The robust tang and acute distal taper common among these swords gave them attractive handling characteristics. It was named so because the hilt configuration resembled that of a knife handle, having two slabs of material (often wood, bone, leather, or a combination thereof) on either side of the wide, flat tang. The name literally translates from German to 'War Knife.'
They were popular in the 15th and 16th century Germany. A Kriegsmesser was a large, curved, single-edged two-handed sword typically around the same length as the longsword or hand-and-a-half sword.
