Stilettos

Jim McDougall · 15th September 2020, 06:21 PM

Udo, now thats what I call a beautiful 'floral' arrangement!
Stilettos are a fascinating dagger, and there are of course many ideas about how they were in use, and what period etc.
Most interesting are the 'bombardier or gunner' versions which had the often mysterious calibrations graduated on the blade. It seems some of these had curious figures which were said to to represent certain measures used in the 'art' of gunnery.

There is of course the theory that the narrow blade was the perfect size to 'spike' the touch hole of cannon in case of a battery being overrun. It seems a shame that such a beautiful dagger would be deliberately sacrificed for this mundane purpose, better to have a plain spike handy.....but then nobody 'planned' to be overrun.

Anything specific on the examples in this 'arrangement'.?

15th September 2020, 06:21 PM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,459	Udo, now thats what I call a beautiful 'floral' arrangement! Stilettos are a fascinating dagger, and there are of course many ideas about how they were in use, and what period etc. Most interesting are the 'bombardier or gunner' versions which had the often mysterious calibrations graduated on the blade. It seems some of these had curious figures which were said to to represent certain measures used in the 'art' of gunnery. There is of course the theory that the narrow blade was the perfect size to 'spike' the touch hole of cannon in case of a battery being overrun. It seems a shame that such a beautiful dagger would be deliberately sacrificed for this mundane purpose, better to have a plain spike handy.....but then nobody 'planned' to be overrun. Anything specific on the examples in this 'arrangement'.?