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English Summary
Revised by John F. Hayward
Copenhagen Sword-Cutlers o f three Centuries
B y H . D . Schepelern
INTRODUCTION
The mediaeval distinction between blade-
smiths, hardeners and sword-cutlers could not
be maintained in the North. In these coun
tries, where blades were only produced on a
small scale, the whole process o f making a
sword would often be undertaken by one
single craftsman, the Scandinavian name for
whom was “ Sværdsliber” (sword-grinder).
About
1400
this word gradually disappeared
in favour o f the German word “ Sværdfeger”
(sword-cutler) which first came into use in
Sleswig and Holstein, the old word “ Sværd
sliber” disappearing at a later date in N orw ay
than in the southern parts o f Scandinavia.
Probably the adoption o f the new word,
which meant the craftsman who made the
hilt and also furnished the sword with scab
bard, belt and other accessories, gave a more
correct idea o f such craftsmen, because very
few blades were made in Scandinavia at that
time. In Denmark, only the knife-smiths con
tinued to produce blades, while sword-blades
were imported.
The oldest statutes o f the guild o f smiths,
to which the sword-cutlers belonged, re
quired a long sword, a long knife or dagger
and a “ korde” or sabre as master pieces. It is
interesting that the word “ korde” fell into
disuse and was re-introduced in the late
1 7
th
century with quite another meaning: In Da
nish the word “ Kaarde” still means a straight
gentleman’s sword, court- or small-sword.
On p.
3
is reproduced a woodcut from Olaus
Magnus’ w ork “ Historia de gentibus septen-
trionalibus” (Rome,
15 5 5
); the weapons to
the right give an idea o f the three types o f
side-arms in question. A set o f swords and
knives preserved at Rosenborg and the T oj-
husmuseum (Plate
1
), is dated
1584-86
and
was possibly made for King Frederik II by his
court sword-cutler, Hermann Gabriel, who,
to judge from these weapons, must have been
a Saxon or trained in Saxony. Few masters
ever had the opportunity o f making such
complete sets, and i f such a costly masterpiece
was insisted upon, the old masters would
have had an effective method o f controlling
the growth o f the guild.
CHAPTER I
COPENHAGEN SWORD-CUTLERS
BEFORE
16 5 6
The records o f the guild o f smiths, extant
from
1647
and onwards, give very little in
formation about the sword-cutlers, so the
Royal and other state accounts are our main
source o f knowledge in this period. The
sword-cutlers mentioned in those sources are
probably those o f sufficient importance to
have received official commissions ; the names
o f the ordinary masters have now passed into
oblivion.
The official attitude o f the Kings was not