Messer (weapon) of several "Fechtbücher" (fighting manuals) of the 14th and 15th centuries, including that of Johannes Lecküchner (dealing with the "langes messer"), the "Codex Wallerstein", Hans Talhoffer, Paulus Kal and Albrecht Dürer. Messer (weapon) A messer (German for "knife") is a single-edged sword with a knife-like hilt construction. While the various names are often used synonymously, messers are divided into two types: "Lange Messer" ("long knives") are one-handed swords used by Bourgeoisie (middle-class civilians) for personal self-defence. They were about a meter long and may have evolved from the "Bauernwehr" ("peasant's sidearm"). They are also known as "Großes Messer" (Great Knife).
David Messer cartoons and illustrations to numerous newspapers and magazines, including the Spectator in the UK, and the Sydney Morning Herald, the Australian, and the Bulletin in Australia. Messer has been reviewing books for the Sydney Morning Herald since at least 2006. David Messer David Messer is an Australian cartoonist. He is best known for his comic book adaptations of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" and "The Tempest", both published in Australia by Random House in late 2005. Each book features the full text, complete with footnotes, and close to 1,000 illustrated panels per book. He has produced a full-colour version of "Romeo and Juliet".