Why German basket-hilt saber never caught on as a sport…

A recent acquisition from a French dealer supplements a pictorial theme I posted here many years ago:

Korbsäbel I: Contrapauken

The locations are not identical but very close to each other: A rural village or small town, perhaps large enough to have a Gymnasium (high school) to supply the spectators. The above postcard was mailed in 1907, providing a reasonable time frame for the new purchase:

Korbsäbel II: Lektion

Included in the above tableau is a fencing master, wearing the culottes and athletic footwear of his profession. (That means this is likely not a university student on R&R.) The gear is complete for Pauken (practice) with the schwere Säbel or Korbsäbel—we recently presented our readers with an actual duel with basket-hilt sabers around 1920.

The text of the 1907 postcard and the Teutonic background of the weapon suggest Germany or Austria as the location. If we needed further proof, take a gander at the fencer on the right: Socks and (fencing) sandals remove any doubt as to the nationality of the wearer.

Abominable.