Uploaded May 2023 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Today, we're beating a dead horse.
You've already heard from Matt Easton, Leo Todeschini, Skallagrim and more about this topic, but allow me to wax poetic about a specific late medieval example of medieval imperfection.
This dagger is likely from 1490, and Flemish. The low countries (such as Belgium) experienced their transition from medieval to renaissance between approximately 1500 and 1550, so this dagger dates from a period during which great attention was paid to artistry.
AND YET, the blade is askew. It is not perfectly aligned with the guard, or the grip. And that was okay, even though it made edge alignment more difficult.
Modern standards are not the same as historical standards, and part of that comes down to the sheer number of swords, daggers and other arms and armor that needed to be produced in order to meet the demands of the era.
Modern reproductions primarily serve collectors, or sportspeople in the case of fencing swords. Historical weapons were used, in anger and in war. Standards were sometimes necessarily relaxed in order to meet that high demand.
Related Content:
Matts video - youtube.com/watch?v=NaDmY4jaatI
Tods video - youtube.com/watch?v=YXQCWSgP0Ps
Skalls video - youtube.com/watch?v=xTUWGbjcC_k
Today, we're beating a dead horse.
You've already heard from Matt Easton, Leo Todeschini, Skallagrim and more about this topic, but allow me to wax poetic about a specific late medieval example of medieval imperfection.
This dagger is likely from 1490, and Flemish. The low countries (such as Belgium) experienced their transition from medieval to renaissance between approximately 1500 and 1550, so this dagger dates from a period during which great attention was paid to artistry.
AND YET, the blade is askew. It is not perfectly aligned with the guard, or the grip. And that was okay, even though it made edge alignment more difficult.
Modern standards are not the same as historical standards, and part of that comes down to the sheer number of swords, daggers and other arms and armor that needed to be produced in order to meet the demands of the era.
Modern reproductions primarily serve collectors, or sportspeople in the case of fencing swords. Historical weapons were used, in anger and in war. Standards were sometimes necessarily relaxed in order to meet that high demand.
Related Content:
Matts video - youtube.com/watch?v=NaDmY4jaatI
Tods video - youtube.com/watch?v=YXQCWSgP0Ps
Skalls video - youtube.com/watch?v=xTUWGbjcC_k
