Fig. 10. Mark used by Christoph Standler d. Y.

The marks attributed to the Standler family are largely found on knives to two-handed swords, and not to knives of Tessak type. This does not mean that one should totally reject that some of the Tessaks come from this family, or their circle. The fact that the material abroad is so weak on the matter does not provide a basis for assessing what may have been there. Timely votes eg. Wolfgang Standler's production time very well, he must be supposed to start his production approx. 1575-80. As mentioned later, there are also others marks on Tessaks found on other blade types.

Mark # 1 alone is found on a two-handed sword in the Historisches Museum, Bern, catalog no. 213.23, attributed to Christoph Standler. There is also the truth with two marks as # 13, as well as the combination the ion of two No. 13 with an S in the middle of a two-handed sword from the end of the 16th century in the Hallwyl collection in Stockholm.3 The whole marking is very similar to what you find on things.

Mark # 2, which is also shield-shaped, and of the same type as No. 1 available in two sizes, as well as in combination with other brands, on the same measure as # 1. This mark, except for the tessellations, found only once, along with two crosses, on a sword, catalog no. 15231, from ca. 1600 in the Historisches Museum, Bern.4 This sword has a straight, double-edged blade, and a bracket somewhat related to the tea cases.

Mark # 3 is of the same type as No. 1 and # 2, and is available in two variants. This brand is known from 2 pcs. two-handed sword in Zeughaus in Solothurn.

Mark # 4 is also of the same type as the previous ones, and I am suppose that these marks are in any case from the same district, possibly even from the same workshop or the same family. It is felt a late 16th century saber blade in Bern with cat. 157086 and from the two-handed sword from 1590-1600 in Museo Civico, Brescia.

Mark # 5 consists of the letters MR in combination with other marks, MR stars probably for the blacksmith's initials, but it can't be customized for some blacksmiths we know the name of today.

Mark #6 and 7 I have not found used on other blades, however the same mark as number 6 is found on a Saxon Bergman's ax in the Hallwyl collection. This ax, however, is dated 1696, and cannot be forged by the same one who has made Tessaks.

Mark # 8 is reproduced in Gyngell: "Armorers Marks", and is here dated to 1480, but without reference to the type of blade marked is found on. The mark is located in Germany. This can be accepted, but the dating must be said to be very questionable, also because this brand seems to belong in a later period.

Mark #9 and #10 are both known from only one blade each, and are both indistinct, No. 9 is most closely a fragment of a larger mark, No. 10 is possibly an arrowhead. Neither of these can be said to be certain are suitable for other types of blades.

Mark #11 and # 12 are anonymous, but stars and crosses are common combination with other brands.

Mark #13, which is also found combined with 1 c, 2 c, 5 a and 8 b is one very well known brand. It is often referred to Milan (or Genoa), and also available on the straight blades. Whether the attribution to Milan is correct is currently an open question, however it can be considered safe that German swordsmen, including the Standler, imitated Italian apparently noticed at the wish of the arms dealers. The Italian brands was probably better known in e.g. Eastern Europe than the South German. Tags like this are also reproduced in many museum catalogs.

Mark # 14, which appears to be, a letter combination, ST (?) Is not identifiable, but is attributed to Gyngell at << Bavaria, mid 16th Century >>, which is fine, though it may be a few decades later.

Mark #15 feels like a straight, double-edged blade in the Army Museum, and nobody elsewhere, but is undoubtedly the same type of mark as Nos. 1-4, in reality # 1 with two strokes added on top. It also feels from a Type I blade, along with Mark # 16.

Mark #16, the letter S is found with No. 1 on blades of type I, and alone on the straight blades. in the Wallace Collection, London, Museo Civico, Brescia and the Hallwyl Collection, Stockholm. In the latter collection there is also a two-handed sword from the late 16th century marked with an S between two marks, about No. 13. 10

Mark #17 is unknown from other places, here are the letter letters in the mark again, IT, possibly the blacksmith's initials, but cannot be identified.

Mark #18 is unknown.

Mark #19, Christ Monogram Program IHS is well known both as a brand and as decorative inscription, i.a. on Norwegian farmer axes, but cannot attributed to any particular location.

Mark #20 And #21 are two of the many variations of inscriptions of this kind, partly the name IOHANNI, written in different ways, and partial distortions of Latin inscriptions, such as INMINI which stands for IN (TE) DOMINE = I (D, EG) LORD.

Very many inscriptions of this type make absolutely no sense, and consists of long rows of one or two different letters. To summarize what can be said with certainty about the brands that are found on Tessaks must first and foremost it is mentioned that some marks point to the Standler family and their circle, or at least Munich and southern Germany. Others do not notice place, some of these point towards Italy. It can in conjunction with this be of interest and, look at some papers in Stadtarchiv Munich. It concerns a trial from 1617, involving both Wolfgang and Christoph Standler is summoned as a witness, in connection with a gun dealer, Johann von Bolandt, accused by the swordsmiths in Solingen for selling Munchnersmidde (Munich forged swords?) swords as Solingen products. On one of the questions both answered, in connection with how they swords they had sold were marked black Christoph Standler according to the legal protocol at: << These fences have been with them for so long all of your rings were struck as to the merchant's desire >>. Therefore, pretty okay that as long as they (he and his dad) had been swordsmiths, they had turned the marks on the blades that the gun dealer wanted. This gives an explanation of the Italian-marked marks found on some blades, possibly in connection with pure Standler marks. In some parts of Europe, e.g. In southeastern Europe, Italian blades were better known, and thereby attempted through the labeling to show that the blades were from the coveted place. In practice, the blacksmith probably became his own mark included with the mark (s) he was asked to avail.

In any case, one can assume from the fact that over half of them existing brands can be attributed to southern Germany, claim that the theory that this area is the origin of the tea business is considerably strengthened. The next of the four main questions is whether the same forge mark available on different blade types. This question has already been answered with yes and with, the ranking of the occurrence of the different marks. Marks Nos. 1, 3, 5, 8 and 14 are found on both Type I and Il, moreover, Nos. 1 and 14 are also on Type Il a. It is therefore clear that both these blade types are extensively forged at the same workshops.

One theory I will put forward in this regard is that type I is the one original, and that type II production has begun either because need of time, or because one wanted to make cheaper blades, this type is as mentioned earlier, less well done, with poorer surface treatment, and has undoubtedly been faster to get done.

When it comes to the straight blades, they seem to have come from other workshops. On the other hand, both blacksmiths mention Standler in the aforementioned lawsuit that they also used Italian and Spanish inscriptions on their blades, and there is nothing in the way of them by this term means the form of inscriptions such as marks 19, 20 and 21 show. There is also a straight blade with mark # 1, and dated 1585. Exactly the same mark, also with the addition of an S exists on a blade of type I. SeIv upon careful examination it looks like surely these brands are completely identical. There are no indications that the straight blades come from a different geographical area than they curl, and so far I would argue that these also come from Munich, or at least southern Germany.

The 5 blades of type Ill that I have seen are only marked with letters,IHS, or variations of IOHANNI, and can be counted as one ligaments strangely seen between the straight and curved blades. The must also be assigned to the same area.

Flat, curved blades with weak yelman, or at least back-grinding, is familiar with such inscriptions, even from older weapons than Tessack ones. Bl. a. There is a Bohemian or Hungarian in the author's collection sword from the second half of the 15th century, with long, slightly curved blade, marked 3 x Johanes. See FIG. No. 7.

Question # 3, whether there are any correlations between blade stamps and group types can be answered with no. This means that either the different attachment types are made in the same place, something like in any case it is probable, or that the fittings are made in one place, and the blades in another, and that the weapons are then assembled in one of these places, possibly a third place. Except that all blades of type III, 5 pieces in type g fittings (see Fig. 1), no correlation can be seen between blade types and attachment types.

Question # 4 is whether the straight blades are original or not in Tessacks. Based on the material I have at my disposal I believe that the theory that the straight blades are later applied because weapon regulations, or that all the straight blades are substitutes for use must be rejected.

The straight blades I have included in this study are all from at the same time as they curve. Also known from Germany and Austria examples of straight blades in Tessak-type groups, and these weapons is not in any case affected by Norwegian regulations. The straight blades are found in all attachment types as close as type g, type c, which I, as mentioned earlier, consider to be another line of development than the Tessaks belong, there are only straight blades. In another this type of case investigation should possibly be deleted.

As a further indication that the straight blades are original, It can be mentioned that there is a clear trend towards the weapons who have the straight blades also have the straight pair of bars, at groups of one type that otherwise has S-shaped mating rods.

The next step in the investigation of the thesis cases must be archival investigations to be able to identify the place of purchase and the year, as well as the exact number. It will be necessary to try to follow some of the issues that have accurate provenance using shift documents so far back as possible, to see when they entered the farms. Likewise, it must be said to be of great interest in determining whether the tea business has been clean alloy armor, or if they may have been used by regular soldiers.

One must also compare the purchase price with regular prices this time, to see if they were purchased because they were cheap or because there was a shortage of weapons in Europe, so you had to take what you got.