Usage
The roundel dagger evolves in the 14th century from the early knightly dagger of the 12th to 13th centuries, matching the evolution of full plate armour. By the 15th century it had become the standard side-arm for knights, and would have been carried into battles such as the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. They were a knight's backup weapon to be used in hand to hand fighting, and as such one of their last lines of defense. Since they were able to penetrate a suit of armour (at the joints, or through the visor of the helmet), rondel daggers could be used to force an unseated or wounded knight to surrender, for a knight might fetch a good ransom.
In the 15th century, the roundel dagger also rose to popularity among the emerging middle class. In a scene from a miniature by Girat de Roussillon depicting the construction of twelve churches in France (c. 1448), merchants and tradesmen can be seen wearing rondel daggers at their waists.
Hans Talhoffer in his combat manuals of the 1440s to 1460s includes numerous examples of techniques for fighting with the roundel dagger, both in unarmed combat and in single combat in armour.
Read more about this topic: Rondel Dagger
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