Ludwig Zeitler

Exercise fencing sabres were used for training by the Austrian cavalry. The cross-section of the sabre blade is 'l' or 'V' shaped, unlike the quadrangular shape of the foil, but not as stiff as the épée.

 These are a relatively long-bladed sword with a protective bell guard to provide protection for the hand. Blade is of a typical French fashion, done in the Montmorency style, with one narrow fuller at the top of the blade, and a wide long fuller running almost to the point.

Ludwig Zeitler designed these and marked them with a 'Z' or crossed swords, or crossed hammers. Some markings have a combination of these together.

The sword was the primary weapon of the cuirassier while pistols were relegated to only a secondary function. Cuirassiers were the senior branch of the mounted portion of the Austrian cavalry, retaining their status as heavy cavalry but were abolished in 1868.

The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 established a tripartite army. The Honvédség and Landwehr regiments were composed of three battalions, while the K.u.K. regiments had four.

The Austrian K.u.K. Army Bureau (Kaiserlich und Königliche Armee) was founded in 1850 as a permanent military intelligence bureau that became active in 1859. During the Austro-Sardinian war and the 1866 campaign against Prussia the K.u.K had limited access to equipment so daggers were designed for them by Ludwig Zeitler.

The bureau was used to suppress unrest in urban areas from 1882-1887.

The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78 was a conflict between the Ottoman Empire and the Russian Empire in Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, and Montenegro. Fought in the Balkans and in the Caucasus too it originated the 1877 Shasqua pattern Russian sabre.

Ludwig Zeitler designed the 1877 pattern saber to fit soldiers needs during the Austro-Hungarian occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the summer of 1878.

The 1895 Mannlicher was used both before and after the war by countries of the Austro Hungarian empire. Made by Vogel & Noot of Wartberg, Ludwig Zeitler contracted M95 NCO parade bayonets to be made. He contracted work in conjunction with the Austrian State Weapons Manufacturing Company (Oesterreichsche Waffenfabrik-Gesellschaft) in Steyr.

Austrian field dagger patterns re-designed by Ludwig Zeitler in 1903 had 'Wein' (Veinna) arsenal mark "vlll" were produced in 1904. Arsenal mark (vlll) for these also used his name followed by a lower case 'v' meaning 'voenna' which translates (Bulgarian) to 'military' adjoining Roman numerals 'lll' representing 1903.

By 1915 field gray was adopted as the official conventional uniform color and field messers issued to Károly Szigeti Artillarymen as sidearms in addition to bayonets. Dressed much like Germans did special ops as Jagdkommando soldiers.

They were able to assume control when situations outgrow the capabilities and specialisation of conventional units and combined with the domestic Staatspolizei.

The K.u.K existed until the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire after WW1. The German Artillery Officer's sword pattern 1835 was based upon French officer's short saber originated in 1790.

This was adopted by Austria in 1915 and carried on it Ludwig Zeitler's name with arsenal mark 'Wn15' (Wein) and used during WW1.