( which had been mostly former farmers, who knew farmers problems).
But the uncoordinated revolts had been crushed down by the rulers,, and the tips of farmers longer knifes had been cut away, and up to 1848 ( three centuries !) german rural non nobles could not own weapons. ( With few exeptions.)
@@brittakriep2938 Wow, very detailed explanations!
@@FortuneFavoursTheBold : I am no academic, only a german style trained worker ( Facharbeiter) with middle education ( socalled Mittlere Reife), but a Kindergarten daytrip to ,Bear cave' and ,Lichtenstein castle ' in 1971 was the start of historical interesst. In 51 years a solid basic knowledge in history of my homeregion envolved (?) , so i often notice, that non german history youtubers don' t exactly know german situation. For example in my homeregion the ruins of medieval castles are much smaller than in France or England.
"But the short blade length (50cm) really gave me the feeling that the blade hasn't fully accelerated when it makes contact with the targets".
I have the sword and tend to agree. The shortness does limit tip acceleration, but this is offset by the comparatively high weight (mass) this weapon has for its size.
Oh yeah, it cuts very well. It just has a weird vibe when you swing it probably due to the fact that most of us are used to longer blades. It has the mass the edge profile to be a beast in cutting.
Keep it up. This was my favorite vid of yours so far.
That uh... sword...uh, knife... sharp piece of steel looks great!
And I like new "like, comment, share" intro =)
I somehow forgot to hit like after that new intro. Fortunately I wasn't in full screen so I did press like afterword!
3:45 I somehow doubt that people had any "if in doubt, let it slide"-mentatility, especially in this case.
In February I finally got (after a year! no less) my D-shaped knuckle bow bowie from Windlass Steelcraft. 620 grams and 45 cm blade with a nice enough functional scabbard, all for about 60+ SS. Very nimble and sturdy. I think it will work just as good as this Landsknecht Emporium beauty. The only thing I do not know is which kind of steel it is.
It's 1055 steel, Skall's done a video on it earlier:
th-cam.com/video/d_l8YSTtzd4/w-d-xo.html
I have been wanting to get one of those for a long time.
@@c99kfm Thanks. I saw that video but was unable (or too lazy) to find it once more.
In addition to the technical details, it also just looks gorgeous as heck.
Crocodile Dundee would put his knife away and walk away in shame after seeing this weapon
Needs to be a comedy skit from the scene where he says that’s not a knife! This is a knife! Than a medieval knight walks in and shuts him down and says that’s not a knife! This is a knife 😂
Then he says awww and walks away in shame!
That's an awesome reproduction, and it looks like it'd be superior even to the Roman Gladius short sword! Its equally impressive that the cost is so low that us commoners today could easily afford one! Kinda surprised that it doesn't come with the scabbard as most blades do, though, but the scabbard is also very versatile and well thought out! Very nice!
Honestly I love your videos and they really help me come up with "realistic" weapons or items as rewards for players in my DnD campaigns. I wish you good luck with future videos and I hope you still get to make them on subjects you enjoy!
My ongoing hypothesis is that the Knifemaker's guild produced *bauernwehr*, a very similar knife, and once the sword guild got uppity about it, they brought it to the courts. The courts sided with the knifemakers because of precedent and set the reasoning as being because of the handle, and with that pass, the Knifemakers acted with impunity and made the messer. Need to do research on it to confirm or debunk
Yeah, sounds plausible.
But then we get the Krieg(s)messer which too, totally is a knife guise
@@oz_jones Oh yes, once the precedent was set, there would be no point *not* to fully encroach, that's the idea
bad dad jokes are not exclusive to dad's .
at that point it's just bad jokes .
jokes are always good regardless if the goal is a groan or laugh .
love the terry Gilliam style cartoon bit .
I have love the messer for the points that you just mentioned. It's very versatile weapon. You get a lot of things in a "small" package. Hopefully one day I can get one.
I love the new addition to the Skall armoury: Kjallburg the viking puppet! I actually have two mannequins of my own - one carries my gambeson, the other wears my brigandine :-)
It reminds me of the short barreled shockwave shotguns that aren't technically shotguns or rifles or pistols so they can get around the restrictions. All of us who own one always make the joke of "I'm going to the range with my not-a-shotgun" Or my favorite "I'm going to the range with my none NFA Item.
Explain, what do you mean shockwave shotgun?
@@dougneon9550 look up Mossberg Shockwave
@@dougneon9550 it's a firearm made by the Mossberg, based on their 590 model of shotgun.
It's a 12 gauge that has a 13 inch barrel length, but doesn't fall under Short Barrel Shotgun laws.
Because, it isn't a shotgun.
It isn't a pistol either.
And it certainly isn't a rifle.
It's the definition of "American gun laws are dumb".
@@DH-xw6jp laws so dumb it's as if they were written by UK knife laws.
@@dougneon9550 Basically, if I remember correctly, they're not a shotgun, pistol or rifle because they're smoothbore and were created without a stock; it doesn't allow you to shoulder the weapon. SInce it was made stockless, emphasis on manufactured and has never had a stock.
I happen to come from a family with a long tradition of puns, so there's no anger at that opening here!
Messer joke was perfection.
Doesn't it get annoying when he keeps.... *Messing* with us ; )
I am need enough to enjoy your humor and your evaluation of weapons.
I thought it was the "lung messer" because it "messes your lungs up"
😂😂😂
I am a D-guard bowie enthusiast, this sword (knife) :) is a go for me. Thanks for bring it to our attention.
I squealed when I found a Messer in Elden Ring. The only sword I've ever owned - very briefly, before my parents got mad at me for having one as a kid - was a Grosse Messer and man that thing was cool.
Unfortunately, the thing they named "Grossmesser" in Elden Ring isn't a messer at all. To me it looks more like a scimitar or something similar.
And the thing called great knife is just a bowie knife
Your opening deserves a thumbs-up.
you mentioned hand slippage if/when i buy that knife im going to a auto parts store and buying me some rubber car tire plugs and 3 of them are going in to those hollow pins and getting trimmed so that just the smallest rounded bit sticks out. Even with it not being a issue might as well because it would look good and add just a little more security to the grip lol
"That's a lot of power in a small package"
I see you Skal, and I will keep watching :D
Thanks for the review, I've never owned a messer, and was meaning to get one at some point, this seems like an amazing sword for a great price. I just ordered one, and I'm looking forward to trying it out on some milk cartons.
Did you receive yours?
@@ssunfish Yeah, it actually ended up arriving a couple weeks earlier than I expected it too. It’s definitely worth getting, it feels like an $900+ sword in the hand, and the fit and finish is very good. The scabbard is wood core and felt lined, with a snug enough fit that you can hold it upside down and shake it fairly hard and the sword won’t budge, but it still comes out freely and easily in a draw while you’re wearing it (no need for a second hand to hold the scabbard while drawing). My only real complaint is that the hilts edges are a bit too angular, and if you don’t wear a glove while swinging it around it can dig into your hand to the point that it’s painful sometimes. When I ordered it, I ordered the scabbard with the Lyse By-Knife integrated into it, which is an option on the scabbard page. If I were to order it again, I would ask them if they could put one of the next two larger knives into the scabbard instead or in addition. That way I have a functional offhand weapon/camp knife/kitchen knife with me rather then just a small eating knife. I got the same knot work integrated belt that Skall did, and chose the walnut grip, and the undecorated brown scabbard so that it would be more versatile with costuming options at the Ren Faire/LARP. Choosing the leather grip option may resolve the hilt digging into the hand problem, but I’m not sure on that point. I chose to use PayPal to pay which cost me a bit more but I preferred to have the security of being able to get my money back if something went wrong since it was a new website I’d not purchased from before and I’ve had issues with failure to receive products online before. Overall I’m very happy I bought it, and would definitely recommend you do too if you’re considering it. I hope that this helps.
Nice. Really cool demo of the clipped false edge use. That worked really well, and the slow mo showed it.
12:02 Damn Skall, they had some double cheeked up training material back in the day :D
I think Shad is the TH-cam sword dad, but you're definitely the sword uncle, so puns are acceptable.
Hm
I love the into and the dressed up assistant!! Keep up the good work Skall
Definitely worth looking into.
Thanks for the review. Glad they sent it to you.
Edit:
On a side note I find it amusing how certain fantasy games say that one cannot bash with a buckler. A punch to the face with a buckler like that would not be pleasant.
Nice to see an expert who differentiates between opinion and fact. Not many here on TH-cam are wise enough to do that. I sub'don that alone. Medieval historian here...btw.
Conflicts between knifemakers and swordsmiths were common in 15th century Poland too, and in too make things funnier, in 15th sabres started becoming increasingly popular in the region too. Both swords and knife fellows wanted to produce them.
Messers really came in all sort of single edged ways, from heavy machetes like this one to narrower, longer ones, all the way to weapons that are closer to sabers then malchus/falchion. Some Messers even had blade dimensions very similar to a Katana, although all the ones in this dimension I saw had distal taper, therefor were thinner towards the point, even when the grip had space for two hands.
I've been interested in Landsknecht Emporium for awhile (I'm sort of a messer fanboy) nad have been eyeballing this model for a good while....I think I need it.
I made something similar to that out of a basic 18-inch Ontario machete. I started by trimming about a 40-degree wedge off the tip to drop the point about 2/3 of the way from the spine to the edge, then sharpened the newly-created angled part of the tip so the point is double-edged. It made the blade slightly less choppy, but a LOT more stabby.
Then I replaced the original scales with a 3D printed a pair of scales that form a d-guard merged with a katana-style tsuba, so that you have both a knuckle guard and a surface to comfortably push against when thrusting to prevent your hand from slipping over the guard on to the blade. The tang portion of the original hand stop at the bottom of the protrudes from the bottom of the new grip to form a rounded skull crusher, and I used my ring sizes to create finger grooves that fit my hand perfectly.
The final result is something like a mini falchion or messer with a blade about 17-1/2" long that weighs a little under 600 grams total, and can chop, slash, and thrust reasonably well. And I've got less than $50 invested into the entire project, not counting my time and elbow grease.
I have often cinsidered a hanger or a cutlass as the best "modern" self defense sword. Curiously, a Long Bowie knife, with a knuckle bow guard, was a popular weapon among Confederate soldiers in the American War Between the States.
My opinion for the best civilian defense/multipurpose blade is the Alehouse Dagger,basically a heavy basket hilted nacksword of blade lenght between one and 2 feet. Basically add a heavy guard that can be used a knuckleduster to this messer and you are set:the best possibile compromise between many different factors.
Exactly yes sir! I assume you aren't an American as we call it a the Civil War but you know blades
@@j-rocd9507 I am an American, but I choose to believe that there was nothing "civil" about that war.
@@rainsilversplash4376 times may have changed over the last few decades, but back in the day southern folks considered the term "civil war" to be a bit too puffed up and academic, and I suspect they'd agree with you that referring to it as "civil" was a bit offensive. Terms like that are luxuries only afforded to the winners after the fact. Much more common to hear it called simply the War of the States.
100% agree that this would be an absolutely ideal defensive weapon, especially for use indoors, and paired with a buckler.
Stop messing around. It's messing me up.
I think I'm in love. That is the most beautiful steak knife ever.
That knife would work wonderfully with my martial art. I'm a big fan of machete but this would do everything just stronger with the right steel.
Most don't understand steel is what makes anything worthwhile. Spring steel is where it's at. This is a fighting bowie on steroids.
Love to see a long term test doing some stupid wood stuff. Just to justify its usefulness
Where we differ is almost $300 for basic spring steel is on the high side. Guess I'll just make my own.
As for self defense. Just look up machete attacks.
99.9% don't understand you don't fight the other weapons. You attack the closest target. If you don't understand what I just said seek out a trainer. I promise they will agree if they don't find someone else. Fighting is all about target selection. Experience is knowing how and why and what.
FMA?
@@nolanolivier6791Filipino martial arts
Saw the grip and immediately thought messer. Then the opening gag confirmed it.
Love messer demonstrations, especially HEMA competitions. Such a beautiful and effective weapon. Kopesh still tops my favorites list, but messers sit comfortably in my top five
10:09 nah why did you say that, now it's $608 on kultofathena 😭
id call that the "inflation"
@@r.i.peperoniiiiroh9625 Ye it is, probably also this video had something to do with it as skal made them quite the add here, but also there is the inflation. And I checked again and on kultofathena it actually comes with a scabbard included, which it doesn't come with by default on their website, that is also why the price is that much higher. The price of just the sword went from 270 to 355 on lansknechtemporium, not that bad and still pretty much a bargon for a high quality sword.
I have been watching your videos for the better part of ten years I love how you totally changed the game on european weapons and now you have the skills to show an insanely technical historical self defense technique your channel has always been so interesting and I still think you should get a small toss of royalties to forged in fire ;) because we know you did that hard test on blades when it was controversial.
The price of this and other Messers from the same company have increased significantly since this review. Skall kept saying how inexpensive it is and that it should cost alot more, so I guess they listened and hiked up the price. Thanks Skall 🙄
Yeah pretty obvious they saw an opportunity to price gouge so I’m not shopping with this company.
Six minutes in I have to say it...I am SO DAMN GLAD to see you using 2-liter bottles filled with water rather than the pathetically thin water bottles I'm used to seeing many folks testing with...the water is essentially the only thing providing any rigidity to those and they provide next to no resistance to cutting, where 2-liter bottles have thicker sides and, if your cutting angle and edge alignment are off, you might wind up smacking one across the yard rather than gracefully slashing through one.
Now just imagine the fork
Behold of the spoon! 🤯🤕🥴
Good to see you back, Skalla.
Well the messer exist because of a loophole. But the loophole was that knifesmith aren't allowed to make swords.....that is the priviledge of swordsmith and the swordsmith guild guarded it. But there was no regulation how long a knife could be, as long it has a knife grip its a knife. So the knifesmith entered into the lucrative trade in that way and outproduce the regular swordsmith.
A complete industrial sector spawned that way that even many swordsmith entered simply it was to quite lucrative on their own. The produce only the blade itself and let the local knifesmith finish it.
Many famous swordsmithing cities got quite rich that way, such Solingen, Toledo and many more. And because of this manufacture process pushed the prices for Messer down....it became much more affordable than a normal sword. And it was never forbidden to possess a sword in medieval germany and were also never priviledge for nobility only. The reason why Messer became so popular were because they were much cheaper and were also at the same quality level as many swords. And citizen were forced to pay for their own equipment if they were recruited for a war.
So logical speaking pay a cheaper price for weapon that has the same quality, you can afford to spent more on armor to save your life.....and armor were much more expensive.
Some cities like Cologne did a temporary weapon ban, simply because they lost control over conflict inside the cities.....but that ban was that you weren't allowed to carry certain types of weapon and it was sometimes specified on what hours the weapon ban came into effect. The possession of weapons were allowed and deemed as necessary since cities (or lords) wont pay for equipment for their own army or hired mercenaries (or mostly of it......they give a poor citizen a spear and that was it).
Finally the explanation. I've seen the thing on forged in fire and they called it a sword, which was confusing to me as a German knowing that the name literally meant knife in English. Thanks for this informative video
Having trained Lecküchner with the longer and thinner messers, I'd say specifically that the one you have there would be much better as a self defence weapon.
With a shorter blade it'd be more portable and with the thickness of the blade it'd be much more effective against flesh than something like the Karl Messer from landsknechtemporium I'm familiar with.
I always appreciate the history research in your videos.
👏🏽 This is a great video, and the history lesson. Reminds me of Samurai, when an when the Emperor tried to band Samurai swords. 🤔 Or even in modern times with firearms an trying to get around these ATF weapon band agendas!
Straight-swords Vs Katana? both are inferior to the sheer universal utility that is.... the MACHETE, TRULY the ultimate in self-defense blades, sure it may not have the range of a rapier or whatever, but in overall versatility, the MACHETE is the MOST universal survival blade, hack a human, or hack a tree? MACHETE is ALWAYS the answer
I've been searching for a good non-Albion messr for literally years. Thanks for this!
I’m getting this sword made now! Did you do any abusive testing?
Hey did you use those coupons he listed in the description and did they work for you?
8:46
I jumped on this May 2 when I saw this video. I just today got email and tracking saying it should be here from Budapest on Groundhog day. I hope for BEST omens!!!!! Nine month babies. Gustav and Gunther. I'll ever after never again go unarmed without a sword. My first Messer's.
@@ssunfish I ordered the same! Can you comment again when you get them? I am really excited for you
@@TheMan-je5xq the one for the scabbard worked but they’re probably all used up.
Always impressed how good Skalls German pronunciation is.
Skall tryna give shad a run for his money in bodymass alone
just ordered one, has been on my radar for a couple years
Knife smiths weren't allowed to make swords, but sword smiths werent allowed to build fighterplanes.
Ayyy lmao I get it 😂
I really like the new intro!
Too short for self defence. You want something that will really make it difficult to close in. I think smallswords evolved exactly for this purpose and provide the optimum ratio of conveniance and power.
I've been watching your channel for quite some time now. and i''ve always been interested in getting a sword for myself to get into the hobby. This langmesser convinced me for it to be my first real messer (sword). Very excited for it!. great review as always.
Hi Skall, long time viewer. I ordered this knife/sword with your promo-code. Cheers from Ontario mate!
This will definitely be a must-have for me. And even better because there’s a left-handed option!
Looks like it would be good for cutting competitions. If they ever bring back that show "Knife or Death" you should apply and use that messer.
I'm so proud of these puns, I lightly smiled and nodded in approval.
Messer, I knew it before you said anything. The Germans have some awesome blades. Probably my favorites. I love German craftsmanship. Beer, sausages, watches, cars, guns, blades... Good stuff.
The little bit at the end of the grip, as you called it, is as far as i know called the 'beak' or 'birds beak', I'm guessing for obvious reasons and is intended for exactly what you pointed out.
I think you pun-ctured our sides by mess-ing around with that introduction, Skall.
Love the sword. I think the Cold Steel Loredo Bowie is the best knife for cqb. Blade is a heavy 9.5 inches long. It is easy to throw for reaching out to touch someone. It's a killer.
Ever since I've seen other videos about the messar, I've loved them. When you really look at them, you can argue that they are predessors of other blades: cutlass, and machetes to name a few, that became staples for the common folks who needed well made and inexpensive weapons
Great work as is expected and always given by you! Thank you!
It is a must have, a year later watching will it still be available.
⚔️❤️
I agree with Skallagrim, this blade shows a lot of promise in the role of self defense, along with the length of blade, where a shorter blade is always easier to carry.