A classic Medieval Dagger
The Badger Dagger with a flint and steel
A weapon and tool that is often overlooked or even looked down upon in this modern age is the dagger. Throughout most of history, the dagger has been looked upon as a weapon and even a tool. Even as recently as the American Revolution and into WWI and WWII, the dagger has been a vital sidearm for soldiers. Used for both utilitarian purposes as well as the life and death struggle of combat.
Daggers are not as acceptable in this silly, overly emotional, immature modern society that is still such a by-product of the draconian thought control of the Victorian Period. Many people have a knee-jerk negative reaction when anything is called a “weapon”. As if people are so afraid of a word that they transfer an uncontrolled emotional response without any analysis or thought to an inanimate object. Spoons don’t make you fat, cars don’t make you speed, weapons don’t make you kill. A dagger is a weapon and a tool. Pure and simple.
A medieval dagger fit for a noble.
You can understand and accept that something is a weapon without condoning its use to injure or kill. One can appreciate the craftsmanship and design and materials of an object. One can appreciate the skill involved in its use. One can still dislike and be against its application as a weapon. This is not a contradiction. It is a mature separation of the aspects of an object.
A stag antler handled dagger.
Today’s post is a celebration of the dagger. As a weapon and as a tool and mostly as an object crafted by hand and meant for use.
