What is a Stiletto Dagger and How were they Used?
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- What is a stiletto dagger, and how were they used?
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Hey there, as an Italian native speaker i can guess that the word "stiletto" is the diminutive of "stilo", that is a generic word for a thin, metallic, pointy tool made to punch through material. Thanks for your stiletto overview!
Just to add to this, many other languages have similar words for such a tool. Stylus, stylet, and even in english we describe something with that shape as being stiletted or having a stilet end. So most likely the term became synonymous with the dagger because of its function and shape, and the fact that many different peoples from around the world immediately understood what the word meant when seeing the 'stiletto' and thus called it the same.
(noteworthy is that stilet and stiletted are medical or scientific terminology, and not really common.)
Stilo also means simply "pen" doesn't it?
@@mnk9073 Stilus in Latin, stile or stilo in Italian, was the word used for the tool used to write on clay or wax tablets. It had a sharp point on one end and a flat, broad fan-shaped rubbing tool on the other end, the latter used to "erase" the writing to reuse the tablet.
When paper and ink became more common, that word ended up being used for the stick used to write, which had a metal head attached not that different from the one in a fountain pen, which in Italian is still called "penna stilografica".
Very interresting! In swedish such a tool is called "Syl". Sounds like it could have the same origin.
@@mnk9073 Actually, the generic word for pen Is "penna". stilo is a diminutive for "penna stilografica" , wich means fountain pen. Penna biro, on the other hand, means ball penn (wich you can also call 'penna a sfera). 😄 Greetings from Italy 🇮🇹
I could imagine the 'gunners' dagger' being used to measure the length of fuses ... for timing of mortars and shells.
For spiking the guns to avoid capture
while I dont think you are incorrect, i do think its amusing to point out the irony of having a knife good for everything a gunner would need... except cutting fuses.
@@TheodoricFriede That is an excellent observation.
Used to aim cannons. Stick it on the touch hole an use that measure to make the front sight attached to tthe top of the muzzle
Hi Matt, I think the Italian name stiletto comes from the stilo, a pointed writing device for wax tablets of the Roman age. The shape is pretty much the same, but the stiletto has a guard. The reason why I think it was popular, beside the fact that it's pretty and easy to conceal, is that being edgless, you could wear it concealed, draw it and not cut yourself in the process.
The English word "stylus" has a similar meaning & origin.
In Romanian we have stilou ( fountain pen), and I believe the name just migrates from old to new writing implements
Yeah, there are numerous instances of roman senators using them for stabbing each other during civil unrest and what not.
- 00:09 🎥 Matt Easton presents a historical stiletto dagger, probably from the 17th or 18th century.
- 00:25 🇮🇹 The word "stiletto" is Italian and has been widely used to describe various thrusting daggers.
- 00:57 📜 The term "stiletto" started being used in the late 15th or early 16th century for thrusting daggers.
- 01:16 🛡️ Morozo's 1536 treatise "Opera Nova" refers to stilettos used for defense against dagger attacks.
- 02:01 🔪 The term "stiletto" originally applied to specialized stabbing daggers, not necessarily resembling modern stilettos.
- 02:45 📚 The exact origin of the stiletto is uncertain, with various theories suggesting links to medieval daggers.
- 03:53 🏴☠️ Stilettos were prominent in Southern Europe and spread globally during the colonial era.
- 06:07 🕵️ Stilettos became associated with criminals and assassins due to their concealability and stabbing efficiency.
- 07:23 💂 The Gunner's stiletto, used by artillerymen, had a ruler on the blade for measuring purposes.
- 09:39 🖐️ Handling stilettos effectively involves different grips; holding it with the thumb on the blade for better control.
- 11:59 🔍 The small and thin design of stilettos aids in concealability and makes them effective for close-quarters self-defense.
- 12:55 ⚔️ Naval dirks of the 18th and early 19th centuries functioned similarly to stilettos and were used by naval officers.
- 14:00 🏙 Stilettos were common in 19th-century New Orleans among immigrants, leading to anti-weapon legislation due to high crime rates.
I like the ones for artillerymen, with scale numbers on the blade.. Could be used to punch holes in powder bags, inside the breech of a cannon, for the touch-hole.
Imagine a modern one with a piston-like design driven by concrete rivet blanks and a tungsten carbide tip.
fantastic video, thank you!
ya know, I really thought he was gonna pull out a woman's high heel when he said "Many people in the modern world would think of a stiletto as" and I can't tell if it's funnier that he didn't. either way, subscribed for the ancient pointy things.
is a shank a stiletto? asking for a friend.
very informative video ty.
gunner stilleto to penatrate the powder parcel for the fuse to ignite the chambered charge?
Stabbing is a great technique obviously but having sharp edges too should make a far more versatile and effective weapon. The one in the video could be useful for getting through chain male but it seems too new to have been intended for that.
He needs to keep grinding for the dragon defender why did he stop at steel?
The Derringer of the knife world.
My first thought when you mention a gunner's stiletto with measurements on the blade is fuse lengths.
They would also be good for ramming / scraping carbon build up out of the match-hole.
And " pricking the bag" . As things were refined ,powder came pre-measured in thick muslin bags , the bag had to be pricked through the touch hole to introduce the powder/fuse/cap into the charge.
And " pricking the bag" . As things were refined ,powder came pre-measured in thick muslin bags , the bag had to be pricked through the touch hole to introduce the powder/fuse/cap into the charge.
They didn't have fuses like that. A cannon has a touch hole and you have the fuse. Its lit or its not. You present the fire to the cannon. The cannon has no fuse in it.
@@zoiders in cartoons they always had long fuses
One big advantage of Bayonets and Stilettos, which is often overlooked is that with quadratic blades you don't cut yourself that easily while carrying it close to the body, but it's still very deadly as a stabbing tool.
Firstly, there is no such thing as a "quadratic blade". A blade is a tool intended for cutting or the sharpened edge of tool. The stilettos and bayonets to which you're most likely referring had no blade to speak of.
And it's not an overlooked advantage. That style of bayonet wouldn't have been carried as as a dagger in the first place, and literally no one has ever cut themselves because they were carrying a knife close to the body. And people accidentally stab themselves with pointy items all the time.
Conversely, not having a sharpened blade is universally considered to be a huge disadvantage.
@@bufordhighwater9872 okay, I am not a native english speaker so I think my choice of wording was good enough, because you understood what I meant, but thank you for correcting that. In German we would still call it a "Klinge mit quadratischen Querschnitt" so I guess "Klinge" and Blade are not interchangeable.
About the close to the body thing. Again my wording here was lacking. What I meant is that you can concile a Stilleto even further than shown in the video, by holding the "pointy end" upside down in the palm of your hand without cutting your hand or arm.
A Bayonet with a quadratic cross-section can be carried without a sheath, but the real advantage is that you don't cut yourself while mounting it.
If the Bayonet has a real handle, mounting is probably no problem, but some just didn't had a handle.
Sorry I was not clear about that. The Stiletto has the concealing property working for it and in the case of the Bayonet you can quickly mount it without cutting yourself, so it's not really about the close to the body thing, but about handling the weapon in the chaos of a battle.
Even in english, as far as it comes to handheld or mounted stabby implements in that context, its still called a blade.
The lack of cutting edges does not change that, as even with a round cross-section, its still declared as such by law, design documents, museums, etc.
And yes, you can simply tuck those things in a belt without a sheath and not cut it, your clothes or yourself.
Just keep the tip in mind.
clandestine operatives and other characters have been known to slip spikes in the seams of their clothing to deeply conceal these items without a sheath, no they did not stab themselves it works when done right and the confidence in it is shown by the fact that they sometimes did it in their fly
@@st0ox Ich entschuldige mich für die pedantische Antwort. Ihr Englisch ist so gut, dass ich nicht wusste, dass es nicht Ihre Muttersprache ist.
As far as carrying a weapon for stabbing or slashing, knife or razor or spike, I think I understand what you're getting at, but it still comes down to practicality. Someone wielding that type of weapon just isn't going to hold it by blade. It's awkward. It will take extra movement to readjust the the knife or spike so that it can be used. Yes, holding a spike by the pointy end doesn't have the risk of cutting a person, but that's why people don't hold a knife by its blade. They might hold it in reverse grip with the blade along their wrist. But even then, the you're just as likely to stab yourself on a spike as you are the knife because they're both pointy.
As far as bayonets are concerned, as far as I know, all modern bayonets all have a handle. And at least in the US Armed Forces, you're taught to hold the bayonet by its handle when mounting it.
But bayonets are rarely used in modern warfare. And the long spike style bayonets haven't been used since horse mounted cavalry became obsolete. It was more practical to switch to the knife style of bayonet because a knife is more useful than just a long, heavy piece of metal.
looks like it has 130 crit modifier
AFAIK, the artillerist stiletto was used for the following:
1) If you capture guns, you can measure the calibre so that you can record your supply situation...
2) You can use it to free the fuse-channel in the cannon from dirt and debris
3) In a pinch, you can hammer it in the fuse channel and potentially break off the tip, which will render the cannon useless.
4) Obviously, you can shank someone.
It may have been used for other purposes as well, such as punching a hole, prying, scratching, etc. After all, soldiers tend to abuse knives and magazines for all kinds of BS, such as opening bottles with feed lips, or a can with the tip of your knife.
The triangular or even square shape can also be used as a primative drill, for point 2.
Random trivia: Polish word for dagger is "sztylet" which is an imported form of stiletto.
The notches were not used to measure powder, they already had premeasured cups or containers to fill that showed the right amount of powder, the notches were used to measure distance by holding it to the edge of a cannon and being able to adjust the angle of the shot based on the last shot made, some gunners were so talented they did not need to measure and they would tell less experienced gunners which number to adjust to just based on memory or damn good judgement. Many pirates and other frequent users of cannons would modify their own knives or daggers to have similar measurements.
Oh god that crit damage
My Malagueño friend once explained to me that the traditional criminal elements of his ancient city preferred a certain technique for backstabbing, which could be used as a form for deterrence, or rather terror. He said that an assailant would slide up to his mark from behind in one of the many tight alleyways, wielding a very thin/narrow dagger. Walking really close to the victim's body, the quick, precise thrust would come from down low and upwards, piercing a kidney. Then the assassin would flee the scene while his victim would three days later suffer a horribly painful death in bed, surrounded by family and friends who might think twice about crossing the criminal organization having ordered the hit.
My friend told me a specific, catchy term in his dialect for this phenomenon, but I have regrettably forgotten what it was.
There was a knives sharpener/shop in the Centro Historico of Málaga, which has been there for generations, purportedly as a weapon supplier for past gang wars and self defence. I never saw any stilettos there, though.
Was the word maybe "Reyerta"?
Seems like a poor idea, you'd think sooner or later anyone planning to annoy those people would start wearing a plate there and then just turn around and gut them.
@@chaimafaghet7343that'd be a fun "what-if" for Tod to make. Maybe a vest with a lower-back patch of mail with plates in a reverse overlap with little angles at the top of each plate to catch points. Then see if you can hide it under a period garment.
@@pauliedi6573imagine hitting the sciatic right there... youch
yeah the kidney shot was covered in scorcese's "gangs of new york" by bill the butcher as a kill shot. Ruptured kidneys are very hard to deal with even with modern medicine.
Your idea about gripping over the guard makes a lot of sense to me. It would be much easier to extract the blade from a target like that.
A prime minister in japan just got assassinated with a specialized tanto that was used with that grip method just recently only in a reversed grip and the offhand on the blade. (edit: wait, im thinking of the 1960 assassination of the then prime minister inejiro asanuma) they caught that on camera as it happened.
I frankly can't see any other reason for a dagger like that to even have a guard. You're certainly not going to parry anything with it.
@@ArcticGator Yeah, their last assassination was with a shotgun, I think.
@@manfredconnor3194 It was an improvised firearm, more or less a blackpowder pistol made out of stuff from a hardware store, with an electric spark-gap based firing mechanism. Brandon Herrera did a video on it, but YT nuked it.
@@manfredconnor3194 Yes, in 2022, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot in the chest at close range using a homemade firearm while giving an address to the public. He bled to death despite heroic attempts at resuscitation.
That is an interesting video.
Funnily in Bavaria the term "Stilett" is still used for a hunting knife that was used for severing the spinal chord near the skull to finish off small game animals. This knife is single edged and has a general purpose blade. It still is kind of popular.
On the topic of gunner´s stillettoes I read that it was used to spike the touchhole of the cannon to render it unuseable. Use for cleaning might still be a option.
This is known in Germany/Austria as Nicker.
Something to add to the final point made by Matt about being able to fashion a stiletto from a piece of metal and a hand file, is that a stiletto and a bog standard screwdriver are essentially the same thing, one of them even comes with a fancy rubber grip.
Both are seriously deadly too!
Ice pick. Particularly in the 1920s and 30s.
A book on the Battle of Midway mentioned members of a U.S. Marine battalion "borrowing" 14-inch screwdrivers from some PT boats stationed at Midway. The screwdrivers had been designed for maintenance work, but the book quoted an unidentified Marine as saying it was "good for the ribs, if you know what I mean."
this is why in switzerland, while in general we have a pretty relaxed weapons law, you need to have a well justified reason for carrying a screwdriver with you.
and in prisons / jails, even a plastic toothbrush can be sharpened and turned into a pointy spike, although not made out of metal.
Yooo, it's the Misericode from Elden Ring
I have the "Venedic stiletto" with three edges and a nice wooden grip. Mine is crafted by Windlass, India and is really sharp like a wood carving tool. The steel is good and hard, but due to keep the decorative collectable appearance I do not use it as a tool, but it is highly suitable to do this. A very nice knive, I like it very much.
I believe I have one of those. I use it as a paper weight in my personal office
I had the same one with the spiral walnut grip, a gorgeous piece. It was reproduced from an actual Venetian example.
@brianvannorman1465 a paperweight that can still be thrown into a attackers vitals, hopefully...?
I'm thinking of buying one, it looks amazing
I sometimes keep with me a pocket folding stiletto. On board a ship or in the field a stiletto might be used as a multi tool. Used to help open knots as the sides aren't sharo and to poke holes in leather for sewing and a range of other uses if thats all you have. It's probably another reason why it was so popular with civilians.
When I was a kid, back around 1960, I sometimes saw advertisements in magazines for "Stiletto" knives. They were Italian automatics with long, thin blades. My friends and I thought they were really cool.
That’s what I think of when I hear stiletto. Like from the gangster movies.
Another grip you almost touched on is thumb on the flat, but palm supported. Gives a lot of reach in an almost pistol grip way. Occasionally you'll see thumb jimping,engraving,or a simple divot/ flat on the blade ,like the V42 dagger.
That's obviously a greatsword, look at the proportions! (Just not for humans.)
I'd always assumed that the name came from "little pen" as in a quill-pen which, contrary to their portrayal in film and TV, often had all the feather removed, leaving just the shaft of the quill. I've no idea where I got that from though. Apparently that was completely wrong, and it's just the diminutive form of the word for needle.
From 'stylus', I would think.
You're not wrong. My understanding from my Italian experience, stilo is a pen or pointy.
I'm so ill informed that when I think "Stiletto" I'm thinking of high heels.
And seeing how the back of those heels are... I can see the resemblance with that dagger.
From the Lat. *_stilus_* for a pointed writing instrument.
Ita. *_stilo_* for pointy stabby tool (probably akin to the Fairbairn-Sykes commando type dagger).
Ita. *_stiletto_* diminutive form of above for a smaller, more slender dagger.
BTW: We do indeed have that firearm and blade liberty you mentioned, now.
The gunners stilettos scales seem to be primarily for measuring the caliber of guns: hold it across the muzzle and it will tell you the size of the gun
Personal body armor was discretely worn to protect the vital bits during this time period as well. The stiletto was designed to pierce through this armor. Romeo and Juliet was set in this time era
Long ago when I trained with an Italian foil, we definitely wrapped our fingers around the cross guard as standard operating procedure. This and the wrist strap made for a very solid grip and made it very difficult to disarm a fencer using this hilt design.
I have a reproduction stiletto from an original piece. The grip is tiny. Just over 3 inches. I’ve found holding it in a pinch grip between thumb and pointer finger which incidentally is how I’ve seen a British Commando from WWII describe as how they held their fairbairn-sykes daggers.
I've always loved those stiletto daggers! I'll be interested to hear if you're going to talk about the modern usage of the word, and how it's now also applied to certain switchblade knives.😁
Edit: Heck, there are still laws on the books against Bowie knives to THIS DAY in certain parts of the Deep South such as Louisiana and Texas! If not still on the books, they at least were on the books up into the present century. There were flipping American Members of Congress attacking each other with Bowie knives during the heyday of its usage!
Texas got rid of their laws regulating daggers, dirks bowies, switchblade, stillettos, etc a few years ago. Shortly after Oklahoma did the same.
(Oklahoma has no restrictions on _any_ bladed weapon or tool anymore)
The Arkansas press will describe glowingly in detail the origins of the Bowie, but tend to completely gloss over the use of that weapon by Arkansas legislators in session.
In VA a stiletto is defined as being a switch blade. Just last year the General Assembly made it legal to possess them, though it is still illegal to conceal carry them. A bowie knife is defined as a large hunting knife adapted specifically for fighting having a blade 10" - 15" long. A dirk is defined as a long straight bladed dagger or short sword. In all these definitions there is also a caveat that states "or of a like kind," which means that prosecutors can, and often do, define a knife that is not specifically one of these as being so.
In the end, however, it is only illegal to carry these knives concealed, which also includes inside bags, backpacks or even attached to your car door (a man was convicted of concealed carry because he had a knife with the sheath riveted to his door frame and since it was not readily visible it was considered concealed.) Even if the top part of the knife is visible outside of your pocket it can still be considered concealed, especially if your shirt, jacket or even a carried bag can easily cover it.
A folding knife with a 3' or less blade (not an auto opener like a switch blade) can be legally carried concealed. All other bladed weapons can be carried openly. Unless you brandish them at people with the intent to intimidate and a blade length of over 12" carries a heavier penalty. I've openly carried swords as part of a halloween costume while taking my son trick or treating at a mall and the police there didn't bat an eye. And yes, it was obvious that they were real swords and not toys.
The stiletto example used in this video is particularly gorgeous. Would love to know where to get it if its not an antique. I've seen multiple examples of 17th century italian and spanish ones, but this is one of the better looking ones I've seen.
you can't fool me, patches. I'm going to believe the opposite of everything you say
Only a real heel would use a stiletto
huehuehue
Wasn't there a dagger called a misericord that looked a lot like a stiletto?
Fantastic reasoning, Mat !
I am a fan of the florentine Stilleto.
The ones I use and still use, have sharp blades, not being only a thrusting blade.
A very thin dagger.
A dangerous, rapid and eficient piece of steel !!!!!
😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😮
As you know, Julius Caesar was stabbed to death with styluses. The weapon is weak, so there were a lot of blows. Weapons could not be brought into the Senate, but the metal stylus did not arouse suspicion. So the history of the stylet is much older.
Caesar was assasinated by uperclass men, i think they used regular daggers ( pugio?) , not Stylus to write in wax covered Notebooks.
@@brittakriep2938 yeah ceasar was definitely killed with daggers.. Tgere was a coin strucj not long after witg a pugio on it to commemorate the killing. The accounts say daggers were used as well. Could you point out where anyone mentions metal stylus were used?
Maybe there was one dagger, because only one blow was fatal. But the modern film myth of his assassination came about with Jean-Léon Gérôme's The Death of Caesar.
There were 23 hits from the senators. Let me remind you that all senators are former military (cursus honorum etc) and knew how to use weapons. It is doubtful that they would not have been able to hit with daggers from the fifth or tenth time. After that, Caesar still moved and spoke.
Judging by the circumstances, they surrounded him and pricked him with styluses. Like in the famous San Quentin prison, where criminals like to use sharpened toothbrushes.
...Caesar was assasinated with daggers, there is no historical question. But it is reported, that he tryed to defend himself with his stylus and managed to wound some of his attaccers with it....
@@urkabob3497 everyone is saying it was daggers.. Including the romans 🤣
deepwoken knife
Do remember that hands were smaller back in the day, as people were shorter generally (average 170cm tall). So "historical" hands might fit perfectly around the hilt/grip. Great review as always too!
Good point! I have small hands and many knives are way too “fat” in my hand.
Muwahah those puny humans of history
Your channel is far, far too addictive and should have a WARNING. I've watch it all day. As an old escrima practitioner, I can't look away. Brilliant, brilliant stuff.
As a blacksmith who doesn't much enjoy making knives.. I think I'm going to make one of these this weekend. Looks like a comparatively fun project! :D
I do have an antique gunner's stiletto. It is pretty damn cool. It does feel very dainty in the hand. Impressively, it still has its fabric grip covering.
Fascinating stuff. Double edged dagger blades are amongst the banned blades in NZ…… I would dearly love a Fairbairn Sykes replica for its historical significance.
(That said, I do have some potentially‘illegal in NZ’ knives, such as the dainty Fallkniven G1 double edge blade dagger! (And a balisong, button on handle flicknife, gravity knife and others)
Say something is illegal in your country and then claim you have several is a smart 200 IQ kind of thing ...
Maybe delete your post before you get into trouble is the really smart thing to do.
I have always heard the calibrations on the Gunners daggers were used to measure cannons bore and their ammunition
Wow that's actually the first time I've seen one in context of size. I thought they were actually fairly larger than that, with the handle being enough to comfortably cross the palm and have a bit sticking out.
I have always found the stiletto fascinating.
I think your theory for holding it with your finger over the cross is logical especially since for a small stabbing dagger you really don't need a guard for protection and many stilettos have very tiny guards which would make good anchoring points but do nothing otherwise.
I think you're right about the grip, tbh. Makes sense ergonomically. And effective. Repeated deep penetration stabs into the torso are pretty fatal, even today.
Yeah, when I was playing with my 17th century stiletto reproduction I came to the very same conclusion, placing finger above the guard felt very comfy and gave vicious angle to stab the gut and pierce the lung. It also makes pulling a lot safer and stronger so you can make multiple stabs very fast if need be.
@Sebastian K Yeah. People seem to forget also just how much blood can get onto them, and the weapons during hand to hand combat. While stilletos typically cause internal bleeds, I'm certain that in some cases arteries was stabbed or torn open. Then good luck holding onto a tiny little handle like that.
@@hughgrection3052 yea, long hair, clothing, belt maybe. And this weapon, to be effective, you have to pull out.
@@hughgrection3052I have a custom made stiletto with a very good grip design to prevent that slippery scenario, but is hardly a dueling weapon, is just made to stab once or twice and run or kite while the other person bleeds or have organ failure
I could see something like that being good for cleaning touch holes. It would do a good job of reaming especially since it has parallel edges. So long as you don't have static sparks there would be a problem sticking in gun powder.
They seem like they would also be good for measuring fuses if you have good quality fuse and are trying to time things.
Out of curiosity, as it has no edges and therefore blade is it technically not a knife? And does that mean the UK laws on knives don't apply to it? Thought it might be an interesting point considering your recent video and knowledge on the subject. Would in a dark way be amusing if a weapon historically used by and purposed for assassins and criminals was overlooked entirely by the people putting together these laws.
It would be amusing, yes. And in a way, a sharpened screwdriver ( quite popular with Burglers I believe ) could be classed as a Stiletto when you think about it.
Basically, there are blades and there are spikes, some blades are also spikes. If the law only covers blades, then i guess spikes should not count, but most people would probably categorize the stilleto as a knife regardless. The term "knife" is not really all that clear as to what it can and can't include, i suppose there is probably a more clear definition for legal purposes. At what point does somethimg even become a blade or spike? It is generally just matter of sharpness and intention of use, the specific point where you draw the line is arbitrary. You can cut with relatively blunt edges and you can stab with objects that are not really pointy, they are just usually much less effective and less likely to work.
deepwoken
I live in Tennessee. They changed our knife carry laws by getting rid of the maximum legal length, and removed automatic knives and "Gravity folders" (balisongs). However the law still prohibits carrying "ice picks, daggers, and dirks" So it is not legal to carry any spike or double edged knife. The funny thing is that you can carry a dagger type blade as long as only one edge is sharpened. Our law doesn't prohibit owning them, they just aren't legal to carry.
Very uncomfortable shoes.
One of these makes an appearance in Elden Ring under the name “Misercorde”. I love how those games take historical weapons… It never gets old.
Except the misericorde is like 2x too big. It's more like a shortsword in the shape of a stiletto.
@@TheTrogolizerto be fair daggers in most games are often oversized for style/visibility purposes. The misericorde is based on a type of knife that was used to put mortally wounded knights out of their misery. It was thin and pointy so they could poke it through gaps in armour. Also "miséricorde" is the French word for "mercy"
@@TheTrogolizer Almost everything in Elden Ring is oversized
@@evanfishsticks8010 Except for the Zweihander, it is a thing of beauty. Except, it's more of a Paradeschwert and still weighs far too much in-game. Don't even get me started on the moveset.
Come now, you can’t mention a misericord without the obligatory Warhammer 40k joke.
Context: starting sometime after the year 30,000 the Emperor of Mankind’s bodyguards, the Legio Custodes, started carrying the misericordia (etymology is obvious) which was used as both a badge of office and a tool to execute both enemies and allies who were wounded beyond chance of recovery, euphemistically called the Emperors Grace.
Hi Matt, as a Japanese martial artist I can see this being used in a similar way to the okinawan Sai. That the blade is held along the forearm in concealment but then flicked into place to deliver a definitive blow, though the placement of the the thumb would need to be out of range of counterstrike, as obviously even the slightest injury can change the individuals mind, and then change the circumstances
Not gonna block anything with one of these
@@anon2427 What about another stiletto? If they were that popular, they would have been used against each other, no?
Regarding the 1879 stiletto ban in New Orleans, it probably went hand & hand with the anti-Italian sentiment of the era, which including numerous mass lynchings of Italians by mobs in New Orleans. After the US Civil War, many Italians, Sicilians in particular it seems, were brought over to work the fields because economic conditions in Italy meant they would work for even less many than the freedmen. A lot of resentment & prejudice was evident, even though the Italians were essentially serfs. This is similar to the way switchblades were banned in the US only after the movie West Side Story associated them with Italian and Puerto Rican communities.
I own tods replica and my instinctive way to hold it was index over the guard so anecdotally I think your holding theories have merit
I have one of those too, and that's how I hold it. As you say, it's sort of instinctive.
The gunner's stiletto :how about measuring a fuses? -to make a battery fire a simultaneous volley...
I've seen a couple of these where the blade is two parted to work almost like a caliper, not unlike later Victorian 'scissor daggers'.
Many years ago I owned what may have been a precursor to this, a bodkin dagger with sheath. It's my understanding it was carried as a decorative item that had a secondary purpose.
I wonder how many beautiful stilettos like that are in the steam workshop for TF2 waiting for the day they'll be chosen to be added as a spy weapon?
Great content, as usual. People were smaller and stilettos may also have been designed as lady's defense weapons. So, smaller hands may have influenced the size of the hilt as well.
My man this thing is meant to assassin style strike you in vitals and bounce out like its nobodys business....damn, well I think it is actually
Nothing should scare us meat balloons as much as being so easily popped
I'd agree. Light, agile, and easy to hide, a stiletto like the one shown might help even the odds against a male attacker.
What you have there is a Misericorde dagger. It's a type of stiletto used for mercy killing fallen armored opponents.
This is the only fancy weapon I own. I searched for decades for a proper stiletto.
Where did you end up getting yours?
@@laserfork7840 I found one very similar to the one in the video, at a tiny antique store in the middle of Nowhere, NY. Mine is slightly larger, and I wrapped the original handle in leather.
Carrying a "Stiletto" or "Dagger" on your person in Texas was illegal until fairly recently when almost all knife regulations were repealed. I could now carry my bone handled stiletto-style switchblade when shopping for groceries or wear a saber when feeding the ducks at the park. Texas is an interesting place.
Hi Matt. I totally agree with your idea about how to grip over the guard. I have a Todd Cutler stelleto and absolutely love. Thanks for the great info it
11:45 This is the only way it makes sense. When held like this the handle suddenly becomes the right length. The "guard" serves a purpose and the lack of an edge gives you a place for a thumb. This has to be the right way to use this.
A screwdriver, used to dtab, is effectively a stiletto. So would be a long awl. Just sharpen the end of any piece of thin metal bar and you have one.
There are other uses for sharpened metal bars too, so could be legal in Britain, until you actually use it as a weapon.
Well, legal for now...
Parliament will eventually get bored enough to ban a clenched fist and harsh language.
I own a 7mm woodworking chisel and the thing is terrifying
@MonkeyJedi99 that would be threatening behaviour. Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986. And people have been arrested for breaking it. That law really is a stinking PoS but it is there.
The Misericorde has 140 crit modifier
How about a video wth Tod on the efficacy of the stilleto as an anti armour weapon? Could it be used to assassinate a man at arms in mail? Would the coiffe stop it? Just an interesting video idea.
Do you ever consider, when you’re referring to old books with drawings of these weapons and how they were used, that a lot of the inconsistencies in the depictions of the weapons come down to the skill level of the artist and how difficult it would be to accurately draw a stiletto with the material and equipment available at the time? If you think about it, a stiletto would just look like a line on the page.
The american version of this type of weapon is called an icepick. And yes, they are very effective.
I think the thing gunners most often needed to measure accurately might have been slow fuse, especially if they're trying to get a bomb to burst above a battlefield to throw shrapnel optimally.
Mines verry hard to hold because its double edged and i sharpened it like a razor.
It's a slender dagger, and like most daggers, I assume it was used to stab a mother fucker?
This needle has one purpose to kill. This is clearly not for cutting bread.
its the first time i hear the words ruler and byro since school and im sure i got the second word wrong :D
Re: a 'gunner's dagger' and the graduations on the blade: could they be for measuring fuse/match? Also, there's probably all kinds of things that a gunner/ artilleryman/ engineer needs to measure, and so, why not make one's dagger a multipurpose tool, since people in those roles likely used a dagger in combat very, very rarely. (Though the idea using steel around powder is kinda a strike against the gunner/etc idea...).
I enjoy historical mysteries like this... thanks.
B
I used to recommend the stiletto as a wedding present when at the Renaissance Faire with the following comment: "A cross to pray for a heart that's true (holding it by the blade), and if it's not, a blade to run it through (holding it by the handle)." We were told it was used to pierce chain mail. A cross guard is useful because you can hold one end in the groove between the thumb and index finger, this allows you to spin the blade up behind your palm and lower arm, and then grab the handle with your hand to bring it out of its hiding place.
I think just looking at one of those would make a man wearing mail a little uneasy.
[Stiletto Dagger] +1All +2 Weapon Damage 550G
You’re mispronouncing the word “Miséricorde”.
That's the "Misericordé" from Elden ring
Gunner's daggers we're for measuring bore and ball sizes for cannons
Were people smaller 200 to 400 years ago? Would they have had smaller hands? That might explain why that one was smaller.
surely not small enough to need a super tiny kid's knife
100% guys google average heights of humans over the years, at 6 foot 200 lbs we're golems compared to ancient people
And that tiny needle knife can still piece a heart or a neck, and it's over and out
Audie Murphy is a legend among men now for being so tiny, but a lot of great warriors were tiny skinny agile men
People were not significantly smaller during the ages than today. There were periods of malnutrition (like poor people in the cities of the Victorian era), but over all the difference was not so significant. The myth was born of small door heights (better isolation) and bed length (some people prefered not to lay flat). It also depends on the region. People of southern Europe are often a bit smaller than in the north for exampe.
It looks like a really tiny great sword. :)
Some of the first "Trench Knives" of WWI were nothing more than a piece of the rod used to hold up the barbed wire in No Man's Land. A soldier would take it to his company blacksmith to turn it into a rough and ready shank.
In italian a "stilo" is word used to refer the "pens" used to write on wax tablets and papyrus. "Stiletto" is a diminutive, ( "-etto" is a diminutive suffix), so in short, a stiletto is a dagger with a very thin blade.
Totally agree ref the grip. As for usage, and with reference to the many "prison shanking" scenes in modern media - I believe these were used in the same manner as "pig-stickers" used to slaughter pigs, in that they were thrust sideways through the victim's throat one or more times, probably from behind, and then the assailant turned and ran. Sharp enough to pierce either carotid arteries or the jugular vein it was a mortal wound. A Stiletto would also not hamper a running escape, being unobtrusive and light. :)
I always think these are the prettiest daggers.
I think the stilleto would be useful against chainmail .the square or triangular spike would seperate the links and allow penetration.
A stiletto is one of the simplest and most effective weapons to use against armored opponents. As a self-defense or last resort weapon, it is relatively lightweight and easy to carry. So it takes the least investment of money or effort to carry something that will be reasonably effective in the majority of unexpected combat scenarios. As for the gunners stiletto, the measuring lines probably told the gunner how much of the touch hole was clear. If it doesn't go to the proper mark, then the hole is still clogged.
Dark and Darker dirty rogue rat here.
Approve.
Great video, Matt. My ears perked up when you mentioned this was a preferred weapon of assassins. The assassin is such a popular figure in contemporary popular culture, which has me wondering - what were actual assassins like in the medieval and Renaissance periods? Was it a formal profession - like mercenaries or soldiers of fortune - or was it more of an informal, back-alley affair? Or both? What sort of weapons and techniques would be used by medieval and Renaissance assassins? Are there any famous assassination attempts from those periods?
Both… there are always unskilled, but willing people who are disposable… and the professionals
There never was a formal assassin class in Europe. The word stems from the word Hashassin. These were professional hash smokers who were sent out to assassinate political rivals etc.