Customer Reviews

Cold Steel Grosse Messer with Leather Scabbard

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This thing is absurdly powerful. Can it cut a rolled tatami mat? How about a pile of them, all at once? That's what they show it doing on Cold Steel's free promo DVD, "Sword Proof." In the catalog, they boast that the Grosse Messer can cut through a phone book. That is an understatement. On its way to the chopping block, the Grosse Messer just passes through the phone book as if it's hardly there.

The specs say it weighs about 4 pounds, but it's really about 3 1/2. I find it's best gripped and swung like a bokken or katana, and it handles much like a katana-- a very nose-heavy katana on steroids.

The leather sheathe has no rings or other hardware by which it could be attached to a belt or harness. I think that's because the grosse messer is not meant to be carried. It's meant to be hung over the hearth and used for home defense, much like a 12-gauge shotgun, except the grosse messer might do more damage.

Cold Steel touts it as a historical piece, but I don't know of any existing grosse messer that's like this one. Nor is it the most luxuriously-appointed blade. It is, however, an utterly ridiculous quantity of brute cutting power, and surprisingly agile, even in my small hands. It is not a subtle, refined, or noble weapon. The Chinese equipped its peasant armies with a similar blade, the dadao, and with a minimum of training, ordinary farmers were able to chop through armor like so much cardboard. That's the sort of weapon the grosse messer is. "Big knife," indeed.

I am a knife collector. This is the first sword I have bought. I am 100% satisfied by it. It is an absolutely terrifying hunk of beautiful sharp metal. The blade came nicely oiled and in lovely condition. The hilt is simple, but sturdy and attractive. The grip is made of handsome pieces of wood well attached to the full tang. The guard is large and effective.

But beware: a sword like this is no toy. It is clearly a battle ready weapon. It can take an arm off with barely a touch. It is also quite long and unwieldy to handle indoors. I bought the Cold Steel Hand and a Half Training Sword -- made of plastic -- for safe practice in swordsmanship. The Grosse Messer is for display and appreciation, or for full battle. It should not be handled carelessly.