Grosses messer

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fighting with a Messer and a "Hungarian shield" (Gladiatoria Fechtbuch fol. 55r, mid 15th century)

A großes Messer (meaning great knife, also called Langmesser or Hiebmesser) was a type of German single-edged weapon, similar to a falchion, that was used during the 15th and 16th centuries. großes Messer, or simply Messer, was the term used in the 15th century, and the weapon's 16th-century evolution into a typical wooden training weapon was known as a Dussack.

Much less expensive than an actual sword, it was the weapon of the common man. Used for menial work in addition to battle, the großes Messer (alternately spelled Grossemesser) or Hiebmesser sported a short, deep blade with a single curved edge that led to a clipped-back tip (like a kilij). Its long, curved blade and the ferocious cutting power of the sword made it the European counterpart to the katana. Its hilt looked very much like that of a bastard-sword with a lower crossguard or quillon. Quite notable in its construction was the attachment of blade to hilt via a slab tang sandwiched between two wooden grip plates that were pegged into place. Also of note is that many pommels were 'drawn out' or curved to one side of the hilt (edge side), a feature known as a "hat-shaped pommel". Extant examples seem to have an overall length of 40-46 inches (1.0-1.2 m), with a 31-inch (79 cm) blade, and a weight between 2.5 and 3 pounds (1.1-1.4 kg).

The corresponding Swiss weapon was the baselard.

This shape of Messer also was called a langes Messer, or long Knife. It was part of several fencing manuals in the 15th century and was displaced by the Dussack in the 16th. Such manuals were Lecküchner, Codex Wallerstein, Albrecht Dürer, and much more.

In Vienna there was also a different shape of großes Messer. This kind was more than 1500 mm long and shaped like a scimitar. It was the Hungarian version of the German Zweihänder, also called Bidenhänder or Bihänder, and was used for cutting off the tops of the opponents' lances. It was also part of the Viennese townguards.