The koncerz — an armour-piercing sword
The koncerz is a sword with a very long, straight, narrow blade of triangular or square section. It had no cutting edge and was used only to thrust. Blades were often longer than a metre, and the longest came close to one and a half metres.
The hussar did not wear it at the belt but strapped to the saddle. He reached for it when his lance shattered in the first clash and carried on the attack from horseback — the reach of the koncerz let him strike an opponent in mail or armour before he could answer with a sabre.
The pałasz — a straight blade for cutting
The pałasz is a weapon with a straight, broad blade, single- or double-edged, on a sabre-like hilt. Unlike the koncerz it cuts as well as thrusts. Like the koncerz, hussars carried it on the saddle.
The hussar sabre
The sabre was worn at the hussar's side, on the belt. The hussar sabre had a curved blade and a closed hilt with a knuckle bow protecting the fingers and a ring for the thumb. It was the weapon for close fighting once the formation broke up and there was no room left for lance or koncerz.
The winged hussars in brief
Hussars appeared in Poland around 1500 as light cavalry and took shape as heavy cavalry towards the end of the 16th century. Their most famous victories are Kircholm (1605), Klushino (1610) and the relief of Vienna (1683). The formation lasted until the reforms of 1776.
The hussar's main weapon was always the lance — long, hollowed out and made to break on impact. The koncerz, pałasz and sabre were for what happened a moment later.
A hussar sword from our armoury
We do not have a koncerz in stock today. If you are looking for a replica, write to us — we will check whether the maker will take on such an order and come back to you.