Contrary to common perception, not all European Medieval and Renaissance swords were straight and double-edged; single edged, curved blades were actually quite common, particularly among the non-noble professional Men-at-Arms and mercenaries of the late Medieval and Early Renaissance. Utilitarian weapons, they were easier to create, cheaper to produce, and were marginally more durable than the double-edged sword. Though many of these swords had humbler aspirations, it was not unknown for knights and nobles to carry exquisitely-crafted single-edged swords.
While Italy favored the Falchion, Central Europe and Germany in particular favored the Grosse Messer / Kriegs Messer. While the falchion shares hilt construction akin to double-edged medieval swords, the Germanic Messers are clearly an up-scaling of utility and defense knives taken to the size of single and double-handed swords.
Though rough and rustic in appearance, the surviving German fighting manuscripts document a complex art of fencing that surrounded the Messer. Those who lived and died by these blades clearly took it as seriously as any martial artist; They practiced the coordinated footwork, attacks, counters, disarms and grappling necessary to win the day on the battlefield, or in the rough city streets.
The thick spine of the Grosse Messer ensures that it is not only durable, but that it strikes and drives into the foe with a ferocious bite. There is no room for mistakes when fighting one who is armed with a messer – it will end the duel quickly as soon as it can penetrate its opponents defense and lay him low. The long grip gives room for leverage and control and the crossguard, while simple, gives ample protection.
This Cold Steel Messer is from their Man-At-Arms collection. It is a practical cutting blade with no frills. The sharp 1055 High carbon steel blade is blued for a dark, protective finish and the hilt of steel is blued to match. Two dark wooden slabs are riveted to the thick tang for a grip and the pommel and tang are screwed into place with a pommel nut. Comes with a black leather scabbard with a blackened metal chape and throat.
Adrian –
The blade broke and the pommel fell off The Cold Steel Grosse Messer looks great but it is for sure not battle ready. I used it against some pieces of wood and after several punches I recognized that the pommel fell off. The screw which is holding the pommel in place broke. The blade is really weak, I punched it a few times on a piece of wood and it broke near the guard. I do not know if I have received the only Grosse Messer in a bad condition, but I hope that this was a single case.
Jeremy H. –
Big! I love this sword, it’s a fantastic cutting/slicing weapon. The weight may seem a bit high but once in the hands it feels great. It’s interesting to compare it to my katanas in handling and cutting power. I recommend it for the money.
Brian –
i dont baby my blades. I like a full width tang for a messer. This blade is more flexible than the standard and the edge profile is more like a knife. A major drawback is that the guard is welded to the blade. I wish the other model had this tang design. All in all a fairly balanced weapon in the hand. The baked on coating adds some drag when cutting.
Mick –
Affordable and intimidating No real complaints from me for this beast of a blade, it has pride of place in my living room and still draws sideways glances from family and friends, if you look after your blades then you cant go wrong with the Messer
josh224 –
a verry fine sword This sword is a beast. And unlike most have stated it seems to be very fast in the hand. I could weld this sword one handed. I am positive the blade could deliver very powerful blows. Also i have herd it stated that this sword is not historical. However i have seen several messers in historical art work i have been looking through. And aside from the fact the guard is stamped witch does not bother me and the grip tang uses screws instead of pins it looks very close to some of the messers I seen. The guard shape and ring being accurate to the messers in the artwork. Overall a verry fine sword i gave it 5 stars. Just wish it where sharper but was battle sharp as KOA stated in the description.
Jonathan S. –
Good as is, Better Modified This sword has served me well. It is a beast of a cutter, going through light targets with ease and heavier targets equally well, albeit with some effort. It’s a brute, and no mistake. The downside to that is that it takes a good deal of strength to swing it around with any grace or precision. The upside is that once you get it going, it’ll go through anything you put in its way. I regularly chop cleanly through wet rolled newspapers with this, a target popular with the youtuber Skallagrim and renowned for bending lesser blades. This messer has always returned to true. I even cut into a piece of rebar by accident once, with only minor edge damage for how hard I was swinging (a small notch in the edge that proves no hindrance in cutting). It sharpens well, and keeps a decent edge. It functions even better if you take a bit of time to modify the edge with a file, and get rid of the unsavory secondary bevel that comes standard on the sword. I personally sanded the black finish off the metal components of the sword, which looks stellar against the dark handle scales. Four stars in its standard form, five if you slap a little elbow grease on it. Historical terminology quibble: this is really more of a kriegsmesser, since it’s the two handed version. The term ‘grosse messer’ was most frequently applied to the one handed versions seen in the likes of talhoffer. But then again, this is modern pedantry, and very much by the by. I did not purchase this weapon from Kult of Athena, but it is the exact same sword.
peter s. –
Very Happy!!! Have been looking for stout Messer mainly for cutting and am very pleased with this one! Being on a budget and not wanting to ruin a more expensive sword I read and watched the reviews and decided on this one. It is built like a tank, an absolute beast! What really makes me happy is the POB is such that despite the weight I can still wield it with one hand. I was not looking for a historical replica just a cutter so am happy with the black finish and tough wood grips. Definately feel I got my monies worth!
Banryu –
Beast I love this blade. My wife bought one for me for Christmas two years ago and I fell in love with it during my first routine. The weight is perfect for a larger guy like myself and really helps counter the imbalance I was getting from lighter blades like katana. I’ve cut through various fruits, and soft targets with ease. Top of the line Cold Steel!
Tarloc –
could be good…. I hit a dry and dead tree with it, with not that much force, and the blade broke in half immediately. And the sword is pretty heavy. It still looks good in my opinion but thats pretty much it.
Cranck Lord (verified owner) –
Overall pretty good, looks very nice and overall well balanced. The scabard isn’t great but the blade itself is good especially for the price.