Medieval European Daggers and short Swords

Swordfish · 21st April 2012, 08:11 PM

Part I

A short history and description of different dagger types.

Medieval daggers are somewhat neglected in the weapons literature, perhaps because they have an assasin' s image and nearly all Museum examples are of poor condition, and not much research was done about this subject since the publishing of Bashford Deans 'Catalogue of European Daggers' in 1929. An exception in the contemporary literature is the book of Hugo Schneider, Waffen im Schweizerischen Landesmuseum, published in 1980. This book contains many medieval daggers, some of them datable, based on their find circumstances. However, all are in excavated condition. Therefore I want to bring to light some good examples in not excavated condition, sold at auction in the last years, or from Museums and private collections.

I want to start with a short history of the dagger, which is one of the earliest weapons after the club and the spear. The dagger developed from the spear by adding a grip to a spear blade. First made of horn or bone, than of flintstone, finally of copper, bronze and iron. During the copper period the blade length of the dagger increased, finally the sword was developed from the dagger, and superseded it as a warriors weapon. After the migration period the dagger was replaced more and more by the short Sax in Central Europe, which itself came out of use during the tenth century. The following ab. three centuries, the dagger was not found amoung the weapons of a knight. The reasons for these changes is unknown.

In the second half of the 13th century, the dagger appeared again, developed from the knife, which was used through all times. These daggers therefore had a single edged blade, usable for cutting and stabbing. With the development of better armour, cutting with a dagger was useless, and a blade section better suitable for stabbing was needed. Therefore the triangular section of the single edged blades were reinforced and often a back edge was added. Also a new blade section appeared. The new daggers had blades of flat diamond or roof-shaped section, broad at the hilt and acutely tapering. Later examples may have a square or complex section.

Two main types of daggers were developed. The first type had a blade with a tang. The short guard, the grip and a pommel were added and fixed by riveting the tang, according to sword hilts. In early or simple examples the hilt and grip are made completely of wood, without metal parts. I call it Type I
Different sub types can be discriminated.

Type 1a
It resembles closely the shape of a sword, only smaller, but some examples have single edged blades. It was in use during the 14th and first half of the 15th century.

Type 1b
It has a pommel in the form of an antenna or a circular ring. It was in use during the second half of the 14th and early 15th century.

Type 1c
It has a grip thickened at the guard like ballocks, the pommel is often only a simple cap on the grip. Sometimes the hilt and grip are made of wood without metal parts.It is called ballock dagger and was widely used all over Europe during the 13th -16th century.

Type 1d
It has horizontally assembled circular or polygonal disks as guard and pommel. It is therefore called rondel dagger and was used all over Europe in the 14th, 15th, and early 16th century.

Type 1e
It has only a rudimentary guard, the pommel is formed of two large disks assembled in the form of ears. It is therefor called ear dagger. It was mainly used in Spain an Italy in the second half of the 14th and first half of the 16th century. A few examples may date earlier.

Type 1f
It has a sort bar as guard and pommel, both curved towards the blade. Most often the guard has reinforced and elevated ends. The blade is very broad at the hilt and of strong flattened diamond section, strongly tapering to the tip. Some blades have a roof shaped section, one side is quite flat, like a diamond section blade, cut in halves. The blade has most often a short fuller on its upper third. This type is most often, but wrongly called 'Schweizerdolch'. What we call today Switzerland was a part of the German Empire in the 13th and 14th century. The type was used all around today South Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Not even Hugo Schneider, the author of the book 'Der Schweizerdolch', called it like this. It is also often dated to the second half of the 15th and first half of the 16th century, which is clearly too late. The type was used during the second half of the 13th and the whole 14th century.

Type 1g
It is very similar in shape to type 1f, the only difference is that ths guard is curved towards the grip, not towards the blade, and the blade is less broad at the hilt. It was in use during the 14th, 15th and 16th century. The later examples called with right by Hugo Sschneider as 'Schweizerdolch', the earlier examples widely used in Germany and surely originating there. In earlier examples the hilt could be made completely of wood.

Type II

The second type of dagger, called Baselard, has a blade with guard, tang and pommel forged in one piece. The guard and pommel are most often forged at right angles to the tang, but also different shapes were usual. The sandwich grip is made of horn or wood and is always fixed onto the tang, guard and pommel with rivets. The blade section is most often of flattened diamond section, but also single edged blades were used. Although the name Baselard points to the town of Basel, it is very unlikely that it derived from there. The type was used in today Italy,Switzerland, Austria, Bohemia and Germany during the 13th , 14th and early 15th century.

21st April 2012, 08:11 PM	#1
Swordfish Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 129	Medieval European Daggers and short Swords Part I A short history and description of different dagger types. Medieval daggers are somewhat neglected in the weapons literature, perhaps because they have an assasin' s image and nearly all Museum examples are of poor condition, and not much research was done about this subject since the publishing of Bashford Deans 'Catalogue of European Daggers' in 1929. An exception in the contemporary literature is the book of Hugo Schneider, Waffen im Schweizerischen Landesmuseum, published in 1980. This book contains many medieval daggers, some of them datable, based on their find circumstances. However, all are in excavated condition. Therefore I want to bring to light some good examples in not excavated condition, sold at auction in the last years, or from Museums and private collections. I want to start with a short history of the dagger, which is one of the earliest weapons after the club and the spear. The dagger developed from the spear by adding a grip to a spear blade. First made of horn or bone, than of flintstone, finally of copper, bronze and iron. During the copper period the blade length of the dagger increased, finally the sword was developed from the dagger, and superseded it as a warriors weapon. After the migration period the dagger was replaced more and more by the short Sax in Central Europe, which itself came out of use during the tenth century. The following ab. three centuries, the dagger was not found amoung the weapons of a knight. The reasons for these changes is unknown. In the second half of the 13th century, the dagger appeared again, developed from the knife, which was used through all times. These daggers therefore had a single edged blade, usable for cutting and stabbing. With the development of better armour, cutting with a dagger was useless, and a blade section better suitable for stabbing was needed. Therefore the triangular section of the single edged blades were reinforced and often a back edge was added. Also a new blade section appeared. The new daggers had blades of flat diamond or roof-shaped section, broad at the hilt and acutely tapering. Later examples may have a square or complex section. Two main types of daggers were developed. The first type had a blade with a tang. The short guard, the grip and a pommel were added and fixed by riveting the tang, according to sword hilts. In early or simple examples the hilt and grip are made completely of wood, without metal parts. I call it Type I Different sub types can be discriminated. Type 1a It resembles closely the shape of a sword, only smaller, but some examples have single edged blades. It was in use during the 14th and first half of the 15th century. Type 1b It has a pommel in the form of an antenna or a circular ring. It was in use during the second half of the 14th and early 15th century. Type 1c It has a grip thickened at the guard like ballocks, the pommel is often only a simple cap on the grip. Sometimes the hilt and grip are made of wood without metal parts.It is called ballock dagger and was widely used all over Europe during the 13th -16th century. Type 1d It has horizontally assembled circular or polygonal disks as guard and pommel. It is therefore called rondel dagger and was used all over Europe in the 14th, 15th, and early 16th century. Type 1e It has only a rudimentary guard, the pommel is formed of two large disks assembled in the form of ears. It is therefor called ear dagger. It was mainly used in Spain an Italy in the second half of the 14th and first half of the 16th century. A few examples may date earlier. Type 1f It has a sort bar as guard and pommel, both curved towards the blade. Most often the guard has reinforced and elevated ends. The blade is very broad at the hilt and of strong flattened diamond section, strongly tapering to the tip. Some blades have a roof shaped section, one side is quite flat, like a diamond section blade, cut in halves. The blade has most often a short fuller on its upper third. This type is most often, but wrongly called 'Schweizerdolch'. What we call today Switzerland was a part of the German Empire in the 13th and 14th century. The type was used all around today South Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Not even Hugo Schneider, the author of the book 'Der Schweizerdolch', called it like this. It is also often dated to the second half of the 15th and first half of the 16th century, which is clearly too late. The type was used during the second half of the 13th and the whole 14th century. Type 1g It is very similar in shape to type 1f, the only difference is that ths guard is curved towards the grip, not towards the blade, and the blade is less broad at the hilt. It was in use during the 14th, 15th and 16th century. The later examples called with right by Hugo Sschneider as 'Schweizerdolch', the earlier examples widely used in Germany and surely originating there. In earlier examples the hilt could be made completely of wood. Type II The second type of dagger, called Baselard, has a blade with guard, tang and pommel forged in one piece. The guard and pommel are most often forged at right angles to the tang, but also different shapes were usual. The sandwich grip is made of horn or wood and is always fixed onto the tang, guard and pommel with rivets. The blade section is most often of flattened diamond section, but also single edged blades were used. Although the name Baselard points to the town of Basel, it is very unlikely that it derived from there. The type was used in today Italy,Switzerland, Austria, Bohemia and Germany during the 13th , 14th and early 15th century.