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A rondel dagger (/[invalid input: 'icon']ˈrɒndəl/) or roundel dagger was a type of stiff-bladed dagger in Europe in the late Middle Ages (from the 14th century onwards), used by a variety of people from merchants to knights. It was worn at the waist and might be used as a utility tool, or worn into battle or a jousting tournament as a side-arm.

Design and Construction

The basic form of a rondel dagger

The blade was made of steel, and was typically long and slim with a tapering needle point, measuring 12 inches (30 cm) or more; the whole dagger might be as long as 20 inches (50 cm). Rondel means round or circular; the dagger gets its name from its round (or similarly shaped, e.g. octagonal) hand guard and round or spherical pommel (knob on the end of the grip).

The blade's tang extended through the handle, which was cylindrical, normally carved from wood or bone. In cross section, the blade was usually diamond-shaped, lenticular, or triangular. These blades would have a sharpened point, and either one or both edges would also be sharpened. They were principally designed for use with a stabbing action, either underarm, or over arm with a reverse grip (think ice pick). They would also have been used for cutting. The long straight blade would not have lent itself to a slashing or sabre action. Rondel daggers were ideal in battle for puncturing chain mail, and although they would not have been able to punch through plate armour, they could be forced between the joints in a suit of armour and helmets. This was often the only way in which a heavily-armoured knight could be killed.

A few examples also exist of four-edged rondel daggers, the blade having a cruciform profile. These blades would not have been suited for cutting, or use as a general utility tool; they would have been worn as a side-arm in battle as a thrusting weapon, forshadowing the appearance of the stiletto in the 16th century.^[1]^[2] Rondel daggers which have survived and found their way into museums and collections are usually those with fine craftsmanship and often ornate decoration. The blades may be engraved, the grips ornately carved, and the hand guards and pommels highly decorated.

Usage

The roundel dagger evolves in the 14th century from the early knightly dagger of the 12th to 13th centuries, matching the evolution of full plate armour. By the 15th century it had become the standard side-arm for knights, and would have been carried into battles such as the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. They were a knight's backup weapon to be used in hand to hand fighting, and as such one of their last lines of defence. Since they were able to penetrate a suit of armour (at the joints, or through the visor of the helmet), rondel daggers could be used to force an unseated or wounded knight to surrender, for a knight might fetch a good ransom.

In the 15th century, the roundel dagger also rose to popularity among the emerging middle class. In a scene from a miniature by Girat de Roussillon depicting the construction of twelve churches in France (c. 1448), merchants and tradesmen can be seen wearing rondel daggers at their waists.

Hans Talhoffer in his combat manuals of the 1440s to 1460s includes numerous examples of techniques for fighting with the roundel dagger, both in unarmed combat and in single combat in armour.

References

^ Peterson, Harold, Daggers and Fighting Knives of the Western World, Dover Publications, ISBN 0486417433, 9780486417431 (2002), pp. 16-26
^ Ford, Roger, et al., Weapon: A Visual History of Arms and Armor, London: DK Publishing Inc., ISBN 0756622107, 9780756622107 (2006), pp. 69, 131

External links

Spotlight: The Rondel Dagger (myArmoury.com article)
Website about Talhoffers Fetchbuch
Overview of Medieval arms and armour - link broken 2005-12-20
Overview of the 15th century knight's weapons and armor

File:Example.jpg

[1] Peterson, Harold, Daggers and Fighting Knives of the Western World, Dover Publications, ISBN 0486417433, 9780486417431 (2002), pp. 16-26

[2] Ford, Roger, et al., Weapon: A Visual History of Arms and Armor, London: DK Publishing Inc., ISBN 0756622107, 9780756622107 (2006), pp. 69, 131

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 [[Image:Diagram of rondel dagger01.png|thumb|The basic form of a rondel dagger]]
 [[Image:HJRK A 48 - Scheibendolch, 1490-1500.jpg|thumb|Rondel dagger (Burgundy, c. 1500)]]
-The blade was made of [SQUIRRELS], and was typically long and slim with a tapering needle point, measuring 12 [[inch]]es (30 [[centimetre|cm]]) or more; the whole dagger might be as long as 20&nbsp;inches (50&nbsp;cm).  ''Rondel'' means round or [[circle|circular]]; the dagger gets its name from its round (or similarly shaped, e.g. [[octagon]]al) hand guard and round or [[sphere|spherical]] [[pommel]] (knob on the end of the grip).
+The blade was made of [[steel]], and was typically long and slim with a tapering needle point, measuring 12 [[inch]]es (30 [[centimetre|cm]]) or more; the whole dagger might be as long as 20&nbsp;inches (50&nbsp;cm).  ''Rondel'' means round or [[circle|circular]]; the dagger gets its name from its round (or similarly shaped, e.g. [[octagon]]al) hand guard and round or [[sphere|spherical]] [[pommel]] (knob on the end of the grip).
 The blade's tang extended through the handle, which was [[cylindrical]], normally carved from wood or bone.  In cross section, the blade was usually [[rhombus|diamond]]-shaped, [[Lens (geometry)|lenticular]], or [[triangular]].  These blades would have a sharpened point, and either one or both edges would also be sharpened.  They were principally designed for use with a stabbing action, either underarm, or over arm with a reverse grip (think ice pick).  They would also have been used for cutting.  The long straight blade would not have lent itself to a slashing or [[sabre]] action.  Rondel daggers were ideal in battle for puncturing [[Mail (armour)|chain mail]], and although they would not have been able to punch through [[plate armour]], they could be forced between the joints in a suit of armour and [[helmet]]s.  This was often the only way in which a heavily-armoured knight could be killed.

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Daggers	Anelace Applegate–Fairbairn fighting knife Arkansas toothpick BC-41 Bagh nakh Balarao Baselard Bichuwa Bollock dagger Cinquedea Dha Dirk Ear dagger Emeici Facón French Nail Gunong Hunting dagger Janbiya Jile Kabutowari Kaiken Kalis Katar Khanjali Khanjar Kris Kunai Liaoning dagger Mark I trench knife Microtech Jagdkommando Parrying dagger Poignard Pugio Push dagger Rondel dagger Seme Shobo Sica Stiletto Tantō U.S. Marine Raider stiletto V-42 Yoroi-dōshi
Manufacturers	Aitor Knife Company Al Mar Knives American Tomahawk Company Aritsugu Benchmade Böker Buck Knives Camillus Cutlery Company Cattaraugus Cutlery Company Chris Reeve Knives Chroma Cnife Clauss Cutlery Company Cobray Company Cold Steel Columbia River Knife & Tool Cuisinart Cutco Dalian Hanwei Metal Dexter-Russell Ek Commando Knife Co. EKA Emerson Knives F. Dick Fällkniven FAMAE Fiskars Gerber Legendary Blades Füritechnics Glock Ges.m.b.H. Imperial Schrade Ivan's Ka-Bar Kershaw Knives KitchenAid Korin Japanese Trading Company Kyocera Leatherman Mad Dog Knives Marble Arms Medford Knife and Tool Microtech Knives Morseth Muela Murphy Knives OLFA Ontario Knife Company Opinel Randall Made Knives Ranz Cuchillos Rösle Sabatier Shun Cutlery Slice, Inc. SOG Specialty Knives Spyderco STI Knives Strider Knives Thiers Issard TOPS Knives Tramontina Victorinox W. R. Case & Sons Cutlery Co. Carl Walther GmbH Wenger Western Knife Company Wilkinson Sword Wüsthof Yoshida Metal Industry Global Zero Tolerance Knives Zwilling J. A. Henckels
Knifemakers	Rex Applegate James Black Blackie Collins John Nelson Cooper Ernest Emerson Jerry Fisk Bill Harsey Jr. Phill Hartsfield Gil Hibben Jimmy Lile Bob Loveless William F. Moran Ken Onion Ralph Osterhout Bo Randall Chris Reeve A. G. Russell Jody Samson William Scagel Mike Snody Robert Terzuola Michael Walker Buster Warenski Daniel Winkler
Associations	American Bladesmith Society Cutlery and Allied Trades Research Association Knifemakers' Guild
Category:Knives / Daggers

Revision as of 19:14, 11 October 2011

Design and Construction

Usage

See also

References

External links