Dating to the blood duels popular among German university and military academy students. Iron hilt with semi bowl guard and pommel/backstrap. Wire wrapped leather covered grip. 24 ¾” broad fullered blade marked A & A S (August & Albert Schnitzler) and MADE IN GERMANY. Rounded tip to produce facial wounds which were sometimes stitched on a skew to produce an exaggerated scar which was viewed as a badge of honor. The blade is unusually short for these but the fuller stops well short of the tip suggesting correct original configuration. Perhaps for a specific variant of the duels, which were well structured for procedure and etiquette.
