Stiletto knives. Automatic melee weapons

• Stiletto (Italian stiletto from Latin stilus - “writing stick”, “sharp rod”) is a piercing edged weapon, a dagger of Italian origin with a straight cross and a thin and narrow blade, in the classic version without a cutting edge (blade). The cross section of the blade can be round, oval, three- (most often) or tetrahedral with valleys and stiffeners or flat edges, blades are usually absent. Found distribution from the beginning of the XVI century, during the Renaissance, but was known earlier. The small size of the stiletto allowed it to be discreetly worn under clothing or disguised in various objects, which is why it was popular with assassins and conspirators, as well as women. In military affairs, the stiletto was used as an additional weapon or a weapon of self-defense against an enemy dressed in armor.

  The forerunner of the stiletto is the so-called "dagger of mercy", or misericorde (fr. miséricorde), used to finish off the enemy and in case of fighting in armor. Small size, convenient shape and excellent sharpness allowed him to most easily penetrate through the joints of knightly armor, between shell scales or chain mail rings, thereby ending the torment of a wounded dying warrior. It appeared in Europe in the 12th century and was a dagger 20-40 cm long, with a 3-4-sided blade. The same weapon was also available in Japan, where it also appeared by the 12th century. and was called yoroi doshi ("armor piercer").

  Later, at the beginning of the 16th century, such weapons as the stiletto appeared in Italian cities. It is believed that the reason for its appearance was dueling fights, where a dagger with a narrow blade was used as a weapon of the left hand. They repelled the attacks of rapiers and swords. In this capacity, a narrow dagger under the name "daga" with a cross-shaped guard with hooks, in which the blade of a sword or rapier was caught, became widespread. The sizes of dags varied depending on the manufacturers. The Spanish dagger of the 17th century had a total length of 270 mm, a blade - 180 mm, and a thickness of 5 mm. The German stiletto of the 17th century reached a length of 390 mm, the length and thickness of the blade were 260 and 10 mm, respectively. The total length of the French stylet of the same time is 475 mm, the blade is 350 mm with a thickness of 5 mm. After the disappearance of knightly armor and heavy swords, the weight and length of the blade decreased somewhat, the daga lost its guard and turned into the stiletto we know with a thin blade and a straight cross.

  The stylet was also used by gunners, who pierced a cap with gunpowder with a thin and long blade through the priming hole of the gun, after which the priming powder could more easily ignite the charge.

In the classic version without a cutting edge (blade). The cross section of the blade can be round, oval, three- (most often) or tetrahedral with valleys and stiffeners or flat edges, blades are usually absent. Found distribution from the beginning of the XVI century, during the Renaissance, however, it was known earlier. The small size of the stiletto allowed it to be discreetly worn under clothing or disguised in various objects, which is why it was popular with assassins and conspirators, as well as women. In military affairs, the stiletto was used as an additional weapon or a weapon of self-defense against an enemy dressed in armor.

The forerunner of the stylet is the so-called "dagger of mercy", or misericord (fr. misericorde), used to finish off the enemy and in the case of fighting in armor. Small size, convenient shape and excellent sharpness allowed him to most easily penetrate through the joints of knightly armor, between shell scales or chain mail rings, thereby ending the torment of a wounded dying warrior. It appeared in Europe in the 12th century and was a dagger 20-40 cm long, with a 3-4-sided blade. The same weapon was available in Japan, where it also appeared by the 12th century. and had a name yoroi doshi("armor piercer").

Known Stylet Uses

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An excerpt characterizing the Stiletto

Pelageya Danilovna Melyukova, a broad, energetic woman, in glasses and a swinging bonnet, sat in the living room, surrounded by her daughters, whom she tried not to let get bored. They quietly poured wax and looked at the shadows of the coming out figures, when steps and voices of visitors rustled in the front.
Hussars, ladies, witches, payas, bears, clearing their throats and wiping their frost-covered faces in the hall, entered the hall, where candles were hurriedly lit. Clown - Dimmler with the mistress - Nikolai opened the dance. Surrounded by screaming children, mummers, covering their faces and changing their voices, bowed to the hostess and moved around the room.
"Oh, you can't find out! And Natasha is! Look who she looks like! Right, it reminds me of someone. Eduard then Karlych how good! I didn't recognize. Yes, how she dances! Ah, fathers, and some kind of Circassian; right, how goes Sonyushka. Who else is this? Well, consoled! Take the tables, Nikita, Vanya. And we were so quiet!
- Ha ha ha! ... Hussar then, hussar then! Like a boy, and legs!… I can’t see… – voices were heard.
Natasha, the favorite of the young Melyukovs, disappeared together with them into the back rooms, where a cork was demanded and various dressing gowns and men's dresses, which, through the open door, received bare girlish hands from the footman. Ten minutes later, all the youth of the Melyukov family joined the mummers.
Pelageya Danilovna, having disposed of clearing the place for the guests and refreshments for the gentlemen and servants, without taking off her glasses, with a suppressed smile, walked among the mummers, looking closely into their faces and not recognizing anyone. She did not recognize not only the Rostovs and Dimmler, but she could not recognize either her daughters or those husband's dressing gowns and uniforms that were on them.
- And whose is this? she said, turning to her governess and looking into the face of her daughter, who represented the Kazan Tatar. - It seems that someone from the Rostovs. Well, you, mister hussar, in which regiment do you serve? she asked Natasha. “Give the Turk some marshmallows,” she said to the bartender who was scolding, “this is not forbidden by their law.
Sometimes, looking at the strange but funny steps performed by the dancers, who decided once and for all that they were dressed up, that no one would recognize them and therefore were not embarrassed, Pelageya Danilovna covered herself with a scarf, and her whole fat body was shaking from the irrepressible kind, old woman's laughter . - Sachinet is mine, Sachinet is mine! she said.
After Russian dances and round dances, Pelageya Danilovna united all the servants and gentlemen together, in one large circle; they brought a ring, a rope and a ruble, and general games were arranged.
After an hour, all the costumes were wrinkled and upset. Cork mustaches and eyebrows smeared over sweaty, flushed, and cheerful faces. Pelageya Danilovna began to recognize the mummers, admired how well the costumes were made, how they went especially to the young ladies, and thanked everyone for having so amused her. The guests were invited to dine in the living room, and in the hall they ordered refreshments for the courtyards.
- No, guessing in the bathhouse, that's scary! said the old girl who lived with the Melyukovs at dinner.
- From what? asked the eldest daughter of the Melyukovs.
- Don't go, it takes courage...
"I'll go," Sonya said.
- Tell me, how was it with the young lady? - said the second Melyukova.
- Yes, just like that, one young lady went, - said the old girl, - she took a rooster, two appliances - as it should, she sat down. She sat, only hears, suddenly rides ... with bells, with bells, a sleigh drove up; hears, goes. Enters completely in the form of a human, as an officer, he came and sat down with her at the device.
- BUT! Ah! ... - Natasha screamed, rolling her eyes in horror.
“But how does he say that?”
- Yes, like a man, everything is as it should be, and he began, and began to persuade, and she should have kept him talking to the roosters; and she made money; – only zarobela and closed hands. He grabbed her. It's good that the girls came running here ...
- Well, what to scare them! said Pelageya Danilovna.
“Mother, you yourself guessed ...” said the daughter.

March 15, 44 B.C. e. Gaius Julius Caesar was stabbed to death by conspiring senators. The attackers inflicted 23 blows on the commander with a sword. According to Suetonius, Caesar defended himself only with a "stylus" or "stylus" - a sharp metal stick for writing on wax - with which he pierced the hand of one of the conspirators. After 15 centuries, the stiletto will appear in Italy - a weapon that, ironically, will be considered more of an ideal tool for professional assassins than a means of self-defense. The author of the site, Yuri Kukin, tells the story of one of the most beautiful and deadly daggers.

The stiletto appeared in northern Italy in the 15th century.

The connection between a writing instrument and a bladed weapon can be traced only in its name: the word "stiletto" comes from the Italian stiletto, which in turn is rooted in the Latin stilus - the same "writing stick". The stylus as a writing instrument was widespread in Europe until the late Middle Ages: in the middle of the XIV century, the production of paper becomes cheaper, so the need for wax tablets and styluses disappears.

Roman stylus on wax tablet

At the same time in Europe, the development of armor was followed by the transformation of weapons. Fighting only with a broad sword through slashing blows is no longer enough, since the warrior is protected from head to toe by heavy armor. In the XIV century, plate armor was common. In order to break through powerful shells and armor, narrow blades appear that can be used to inflict piercing, penetrating blows, for example, at the points of adhesion of armor. Therefore, it is believed that the forerunner of the stylet was the so-called "dagger of mercy" - "misericord", and in Japan such a weapon was known as "yoroi doshi" - the crusher of armor. Since the 12th century, these daggers have been used for quick and painless killing of the enemy and for finishing off.

The forerunner of the stiletto was the "dagger of mercy"

"Dagger of Mercy"

The stiletto was considered more of a weapon of the townspeople. In the 15th century, in northern Italy, the townspeople could not carry edged weapons. Therefore, there was a need for a small compact blade that could always be carried with you. Unlike the large daggers that were in fashion among the nobility and which they wore as an indicator of status, the stiletto with an average blade size of 200 mm could be hidden in a boot or in clothing: the blade was narrow and often, being triangular or rhombic in shape, did not have a cutting edge.

Stylet

The wound that remained after the stylet hit was very small, did not lead to profuse bleeding, and healed for a very long time. Therefore, the stiletto quickly fell in love with professional killers and secured the glory of an insidious weapon (the stiletto blade was also often smeared with poison). However, for its small size and thin blade, the stiletto was also called the "ladies' dagger", I must say, it is quite justified.

fusetto

For its small size and thin blade, the stylet was called the "ladies' dagger"

However, since the second half of the 17th century, only artillerymen had the right to wear stilettos. The blades of artillery daggers, which were called fuseto, were made with a special scale - Cattaneo. The scale was from 1 to 120 with notches between them. It is believed that it could be used either to accurately measure portions of gunpowder, or to measure the angle of pointing cannons, as well as to determine the caliber of artillery pieces. With the tip of the fusetto, it was possible to clean the ignition hole or pierce the charging cap, and if there was a risk of the enemy capturing the gun, then the end of the blade simply broke off inside the hole so that the gun could not fire.

Stiletto-compass

Nevertheless, despite the prohibitions on carrying weapons, stilettos remained popular until the first half of the 20th century: they could be worn secretly, sometimes even disguised as an instrument (for example, compasses). The stiletto was used in both the First and Second World Wars: the “dagger in the sleeve” was loved by the employees of the British and American intelligence services.

And a sharp, needle-like point. It was mainly used as a stabbing weapon.

The narrow cross-section of the stylet blade and thin point reduce friction when thrusting by reducing the area of ​​contact surfaces, allowing the blade to penetrate deeper without unnecessary effort. Some classify the stiletto as a cutting dagger, but most of them are specialized only as thrusting weapons, not intended for cutting or cutting, even if the blades are sharp. Over time, the term "stiletto" came to be used as a general descriptive term for various types of knives, the distinguishing feature of which is the presence of narrow and thin cutting surfaces of the blade, as well as a needle point.

Origin of stylet

For the first time this type of weapon was developed in Italy. The term "stiletto" dates from around the end of the 15th century, and is considered a late replica of the rondel dagger or misericordium dagger, being an awl-shaped knife with a narrow blade, designed primarily for thrusting, although it sometimes possessed cutting blades. Initially, the early replicas of the stiletto used a solid metal handle turned on a lathe (which already existed in the 15th century). The stylet blade was usually forged to a hard, sharp rod with a narrow, triangular cross-section, without sharpened edges. However, other specimens of the period also had round, square, or polyhedral cross sections.

The Italian word 'stiletto' comes from the Latin 'Stilus', which refers to a thin Roman writing instrument used in ancient times to write on wax or clay tablets. The stiletto began to gain prominence during the late Middle Ages, when it became widely used as an auxiliary weapon for knights. Initially developed only as an offensive weapon, the stiletto was also used to finish off a fallen or badly wounded, often armored, enemy. The needle-like blade could easily pierce through most chainmail or find its way through gaps in a knight's armor. It was also narrow enough to pass through the viewing slots of a helmeted warrior. A badly wounded adversary, who was not expected to survive, received a "blow of mercy", in French "coup de grâce" (mortal blow). From here came the name of the dagger "misericordia" (fr. misericorde - "mercy, mercy"). Later, for gunners, the stiletto was used to clean cannon fuse holes and became a tool for checking cannon fuses. Sometimes stilettos had a graduated scale on the blade to check the level of powder charge to control the distance of the shot, and were used like a modern oil dipstick in a car.

Use of the stylet as an offensive weapon

The stiletto was perceived throughout Italy as the most common type of attacking stabbing knife (arma manesca), mainly among medieval assassins. In this regard, the stylet was banned by the authorities, because it was something like a "treacherous" weapon (arma insidiosa). Such a dagger was preferred by the Assassins because it was a quiet and compact weapon that could easily be hidden inside a sleeve or under a jacket. The design of the blade also made it easier to penetrate heavy clothing made of leather or thick fabric, inflicting fatal wounds that tended to bleed less than those inflicted by other types of blades. In Italy, from the 16th century, the stylet began to be used as a military weapon along with daggers of other designs. Opera Nova (a dueling treatise from 1536 by Achille Marozzo, an Italian fencing master) contains sections on fighting with cutting daggers and stilettos. By the early Renaissance, the term stiletto was being used to describe a set of thin stabbing knives that closely resembled the French poignard. In many ways, the blades of these daggers had a familiar profile, with sharpened edges, but being always narrow, the stilettos ended in a needle-like point. Sometimes, to lighten the dagger, a dol was made on the middle part of the blade.

The stiletto remained a popular weapon for criminals and assassins from the 16th century until the end of the 19th century, especially in France, Corsica and Italy. Although the stiletto was used as a stealth weapon and directly for killing, its use as an attacking dagger in close combat, during a clash of opponents, was widespread throughout Italy, Sardinia and Corsica. The continued popularity of the stylet in the Kingdom of Sicily led to the development of the "scherma di stiletto siciliano" (Sicilian School of Stylet Fighting). An expert in the use of the stylet would plunge the knife deep into the victim, then, before taking it out, sharply turn the blade in various directions, causing serious internal damage to the opponent with the sharp end, not obvious when examining the entry hole of the wound.

This kind of dagger came to America with the first wave of Italian immigration, to the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the middle of the 19th century. This knife has become a popular weapon among gamblers, members of gangs and various kinds of murderers. The dagger was used so much in stabbing and murder that the city of New Orleans issued an ordinance in 1879 banning the sale of stilettos within city limits. However, Italian immigrants in America often purchased or made such knives for self-defense as well. The stiletto was also used by anarchists and members of various Black Hand (extortionist) groups whose goals included killing Italian Americans and other people who either oppose the Black Hand or ignore the demands of blackmail.

World War I

Due to the need for effective hand-to-hand combat in the trenches during the First World War, a new need arose for stabbing weapons. This fact contributed to the revival of daggers and stilettos as melee weapons. At that time, there were many versions of stylet-like knives, some were made individually by soldiers, while others were provided as standard weapons. On the Allied side, the bayonet of the French Lebel M1886 rifle was often shortened and converted into a stabbing knife. These weapons were used to eliminate sentries in trench raids, as well as for personal defense. As a class, these daggers were called "trench knives".

The Second World War

During the Second World War, interest in stilettos arose as combat knives for airborne sabotage units, as well as for other branches of the military who needed weapons to silently eliminate the enemy. In late 1940, famed British hand-to-hand combat instructors William E. Fairbairn and Eric A. Sykes designed the "Fairbairn-Sykes Combat Dagger". It was a double-edged dagger with a long, narrow blade, designed for optimal penetration when delivering a thrusting blow. However, the design of this type of combat knife made it possible to deliver cutting blows if the blades were well sharpened.

Other replicas of the "Fairbairn-Sykes fighting dagger" soon appeared. For example, the "American Naval Raider Stiletto", which was designed on the basis of the "Fairbairn-Sykes Combat Dagger" and the "V-42 Stiletto". This type of weapon was originally developed for inflicting cutting blows in addition to stabbing.

1950s: Folding knives and switch stilettos

In the 1950s, more folding and automatic knives with a blade lock were imported from Italy to the United States. The main part of these knives had a design in which the blade was extended to the side, the rest used a throw-out mechanism. These Italian switchblade knives were also popularly called "stilettos", as most of them had a tapering needle point, a long and thin blade, simplified limiter protrusions, and a narrow handle. Most of these Italian switch stilettos now used a distinctive bayonet-like blade. One of his blades was half-sharpened, while the other served as a false blade. The switchblade stiletto, similar to the medieval one, was optimized for offensive combat, for thrusting rather than cutting. Most of these knives were designed with a locking device that locked the blade in the open position. This type of lock, in combination with the profile of the stylet blade, allowed the knife to be used as an effective stabbing weapon (unlike most American folding knife prototypes of the time). Although most switch stilettos used a blade with one blade and sharpened the other edge of the blade as a false blade, there are many replicas of this type of weapon. The stiletto with a switchblade is produced in our time in Italy, as well as in many other countries. Now this type of weapon has many derivatives of folding knives that include similar types of point profile, both stylet and bayonet. This category also includes some knives with a spring-assisted mechanism. There are examples without fixation, as well as without blocking the blade.

For connoisseurs of elegant blades capable of simultaneously performing 2-5 functions, our store provides an opportunity to buy Italian stiletto switchblade knives at competitive prices. Such products are durable and environmentally friendly materials. They are easy to store and carry, and comfortable to use for domestic purposes and for personal safety. Stiletto-type cutting tools will become an exquisite addition to the collection and will decorate the interior, designed in a classic style, high-tech, modern, etc.

History in steel

Stilettos are one of the five types of knives, the configuration of which has been preserved unchanged in the 21st century. Blades of this type have been known since the 12th century AD. The only improvement that has affected modern models is sharpening. The first stylet blades had a round or rhombic configuration and were not used for cutting. It was a military weapon. Today, these knives are endowed with standard features for comfortable use in everyday life and outdoors.

Classical Italian products became folding only by the 18th century. By this time, the configuration of this device has acquired a specific shape. The stylet is classified according to several features:

Blade 4-6 mm thick, owing its configuration to the original models, which were intended for parrying swords and rapiers and for inflicting damage through armor.

An oblong, symmetrical point, with which small cuts and cuts from a depth of 1 cm are carried out, often necessary for the careful removal of small details and flaws. This property of stylet-type blades is identical to that of tanto knives. The point of the Japanese blades of the tantoid variety is also distinguished by increased strength.

Thanks to the reinforced ricasso (pre-handle part of the blade), the load of the blade to the maximum will not damage its condition. This elegant knife can withstand weights up to 20-30 kg.

The massive hilt has remained in the design of the cutting accessory since the time when the maneuvers of sabers, rapiers, swords and pikes were parried with the help of a stiletto. Most folding models are endowed with this element, which provides a separate space for locking mechanisms.

The length of the handle makes it comfortable to use folding stilettos by moving the palm to the desired position along the thin, durable and long handle.

Everything about this blade is perfect. It is durable, highly aesthetic, has a long and honorable history. To buy Italian stiletto switchblade knives means to be 100% fully equipped.