THE RONDEL DAGGER

The type of dagger studied at the Hotspur School of Defence is the Rondel, which was in common use from the 14th century onwards.

Typically it consisted of a very stiff blade, sharpened on either one or both edges, although a number were specifically designed for fighting in armour and had no edge at all - they were simply a diamond cross-section spike used for piercing blows.

The term Rondel is derived from the medieval English word ‘roundel’, meaning round or circular, and relates to the unique shape of the hand-guard which sits above and below the grip.

The guard itself allows the wielder to commit very powerful thrusts by acting as a brace to prevent the hand from slipping as it penetrates clothing or armour.

Our key primary source for the study of the Rondel is the MS Ludwig XV 13: Fior di Battaglia (The Flower of Battle) written by Fiore Furlan dei Liberi c.1409, but we also study other sources from the German school.

Find medieval combat sources and much more by visiting the excellent Wiktenauer HEMA resource portal