It is known that throughout its history, mankind has created a huge number of edged weapons. It is generally recognized that among the various pricking and cutting products, the stylet is very effective. This edged weapon dates back to the 16th century. The birthplace of the blade is considered to be Europe. The meaning of the word "stylet", the origin of the blade, and also what it is, is described in the article.
Acquaintance
A stylet is a cold piercing weapon. Translated from Italian stilus - "sharp rod." Thus, we can conclude that the stylet is a knife for which a thin and narrow blade is provided. Since this product is considered a stabbing weapon, there is a straight cross in its design. Its task is to prevent the hand from slipping off the handle at the moment of impact.
About the features of the blade
A stylet is a certain type of knife with a limited scope of use. The limitations of the weapon’s functionality are due to its design features. Unlike other knives, the stylet is not equipped with a cutting edge. Often they confuse him with a dagger. However, a dagger is characterized by the presence of a double-edged blade. There is no such thing in the stylet. With such a blade it is impossible to cut anything. A stylet is a weapon that can only be used for stabbing.
About the "dagger of mercy"
The predecessor of the stylet is misericord, or the "dagger of mercy." He received this name because it was intended to finish off the enemy.
In addition, misericords were used for stabbing during knightly fights. Due to its small size, convenient shape and excellent sharpness, this blade easily penetrated through scales and rings of chain mail or other joints in knightly armor.
According to historians, the “dagger of mercy” appeared in the 12th century. The product was a trihedral or tetrahedral blade with a length of 200 to 400 mm. Starting in the 12th century, Japanese soldiers used similar weapons. The Japanese version of the stylet was called "Heroes Doshi" ("piercer of armor").
About Italian stabbing knife
The 16th century was the period when the stylet first appeared. This product has been used before, however, it was during the Renaissance that this blade was widely used. Italian craftsmen made a large assortment of stilettos. Knives could have round, oval, trihedral (rarely tetrahedral) sections. Special dales were provided in the blades, which are mainly called “bloodthirsty” among fans of cold steel weapons. These stitches were equipped with stiffeners and flat faces. Mostly stilettos of classical samples did not have a sharpened blade.
About European Styles
In Europe in the 16th century, dueling became more frequent. Knives were used as weapons by duelists.
However, they differed from classic knives by the absence of sharpened edges. According to historians, this was the impetus for the appearance of stylet. Initially, Italians used dagi in such battles - narrow daggers equipped with a cross guard. In addition, the design of the blade was characterized by the presence of a special hook, with which it is convenient to repel the blow with a rapier or sword.
A similar product in the 17th century appeared in Spain. The size of the stylet did not exceed 27 cm. The length of the blade was 18 cm, and the thickness was 5 mm. Other characteristics were inherent in stylets made in Germany. In the German stabbing cold weapon, the blade length was longer than in the Spanish counterpart, and was 26 cm. The size of the entire product did not exceed 39 cm. The blade thickness was also increased to 1 cm.
The biggest stilettos were French samples. The whole size was 475 mm, and the blade length was 35 cm. The thickness remained the same as in the Spanish version - 5 mm. After knightly armor and heavy swords were a thing of the past, the design of the first stylet underwent some changes. Instead of a massive guard in the knife, we decided to use a neat thin crosspiece. It is in this version that the stylet is known to the current consumer.
Who was used?
Due to their small size, the stilettos are very convenient for discreet wearing. As an effective means of self-defense, such blades were also used by women. For centuries, stilettos have earned the notoriety of weapons of professional killers. Since their use required a firm hand and knowledge of vulnerabilities in the human body, they were also called "kidney knives."
This is absolutely justified, since the stilettos were really used by assassins and conspirators. Another area of application of the blade has become military affairs. However, in the army, stilettos were used as additional weapons. With a narrow and long blade, it was convenient for the gunners to pierce the seed holes in the guns - for better ignition of the charge. Blades were used during hand-to-hand combat. According to one version, with the help of a stylet they finished off seriously wounded soldiers.
Our days
Stilettos are made by many manufacturing companies. A wide range of stabbing products is presented on the knife market, which are in great demand among cold steel lovers. There are several categories of stylet that differ from each other in their sizes. For example, the classic version can be from 300 to 350 mm. The dimensions of combat samples vary between 160-200 mm. The length of the hunting stylet is no more than 200 mm. For convenient wearing piercing guns, special sheaths are provided. They are mounted mainly on the leg or on the belt. However, the option of hidden wearing a stylet in the folds of clothes is not excluded.
Automatic edged weapons
Today, consumers are in great demand with automatic knives. For these products, the blades are hidden in the handles and securely fixed. Their removal or ejection occurs after pressing a special button or lever. This is convenient enough to do with one hand. Among the wide assortment of various knife products, the flick stylet is very popular.
Judging by the numerous positive reviews, the Grand Way is considered a “high-end” product of very high quality. The total size of the stylet is no more than 23 cm. The length of the handle is 13 cm. The thickness of the blade is 0.3 cm. The blade is made of stainless steel grade 440C. The indicator of its hardness is in the range of 57-58 HRS. The stylet is equipped with an S-shaped guard and a Liner Lock. The handle consists of metal and wooden elements.
Judging by the reviews of the owners, this stylet does not depend on environmental conditions and is completely not affected by corrosion processes. Use of a reliable clamp ensures safe use of the blade. Externally, the stylet looks very impressive and is considered a good gift for a cold weapon lover.