8.1 A Brief History of Weapons
735
cut in addition to this. There were, however, weapons designed to perform only one
of these tasks.
The most vivid example of pointed knives is the stiletto. At first, it was not considered to be a weapon or even a knife. The origin of stiletton is well-known. At first,
stylos was a tool for writing (scratching text) on wax tables. It was first made of bone
and later of metal and had a tip on one end and a spatula for erasing the written text
on the other. When wax tables gave way to parchments and goose feathers were used
for writing, the stylos gained a second life—they were used to scratch off the written,
correct mistakes and clean the text, removing accidental ink spots. The stylos were
a constant companion of scriveners, officials, and students. The latter contributed to
the creation of the ominous and notorious weapon—the stiletto. European students
of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance were a hungry and angry mob that lived
by its own laws and fended by any means possible. These means were often criminal in nature. Moreover, violent fights between citizens and students were a regular
thing. Regular brawls often progressed into real battles. Of course, a metal rod with a
pointy tip quickly became a part of the arsenal of brawlers, helping them to save the
situation. What could be more natural at that time than a stylus in a student’s hand?!
Since then, stiletto began its triumphant parade across the entire world.
Assassins were the first to see the true value of the possibilities provided by the
new weapon. The small-sized weapon (15–35 cm long and no more than 1.5 cm wide)
could be easily hidden in cloth folds, under the coat even behind a flap. As soon as
the assassin got within striking distance of the target, a stiletto immediately appeared
in his hand and left the poor victim with slim chances. It is almost impossible to
defend in such conditions. Even a chainmail under the cloth often could not save
the victim. Thin blade penetrated the body deeply between the rings. In order to
increase the killing power of the stiletto even more, smiths began to forge weapons
that resembled a three-pointed or a four-pointed star with concave edges in section.
A wound inflicted by such blade did not heal; when the wound channel started to
skin, the edges of the star opened up again; the septic fever began, and the victim died
in suffering. These stilettos became prototypes for famous Russian bayonets, which
forced the enemy to avoid a bayonet fight with Russian gunmen by any means.
The development of the technologies used to create protective devices of an armor
lead to a change in the design of the stiletto. A simple strike now couldn’t cut
through a steel armor. However, in a close unmounted combat stiletto still remained
an extremely effective weapon. However, the end of the handle, which had previously
resembled a small button, now became similar to a large nailhead. The new weapon
became known as rondel. The fighter aimed the attack at one of the joints of the
knight’s armor; after hitting the slot in the armor, he struck the head with his palm,
driving the dagger into the victim’s body.
Another later modification of the stiletto was the bombardier stiletto—fusetti.
Its blade contained a special scale, which helped the owner to quickly determine
the caliber of weapons and cannonballs (there was no artillery standardization back
in those times). Moreover, this stiletto was used to clear the filler hole of soot;
if necessary, it could also be used to quickly disable a cannon. For this purpose, a
735
cut in addition to this. There were, however, weapons designed to perform only one
of these tasks.
The most vivid example of pointed knives is the stiletto. At first, it was not considered to be a weapon or even a knife. The origin of stiletton is well-known. At first,
stylos was a tool for writing (scratching text) on wax tables. It was first made of bone
and later of metal and had a tip on one end and a spatula for erasing the written text
on the other. When wax tables gave way to parchments and goose feathers were used
for writing, the stylos gained a second life—they were used to scratch off the written,
correct mistakes and clean the text, removing accidental ink spots. The stylos were
a constant companion of scriveners, officials, and students. The latter contributed to
the creation of the ominous and notorious weapon—the stiletto. European students
of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance were a hungry and angry mob that lived
by its own laws and fended by any means possible. These means were often criminal in nature. Moreover, violent fights between citizens and students were a regular
thing. Regular brawls often progressed into real battles. Of course, a metal rod with a
pointy tip quickly became a part of the arsenal of brawlers, helping them to save the
situation. What could be more natural at that time than a stylus in a student’s hand?!
Since then, stiletto began its triumphant parade across the entire world.
Assassins were the first to see the true value of the possibilities provided by the
new weapon. The small-sized weapon (15–35 cm long and no more than 1.5 cm wide)
could be easily hidden in cloth folds, under the coat even behind a flap. As soon as
the assassin got within striking distance of the target, a stiletto immediately appeared
in his hand and left the poor victim with slim chances. It is almost impossible to
defend in such conditions. Even a chainmail under the cloth often could not save
the victim. Thin blade penetrated the body deeply between the rings. In order to
increase the killing power of the stiletto even more, smiths began to forge weapons
that resembled a three-pointed or a four-pointed star with concave edges in section.
A wound inflicted by such blade did not heal; when the wound channel started to
skin, the edges of the star opened up again; the septic fever began, and the victim died
in suffering. These stilettos became prototypes for famous Russian bayonets, which
forced the enemy to avoid a bayonet fight with Russian gunmen by any means.
The development of the technologies used to create protective devices of an armor
lead to a change in the design of the stiletto. A simple strike now couldn’t cut
through a steel armor. However, in a close unmounted combat stiletto still remained
an extremely effective weapon. However, the end of the handle, which had previously
resembled a small button, now became similar to a large nailhead. The new weapon
became known as rondel. The fighter aimed the attack at one of the joints of the
knight’s armor; after hitting the slot in the armor, he struck the head with his palm,
driving the dagger into the victim’s body.
Another later modification of the stiletto was the bombardier stiletto—fusetti.
Its blade contained a special scale, which helped the owner to quickly determine
the caliber of weapons and cannonballs (there was no artillery standardization back
in those times). Moreover, this stiletto was used to clear the filler hole of soot;
if necessary, it could also be used to quickly disable a cannon. For this purpose, a