# Dusack > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Dusack > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Dusack.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dusack > Source revision: 1326117863 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) Sabre Dusack, Tessak, Dussägge Tessak – Norway, 16th century Type Sabre Place of origin German Lands Production history Produced 1560s Variants Hilt Typology A - H Specifications Blade length 25–38 in (640–970 mm) Blade type curved (occasionally straight) Hilt type thumb ring, half basket, "Sinclair hilt" Figure illustrating the basic cuts with the *Dusäck* in [Joachim Meyer](/source/Joachim_Meyer)'s fencing manual; a pair of fencers using the *Dusäck* is shown in the background (illustration by [Tobias Stimmer](/source/Tobias_Stimmer), 1570). A **dusack** or **dussack** (also *dusägge* and variants,[1] from Czech *tesák* "[cleaver](/source/Cleaver); [hunting sword](/source/Hunting_sword)", lit. "fang") is a single-edged sword of the [cutlass](/source/Cutlass) or [sabre](/source/Sabre) type, in use as a [side arm](/source/Sidearm_(weapon)) in [Germany](/source/Early_modern_Germany) and the [Habsburg monarchy](/source/Habsburg_monarchy) during the 16th to 17th centuries,[2] as well as a [practice weapon](/source/Waster) based on this weapon used in early modern [German fencing](/source/German_school_of_fencing).[3] ## Military sidearm German sabre of the early 17th century, known as "[Zisca](/source/Jan_%C5%BDi%C5%BEka)'s sword" ([Skokloster Castle](/source/Skokloster_Castle), SKO 7300) The Czech term entered German usage in the [Hussite Wars](/source/Hussite_Wars), after the [sidearm](/source/Sidearm_(weapon)) used by the [Hussites](/source/Hussites). In the late 16th century, *Dusägge* could refer to a type of weapon combining a [sabre](/source/Sabre) blade with the hilt of a [sidesword](/source/Sidesword) (the German *Degen*), also known as *Säbel auf Teutsch gefasst* ("sabre fitted in the German manner"). The *Dusägge* in this sense was used as a military sidearm; e.g. in 1579, [Styria](/source/Duchy_of_Styria) records delivery of some 700 *Dusäggen* by local bladesmiths, besides payment of 40 *Dusäggen* delivered from [Passau](/source/Passau), as part of the preparation for the [war against the Turks](/source/Long_Turkish_War) under [Archduke Charles II](/source/Charles_II%2C_Archduke_of_Austria).[4] The German sabre together with the name *tessak* was adopted in Norway. A closely related weapon is the *schnepf* or [Swiss sabre](/source/Swiss_sabre) used in [Early Modern Switzerland](/source/Early_Modern_Switzerland).[5] ## Practice weapon Depiction of a German fencing school, with a pair of fencers using *dussaken* shown in the foreground right. [Joachim Meyer](/source/Joachim_Meyer) in 1570 depicts the *Dusäck* as the practice weapon with broad, curving blade and a simple oval grip. The dussack represented a short, single-edged weapon in a training environment. As usage of the dussack became more widespread, various schools turned use of the dussack into a sport as opposed to training for a real weapon.[3] Practice dussacks had a short, thick, single-edged blade measuring between 25–38 in (640–970 mm) long. A dussack was usually made of wood. Additionally there is a single reference to dussacks also being made from leather, and there are a small number of simple metal *dussacken* known to survive. The dussack was gently curved and brought to a point at the tip. The dussack often lacked a hilt. Instead, the handgrip was merely a hole cut inside of the blade; without a [pommel](/source/Hilt#Pommel) or upper [guard](/source/Hilt#Guard), it looked something like a large hole for gripping scissors.[6] Egerton Castle claimed that dussacks were used by the French Navy up through the 19th century.[7] No wooden (or leather) practice dussacks are known to have survived; unsurprising given the perishable nature of these dussacks, and only woodcuts and training manuals from the period document their existence. ## See also - [Falchion](/source/Falchion) - [Sabre](/source/Sabre) - [Katzbalger](/source/Katzbalger) - [Messer (weapon)](/source/Messer_(weapon)) - [Basket-hilted sword](/source/Basket-hilted_sword) - [Scythe sword](/source/Scythe_sword) ## References 1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** in [Early Modern High German](/source/Early_Modern_High_German) variously spelled *dusack, dusäck, dussack, dysack, tesak, tuseckn, thuseckn, disackn, dusägge, dusegge, dusegg* 1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Charles John Ffoulkes, *The Armourer and His Craft from the XIth to the XVIth Century*, Courier Corporation, 1912, [p. 159](https://books.google.com/books?id=F-CHHCk2ybsC&pg=PA159). 1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Amberger_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Amberger_3-1) Amberger, J. Christoph (2000). *The secret history of the sword: adventures in ancient martial arts*. Multi-Media Book. pp. 185–186. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-892515-04-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-892515-04-9). 1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Säbel, 'Dusägge', Deutsch Ende 16. Jahrhundert"](http://www.waffensammlung-beck.ch/waffe2.html), Waffensammlung Beck, Inv-Nr.:Be 10. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** [Claude Blair](/source/Claude_Blair), "The Early Basket Hilt in Britain" in: *Scottish Weapons and Fortifications* (ed. David H. Caldwell, 1981) 1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Amberger (2000), p. 222. 1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Castle (1885), p.247. ## External links - ["tessak" (digitalmuseum.no)](https://digitaltmuseum.no/search/?q=tessak) - [Tessak – The Farmer's Sword (norskevaapen.no)](http://norskevaapen.no/?p=1776) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Dusack](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dusack) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dusack?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.