Messer
"The Messer is a long hand and a half sword with a single cutting edge, the messer is capable of dealing brutal horizontal and overhead strikes to an opponent but has a weaker stab."[1]
It is the third unlockable primary Bastard Sword for the Knight.
The Messer boasts one of the most powerful 1 handed slashes in the game and has 2 handed preformance that features a deadly blend of speed and damage. It has high damage, comparatively fast speed, and respectable range than those in its class and other 1 handed weapons. Its Swing/blunt damage typing makes it quite a fearsome weapon, making this weapon behave more like an axe in terms of damage and lack of a (good) stab.
As its description implies, The Messer's stab is fairly weak and only recommended to finish off weak opponents. This takes away from the weapon's ability to deal with enemy Knights and Vanguards, but it can be argued that the damage typing directly compensates for it by giving additional damage to deal with Knights.
As with other Bastard Swords, press 1 with a shield equipped to use the shield in the off hand. Or, if you would like to go in "berserker" mode, disable the shield on the secondary weapon and you will block manually. This will save your stamina and help you perform comboes. This can give an advantage in some ways, but that's how Bastard Swords work, they swing faster in one hand.
Historical
"Messer" can be translated into "Knife", the blade was also known as "Großes Messer" which is translated into "Big Knife". It was a relatively common blade in Germany used by minor nobility and peasants alike.
See also: