Tod Cutler – 15th Century Medieval Rondel Dagger

This 15th Century Rondel Dagger from Tod Cutler of the UK is in a style that would be typical to a middle class man-at-arms – or a lower status soldier who took his defense seriously and ensured that his budget included a quality dagger. Though this Rondel dagger lacks the frills and embellishment seen on Rondels of wealthy knights and noblemen it does have a certain elegance derived from quality craftsmanship which did not compromise on utility and this was achieved with cleanly executed, practical design.

The single-edged blade is high carbon steel and in characteristic fashion with Medieval metallurgy it was slack-quenched to possess an approximate hardness of about 50 HRc; the angled spine reduces weight and reduces drag in a puncture and the spine widens into a reinforced, piercing wedge form for the tip. The rondels are steel and instead of flat discs they are actually a subtle concave form to better fit the hand – these steel-brazed rondels are also hollow to prevent to the hilt from being overly heavy and causing an unfavorable balance to the dagger. The polished wooden grip is hexagonal in form to provide a secure grip which will not roll in the hand.

The dagger comes with a double-layered sheath of durable vegetable tanned leather. It is completed with a brass chape and leather cords to fasten it to a belt.