The name dagger evokes images of clandestine activity, dirty fighting styles and nefarious intent. Daggers were used to kill Julius Caesar and have been forever linked to espionage by the phrase "cloak and dagger." No matter what its reputation, the dagger has long been man's companion for protection, assault and revenge.
History
Daggers are short-bladed weapons that are sharp on both edges and are primarily intended to puncture a human opponent. Though knives are often confused for daggers, knives only have one sharpened edge and are used both as a tool, such as for skinning, cutting or eating, and as a weapon. Daggers, however, are intended solely as a weapon. Daggers usually have a small crosspiece at the base of the blade to separate it from the handle; this is to prevent slippage of the user's hand more than to deflect another weapon.
History
The word "dagger" is derived from the Latin "daca," which in turn referenced the land of Dacia where these weapons were rumored to have come from. Despite the Romans' assumption, however, daggers have been in use since the Stone Age in every corner of the world. Stone daggers were often made of flint or obsidian, particularly in the case of Native American empires such as the Aztec. The advent of metal working allowed for more customization, leading to various versions of daggers across the world.
Types
European daggers evolved as the need for them changed. Originally, the difference between a long dagger and a short sword was difficult to discern, because both share many of the same properties. European daggers remained relatively unchanged until the late Medieval or early Renaissance era, when fencing styles began to incorporate the dagger. A poniard, which is essentially a shortened dagger, was employed in the left hand of a fencer to deflect the attacks of an opponent while keeping the sword free for counter-attack. In the 16th century, the French refined the poniard to include better hand protection and a more sturdy blade and called it a "main gauche," which means "left hand."
Types
In the Asian continent, daggers evolved with unusual shapes, including the Malayan Kris--a wavy-bladed dagger intended to maximize the damage done to the opponent as well as intimidate. On the Indian subcontinent, dagger blades were set perpendicular to the handle, creating a "T" shape that became known as a "punch dagger." The intent was to maximize the damage done as well as to penetrate armor. The power of these daggers was greatly admired by the Europeans, who adapted the design for their own. The infamous "Assassins" of Lebanon used special daggers to great effect for politically motivated killings of Christian and Muslim leaders during the Crusades. Though some consider the Nepalese Kukri a type of dagger because of its intended use, namely to kill another person, it is actually a knife because there is only one sharpened side.
Types
The dagger was employed as a secondary weapon throughout Europe even into the 20th century. In fascist Italy and Germany, daggers were worn as a fashion statement. As late as the 1920s, bayonets were in reality a type of dagger since they were intended to be used to attack another person, were used to stab, and were usually sharpened on both sides of the blade. During World War II, bayonets evolved into more knife-like designs and were used for a number of purposes, including eating.
Function
A small version of a dagger became infamous in New Orleans as the spread of so-called "push knives" became popular in the 17th through 19th centuries. These knives were much like their punch dagger cousins but much smaller, and the sharpening on one side only extended halfway or less. Over time, the push knife became increasingly more vicious, sometimes modified to have a "gut hook" back curve that was sharpened and was used to rend the flesh of the opponent when the dagger was pulled out after a stabbing. These daggers were also used in the 20th century, when trench warfare required close-in fighting between troops.
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