Medieval dagger types - talking over the evolution and types of medieval daggers with Tod. Video created by: www.alexabdolwahabi.com/ Tod's Workshop: todsworkshop.com/
@Grim Looters Courtly love was invented by bored French noblewomen who got married for $$$ and not love. Why read a romance novel when one can live the romance? French noblemen got into it for the universal male reason. ;)
Misericorde - from Latin misericordia (act of mercy), the called it that as they believed those daggers were used to dispatch mortally wounded people who would have suffered dying for a long time, hence finishing them off was giving them mercy.
Came here to write something like this. Medieval monastery chapels didn't have benches, but there were sometimes a sort of shelf to lean against, which was also called "misericordia" because it was a mercy to older visitors who couldn't stand unaided for long services.
I must have heard about these at some point over the years, but only recently they came into my knowledge through the Horus Heresy, where the Custodes carry a similarly named knife/short sword.
Great timing on this video. I just received my Quillon Dagger last week from Tod Cutler. I have bought several 19th century British sabers from Easton Antiques but this was my first purchase from Tod Cutler. In addition to swords I also collect knives, and I have several Randall Made knives. My favorite Randall is my Model 2 Fighting Stiletto with an eight inch blade (based on the Fairbairn Sykes). This Quillon Dagger is a wonderful dagger, extremely well made, at about 1/5 the price of the Randall and that includes shipping from the U.K. to the U.S.! After I received it, I emailed a question about the type of steel used in the blade and got a response back almost immediately (slack quenched EN 45). One of my favorite things about this quillon dagger is the peened pommel, as well as the overall workmanship. The sheath is also very impressive. There is something I can't put my finger on about how the dagger slips into that sheath that I really like. It's different from the way a modern knife slips into a mass produced sheath. Weird, I know but I like it a lot. I know this isn't the place for reviews, but I'm making one anyway. This is a VERY high quality product for a very low price. I will continue to order items from Tod Cutler and once I save up some money, from Tod's Workshop. If the products from Tod Cutler are this good, I can't even imagine what a product from Tod's Workshop will be like.
i just ordered the wood gripped hollow metal rondel dagger with the reinforced tip. i was contemplating buying a knife or dagger after this video then yesterday i saw the black friday sale was up and that was too much for my resolve so i bought it, cannot WAIT to get it.
I really appreciate these colabs with Tod and hearing you guys go really in depth about his products and their place in history. It honestly seems very relaxed and unrehearsed like you guys just filmed yourselves having a normal, casual conversation. I really think it shows how much you guys know your stuff compared to other medieval enthusiasts *cough metatron and shad* (sorry not sorry lol)
RU-vid is, at core, supposed to be a fun way to say stuff. Matt Easton, Knight Errant, etc are outsiders in a way. I love them, but they don't always appeal to the wider RU-vid so much. I like Metatron and Shad for different reasons. They are like what I would do if I had the balls to do a proper channel. It's us ordinary joes having a go. Nice.
Yeah, but I'd rather have two different ones then one good one. If they could be used as kitchen knives, I would buy the expansive one, but not for decoration.
Just a thought about the "Miséricorde" thing. As a french, that name on a weapon strongly suggest that it was used to finish off wounded foes, or something like that.
The bollock dagger was the everyman knife, but it took a rare warrior to wield the bollock zweihander! That really got the attention of the ladies back in the day!
The Quillon Dagger design is so timeless because it jusy works. Even up to WW2 and a little later the US Army was issuing a variation on the design with the M3 fighting knife, and up to today the US Army is still issuing a bayonet which is basically the same knife with a muzzle ring replacing one of the quillons
In the movie Ladyhawke, with Rutger Hauer & Michelle Pfeifer, Hauer's character, Etiene, carried matched sword & dagger that was absolutely beautiful. I know they were movie props but if they had been real they would have been a great addition to anyone's medieval collection. Your quillen dagger is fantastic looking.
The Ballock dagger handle is very good in the pinch grip, with the thumb between the ballocks! Which stopped the hand slipping up the blade. Good all round guard.
Why does a dagger have an edge? Because a knife is always handy, simply as that, and you don't have to wear a second one if your dagger doubles as one.
I just went on web site and bought a rondel, next month a nice bollock to compliment my Highland Dirk, well done Tod for bringing into reach decent stuff for the common man. More power to your elbow Sir.
This is your second video I've watched with 'bullocks' daggers. I was so taken with these that I bought one of the nice bullocks daggers he has in stock.
A misericorde (/ˌmɪzərɪˈkɔːrd/ or /-zɛrɪ-/) (from French word miséricorde, "mercy") was a long, narrow knife, used from the High Middle Ages to deliver the death stroke (the mercy stroke, hence the name of the blade, derived from the Latin misericordia, "act of mercy") to a seriously wounded knight.
Just got the quillon dagger I ordered from Tod in the mail yesterday. The quality is very nice, and the leather work is fantastic. Now I'm going to have to look at acquiring some more of Tod's work. It was also packaged very well for it's journey to the States.
Re: wearing the bollock dagger in the center front of the body- There may be a practical reason (as well as the reasons you mention). I know in the USA, there is a discussion of how to carry a concealed pistol, and one of the ways increasing in popularity is the "appendix" carry (if you don't already know, this is at the front of the body, sort of a 1:00 position - typically slightly off center). The proponents of this have several reasons - it is easy to reach with either hand, and if someone is going to try to take if from you, their actions should be easily visible, as opposed to carrying it on your side or eve toward your back where a grab for your weapon is less noticeable. This could easily apply to dagger carry. To the question of why carry in the center of the body, rather than slightly to the side- if you try to sit down (or even bend over), if your dagger is not in the center of your body, it will push against your leg. Carried in the center, it will naturally fall into the space between your legs, thus being less of an obstruction to normal movement - particularly important if you are attacked without warning and you have to move or grapple with someone. Just a thought about a practical reason for center front of the body dagger carry.
It was very interesting to hear how bollock daggers were practical and had humble and practical origins in construction instead of _just_ your typical crude medieval humor and obvious display of phallic-ness (see codpieces, shoe points, etc), as well as learn more about quillion daggers
Haha this was fantastic. And so nice to see all of these models up close and intimate! Gives us a great idea of their character before buying. Awesome.
stop reading my mind. Also "so you grab the shaft under the balls" "So you make the balls then you cut it off" "This one's got quite a nice thick wooden handle" "so you see the handles are sometimes too big" ad nauseam
I can imagine that the rounded bullock shapes may have evolved from more square shape. The rounded edges on both the top and bottom would reduce the chance of the handle/hilt snagging on clothing during every day activities. Particularly if they were originally an everyday working - utility knife.
I will have to respectfully disagree on the edge of a dagger being secondary. While it is true that we do have triangular or even rectangular rondel daggers with no edge worth mentioning, my own experimentation has shown a drastic difference in stabbing through padding with vs. without an edge. Before sharpening my TodCutler 15th C rondel dagger, I naturally pierced the padding quite easily, but the blade got stuck after about two inches. After sharpening it went in all the way to the hilt with less force on an intact area of the same padded garment. I'd attribute this to the edge slicing through the cloth rather than just pushing it aside and bunching it up. If you have a very narrow triangular/rectangular blade (~1cm width/diameter) you'll probably be fine as well, but a 3cm wide blade will not get as far if it is not sharp. Bottom line: If your dagger is supposed to have an edge, give it a good edge (or two).
Todd mentions that the production method for bollock daggers changed from turning to carving from a plank. Is there information that would indicate what led to that? That is, I could imagine the earlier pieces were turned from relatively narrow branches as an inexpensive-ish local material source (say, from older coppicing) - but in a later era lumbering was commercialized enough that buying dimensioned stock from a vendor was cheaper. On the other hand, I could also imagine the early pieces were turned from a split-off piece of lumber from trunk-wood, and going to planks was purely an economizing measure to reduce waste. Do we know what exactly changed, by any chance?
Anyone know where this budget line of Tod's daggers are made? I can't seem to find it said anywhere. All in the UK? Or the blades made in China/India and the handles made and peened elsewhere, or all in China?
QUESTION: What are the differences, if any, between the 3 types of daggers listed below ? a) Poniard b) Stiletto c) Bodkin d) Tri-lobe Bollock Daggar I've seen the names used interchangeably, but I've yet to see an authoritative source confirm or deny that.
Must be honest, I am planning to learn how to forge knives so I am here to study types and choose the first one I want to make but I am now watching this because I love their accent !
I have the Tod Cutler Stiletto, Quillion Dagger and Mid Status Ballock Dagger. These are all very well made knives at a great price. I was lucky enough to catch them in stock at Cult of Athena, so I was able to have them in my hands in a matter of days. I highly recommend Tod's work. I would love to have a collection of hundreds of swords, but I don't have the money nor the room to display them. In the space it takes to display two swords, I can display about a dozen daggers. So, I have decided to settle for a few nice swords and clutter the walls with daggers. :-)
I agree with your point about single edged daggers being more useful as tools and I think they also have an advantage in handling: when you have to pull one out, for whatever reason, and you're seated or fat, your belly's sticking out and the back edge is pointing at it. For a similar reason, I think the quillon dagger may have a disadvantage in wearing and drawing, because the cross my catch things as you draw or as you move around; a cross that is short and doesn't get past your fingers may be a good idea.
In historical blade to blade combat it's not uncommon for a large knife or dagger to be used with the spine facing forwards and the blade backwards as a mean to use the spine as a blunt damaging implement against the opponent's edge, joints, or skull (bony areas of the body). This is to retain the edge on the knife for accurate vital flesh wounds or the coup-de-gras. A knife held backwards (edge facing you) in the hand can be back hand swung to deliver a much more rapid and effective edge slap to open gashes along the back of the opponents limbs or torso. The spine of the blade is essentially a club, shield, edge damaging tool. This fact is often forgotten when considering other weapons such as the katana. The spine of the katana, much like the spine of a fighting knife is an effective defensive tool. The real and traditional fighting bowie knife has a hooked edge on the tip, this is basically evidence for this style of fighting. As the hooked tip of the bowie knife is intended for front jabbing, the spine for blocking/defending/damaging a blade, and the broad belly edge as a quick back body gauger. This is why we may see funky spine designs on old medieval blades as they were also engineered to crush bone or damage edges more effectively. EDIT: Retaining the edge as much as possible is also essential when engaging clothed enemies and possibly multiple of them. Especially when considering the quality of steel throughout history. Thomas Peter Ronnberg, Hot Metal Knives.
My favorite dagger is the quillion dagger. I have always been baffled why the focus in reenactment and collecting communities has been on bollock daggers and rondel daggers which I find hideous.
Discussing Bollock Daggers on the Mary Rose and not a seaman joke in sight. I'd almost be disappointed were it not for the plethora of innuendo that *was* delivered.
Id say the tapered point is to use the initial force to pop rivets, leather, cloth and maybe ribs while the velocity is still somewhat high and then it becomes easier to continue through the channel with the lowered speed. Like an awl.
I carry a Honshu Quillion dagger, karambit, spyderco endura w Emerson opener. I’m trained in mostly FMA stuff. And while I carry a gun for my private protection gigs I have found a big dagger to be more persuasive if the need even come to having to use it
Company probably... I don't know what his family name is. I don't think it's ever been mentioned. If his family name is Culter, would it be a case of nomitive determinism?
I own a stiletto dagger from Tod Cutler; absolutely fantastic quality for the price. I would recommend his work to anyone looking for historical recreations of weapons and tools.
Talking about daggers….I’d be interested on your thoughts on something. Specifically Shakespeare’s Macbeth and the classic scene “is this a dagger I see before me”. I always assumed being that Macbeth is set in the 11th century, the dagger he is referencing is a typical quillon dagger or something close to it. It’s longevity, the design persisting for over 5 centuries to me that’s what I imagine would be the aforementioned dagger. But in the same speech Macbeth goes further saying “and on thy blade and dudgeon, bouts of blood”. I know dudgeon is a type of wood commonly used in handle design including knives and daggers, but the fact that it is so specifically mentioned got me thinking about other daggers in particular the Dudgeon dagger. Tod has one in his many dagger products, and in the description it describes the dagger as being something in between the medieval bollock dagger and the Dirk and dates it to the 15/16th century (so around during Shakespeare’s time) being found mainly in the north of England and the lower parts of Scotland. And this just got me thinking could this be what Macbeth is referring to rather than the perhaps more appropriate or accurate quillon dagger. It’s not the right dagger for the time period it’s set but that assumes the bard had a detailed knowledge of historical weaponry. Perhaps this is just him thinking Macbeth is Scottish, I know currently this is a dagger a Scot might carry, ergo this is the dagger he sees before him. Much like writers today of historical books/plays/film put the wrong weapons in the hands of their characters for the time periods they’re set in. They do it due to lack of research, false assumptions or because they simply like the look of that weapon better than a period accurate one much like the swords you mention in your 5 worst movie swords video….
So I found with the bollocks dagger I have, that the grove between the lobes makes a very comfortable place for your thumb if the weapon is point forward.
Loving this series of videos with Tod - keep up the excellent content. Any chance you could delve into the types of steel used in Tod's work when you're showcasing it? I'm an amateur smith in addition to practicing HEMA, so I love to nerd out about steel types. Cheers, mate.
Matt! Misericord is from the latin words (Spanish, French etc) for Mercy. It's the dagger you use to give your fallen opponents/ friends the final Mercy with the knife.
So, firstly, if you're looking for info on the Fairbairn-Sykes I highly recommend www.fairbairnsykesfightingknives.com. you can also email the owner and talk to him. We've been corresponding for years. As for the knife itself, there are knives tied to W.E. Fairbairn that date back into the 30s when he was still with the Shanghai Municipal Police, usually called Shanghai Daggers. They still look a lot like the F-S of WWII, but they are smaller and tend to have wood grips. The reason for the enlarged blade during the war was because it was necessary to stab through gear and winter clothing. The design was informed by Fairbairn's study of various Eastern martial arts, as well as surviving a number of knife fights in his job in the SMP. That said, he did go for a clearly European design from the start. As for dissatisfaction, I know he disliked the S-guard of the first pattern F-S, preferring a straight guard with a thumb groove to facilitate gripping the knife with the thumb on the ricasso. He also detested that certain makes of the knife delivered them with unsharpened blade. One of them proclaimed they made blades for killing, not cutting potatoes, but the writings of Fairbairn call for a sharp blade, and his techniques demonstrate such. I think he also disliked the ringed grip of the third pattern of F-S because it disrupted the balance of the knife, which he insisted should be one inch back from the guard. His other blades were intended for other purposes. The Smatchet, for instance, was not really intended to replace the F-S, but was intended more for soldiers, instead of commandos. Most still ended up being used by commandos of the OSS and SOE. The post-war Cobra was designed for Cypriot Police, but would have been quite useful for commandos.
The quillon dagger looks remarkably like the Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife. Good design is good in any age, as this knife is still in use by the US and British military establishments.
Besides the infamous bollock dagger, weren't most low class daggers more cut-centric? More like sax, kitchen knife or bowie? I've seen a few examples, but you don't find many reproductions of them. Also, how about the more cut centric versions of quillon daggers?
With the new Halloween movie coming out, how about you make a movie about horror movie villains who use bladed weapons and their techniques? That would be pretty interesting.
misericordia is Latin for “mercy”, “compassion”, or “pity”, so misericord is likely a euphemism for the weapon that gives those suffering from mortal wounds their final “mercy” on the battlefield...or a later ahistorical presumption that they were used for such
A misericorde was used to finish off wounded foes. It was also often designed to be able to pierce armor. It was fast and efficient. An act of mercy as opposed to letting them die slowly.
And the dagger looks very close to some combat daggers today. They looked at history for the FS dagger and made it smaller and easy to produce. Most soldiers reprofiled the point has they broke easy. They rounded the point. And this happened in 'civvy' made versions which soldiers purchased.
Surely the rondel with the 'artistically license' back has the shape for a very specific purpose. Once the tip had been forced between two plates, potentially at a shallow angle, the blunt protruding tip would act very much like the hook on an old, non-wheeled can opener. The blunt hook (for want of a better word) would provide purchase against the edge/rim of the plate, allowing the wielder to focus their attack more effectively. (I wasn't insinuating that they were used as tin openers haha)
With the 'dagger seen in the Leeds armoury', each bevel-flat-bevel could potentially be used to push a section at a time whilst still holding purchase against the edge of the plate.
I bought a dirk from Tod several months ago. It seems good apart from the brass being much less polished and rough looking than advertised (kind of disappointing). I wish there was more information on how he heat treats the budget daggers and what kind of steel he uses though. I will probably get around to testing it, but it would be a shame if it was done really poorly or not at all. A decent heat treat on a basic 1055-85 isn't that hard to do if you have the right tools.
Regarding the edge on a rondel dagger, this is pure speculation, but apart from fact that it may assist with getting through fabric armor (Tod later found out in one of his videos flesh cutting arrow heads may be more effective against fabric armor than bodkins), I wonder if it may also have simply a utility function. When on campaign, you do need a knife here and there, perhaps those could be also used in such ways here and there? Because otherwise, if you have rondel without an edge, you do need to carry at least one more knife/dagger with you. This may save you one item to carry.
I have a couple of daggers already, I have just downsized to a lovely little flat and my implements ( pokey and sharp things) have to be downsized accordingly. I had been looking at some more daggers for my dagger wall, but prices were a wee bit steep to be used as wallhangers. I was over the moon to hear Tod was going to do a range of affordable daggers, love his stuff. Has Tod opened up his Tod cutler web site yet? I will be more than happy to buy some daggers from him.
One thing about the bollock dagger is that compared to a dagger with straight quillions its a lot more compact and ergonomic, nothing to jab you with while doing camp tasks, also since it was originally a peasants utility/weapon they may not have had the nice leather gauntlets to protect their hands from the quillons like actual knights would, i personally know a soldier that was in fallujah who tore his hand open stabbing with a ka-bar knife, the guard tore his finger open, some of those medieval quillions look pretty sharp like that.
With regards to having an edge on some daggers, would it be that they were not just used as weapons but also survival tools as well? Used to cut other things like ropes or maybe even food. Especially if you had to hunt for your food and had to gut and prepare it. A general purpose tool that can also double as a weapon would be very useful.
I am saving up for one of Tod's wonderful creations, but am currently making do with a dagger I fashioned from a busted sword blade and carved poplar handle. I've been practicing wearing it tucked in the belt at my back, at home, while doing things. ...and the problem is despite having a ten inch blade I forget it is there, afraid I'll leave the house and inadvertently walk down the street with it, it is comfortable, lol.
I checked your daggers online, I like the quillion dagger, but it does not come sharp, is that a extra? Thank you. 67 by the way, not a young tearaway.
Hello Matt ! Happy Thanksgiving from the USA ! Speaking of this dagger called a Basilard with an I shaped handle . Is this knife the inspiration for the "Hitler Jugend" knife ? That's what came to my mind when You and Tod spoke of it . I think many older Americans would recognize a Hitler Youth knife , and make mental associations with an I shaped handle and the badguys . Many American servicemen brought German weapons and other pieces of kit back home from WW11. Among these were items with Nazi markings and symbology . The Hitler Youth knife was among these war trophies . It would be a shame if someone were to be seen owning an historical type of knife and be thought a bad type of person because one cult of personality stole a design with a long history before their short reign of evil . As stated in this video, weapons are often symbols of one's position in society . I'd be careful of displaying something that might cause an uninformed person to jump to wrong conclusions . Cheers !
I think you refer to the SS ordnance dagger, and not the Hitler youth knife (which was more of a single edge utility knife). The dagger with the nazi symbolics and inscriptions was modelled after the swiss dagger (also sometimes known as the Holbein dagger), dating back to the 14th and 15th centuries Switzerland.
