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Old 1st November 2019, 04:07 AM   #36
Jim McDougall
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Location: Route 66
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Thanks very much Fernando, that was indeed, as I understand, the notorious Council of Ten (CX) in Venice. I looked back at notes from "Gunners Daggers" by Marcello Terenzi (Arms & Armor Annual, ed. Robert Held, 1973) that the gunners stiletto (also termed bombardiers daggers) were typically Venetian of 17th-18th c. The edict you kindly translated (of 1661) concerning a man named Antonio Spadone, was apparently last used in 1728, after which these stiletto seem to have ceased general use.

While it seems these were notably recognized as Venetian, Sir James Mann wrote on them in 1931 mentioning that they were known in Brescia from around 1570s with scales to measure bore and shot. The scale seems to measure 1 to 120 resulting in these measured examples termed 'un centoventi' meaning in Italian, 120. Mann, in Wallace Coll. (1962) shows three of these stilettos, primarily mid 17th c .
(all these notations were previously mentioned in Fernando's earlier posts but just reiterating here with review of the Terenzi article also prev. noted).

It seems there is consistent note to the use of these stilettos, with the distinct graduated scales, being used to 'spike' cannon touch holes.
A reference to these 'fusetti' being issued to cannoneers as a kind of badge of corps, which was apparently quite a honor. With such a status oriented weapon, it would seem highly regrettable and distasteful to use such a weapon in that manner. I suppose it would depend on the situation, but that such a weapon would be intended for such use seems odd, and the more pragmatic uses of measure and likely puncturing powder bags more probable. Some examples I have heard of had corrosion commensurate with the effects of powder noted.
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