Popular in the 14th Century (Germany), the Messer was a single-edged bladed weapon. It was the forerunner of the Short Sword. The hilt/hand guard was of a straight bar with a slender blade, similar to a bayonet handle. The Messer had a variance of 25 to 30 inches in blade length. They were sometimes used as secondary weapons (to longer and heavier swords and related Pole Arms).