German kidney dagger with sheath, 16th century 0216201500

The kidney dagger or testicle dagger ( bollock dagger / ballock dagger ) owes its rather peculiar name to the two distinctive spherical or egg-shaped thickenings or protuberances that form the hand guard and give the handguard a distinctive phallic look. This particular type of medieval dagger spread throughout Europe and appeared in countless variants during its unusually long life, which spanned from the late Middle Ages (14th century) to the Renaissance. In the British Isles it existed in modified forms ( dudgeon dagger in England and dirk in Scotland) even into the 17th and 18th century. Century.

This stabbing weapon, usually carried as a side weapon in addition to one's sword or rapier , enjoyed great popularity among knights, as its tapered blade with a sharp point was ideally suited for piercing through padded armour and chain mail in close combat, or for cutting through the gaps in one's opponent 's plate armour . Not only was it a deadly instrument, it also served as an elegant display of its bearer's wealth, and knights and wealthy citizens often carried their elaborately crafted and richly decorated daggers with them as a status symbol.

The blade of this beautiful and elegant reconstruction of a 16th-century German dagger is made of EN45 spring steel, has a diamond-shaped cross-section and tapers evenly to a sharp point. The cutting edges are not sharpened and the tang is screwed to the end of the handle. The handle with its characteristic double-lobed guard was carved from a single piece of wood and reinforced with brass fittings with an antique finish – an end cap decorated with crosses and an equally magnificent, downward-curving guard with ram-shaped ends.

The knight's dagger is delivered with a vegetable-tanned leather sheath carefully sewn with a leather cord for attaching to the belt. The cross and ram's head motifs that adorn the pommel and guard can be found on the beautiful bronze cap.

It should be noted that this Renaissance dagger is not suitable for display combat. It is designed as a collector's item or decorative object and is also ideal as an accessory, for example to complete your costume.

Details:
- Material: EN45 spring steel blade (carbon steel, not stainless), antique finished brass knob and guard, wooden handle
- Total length: approx. 36.5cm
- Blade length: approx.22.2 cm
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Blade thickness: approx. 5 mm / 3.5 mm (cutting edge approx. 0.6 mm) - Handle length: approx. 14.3 cm / 16.5 cm with decorative dots (handle area approx. 9 cm)
- Maximum blade width: approx. 1.4 cm
- centre of gravity: approx. -1.5 cm (at the handle, at the level of the stop)
- including genuine leather sheath with brass coating (antique finish) and leather cord
- weight without sheath: approx. 200 g
- Weight with sheath: approx. 260 g

The above specifications may vary slightly from item to item.