Book I just picked up about knives daggers and bayonets

[Kardall]

http://www.amazon.ca/Illustrated-Encyclopedia-Knives-Daggers-Bayonets/dp/075481890X

That is the book I got, so if anyone has any questions about what is in it, go ahead and ask them if I don't answering thus.

246 Chapters segmented into topics such as:

• 17th-century main-gauche daggers
• Georgian Dirks
• Survival weapons of World War II and after
• Indo-Persian Khanjars
• Japanese daggers

I will give an example of one of the coolest things I have seen so far in the book that really intrigued me, and made me want to buy it.

Spanish stiletto dividers, c.1700-50

*Not the picture in the book but, this is what it is:

The Picture listed is a knife only (white background) so you can see the profile really well, and it's really really clear and detailed. it looks exactly like the one there, so it may be just pictures from a historical museum or something similar of that nature, for every sword in the book so far that I have seen.

It contains a write-up of the item, such as it's intended use in that era and the graphic has points indicating design details such as etched and gilt decorations, splitting blade and pivoting joint.

I think it is a great resource if you want to go through and find a style of blade, and get some inspirations or try to re-create one of that era

 

[Frosty]

Wow, that certainly looks like an excellent resource especially for the bladesmith. I wonder if the local library will ILL a copy?

Frosty The Lucky.

[ThomasPowers]

Have you browsed through 

A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration and Use of Arms and Armor: in All Countries and in All Times by George Cameron Stone 

Not the most authoritative source but a great staring place to find weird stuff.

[Kardall]

I will give that one a shot as well

For the items it lists the lengths of the full piece, and when you go to the Bayonet area, it's funny. The French have some of the largest bayonets, like they were compensating for something hurhurhur

But there is a 19th Century Combination Knives section with 4 entries.

Belgian Knife Pistol, c 1870

This is similar to it:

Now, I've seen a lot of pictures and movie's with knife pistols, and most of the time it's a pistol grip with a blade ont he side of the barrel or something like that, but I have never seen anything like that before. That's pretty cray cray.

[ThomasPowers]

Might like  "A Wheellock Dagger from the Court of the Medici"  Arms & Armor Annual Vol 1 (and only sigh)  it actually shot out the tip of the dagger with the barrel being bored through the center of the diamond cross-section blade and the tip having a shaft on it like a harpoon, that fit down the barrel.  IIRC the grip turned to wind up the lock.

[basher]

The auther of that bookDr Tobias Capwell is the curator of the Arms and armour at the wallace collection, in london. He knows his swords and daggers. He also Jousts and has a deeper interest in the manufacture of modern arms and armour than I have come across with other museum curators. A very fine fellow indeed.

 

If you are ever in london the Wallace collection is a must see....

[ThomasPowers]

Yes a truly magnificent collection from back when money could really buy stuff!