Algerian dagger?

[werecow]

Does that 7cm include the pommel? My palms are about 7cm across. It may just have been made for someone with small hands.

[Pertinax]

Originally Posted by werecow

Does that 7cm include the pommel? My palms are about 7cm across. It may just have been made for someone with small hands.

The length of the handle without the pommel is 7 cm, I also have a narrow palm - 9 cm and it is very uncomfortable to hold the dagger in my hand. Such small handles are on almost all Kabyle daggers. What is this - a souvenir, a product for tourists?

[werecow]

I think you're underestimating your own hand size!

It could have been made for a boy perhaps, or just someone with smaller hands like mine. Mine is 8.5cm and it leaves me with at least a cm of unneeded space (probably more like 1.5). 7cm would most likely be OK for me.

[Pertinax]

I evaluate everything adequately and it is not for nothing that I quoted K. Lacoste. She does not have an answer to the question about the size of the dagger handles.

I will also add - any knife and dagger, in addition to combat use, is used for purely domestic needs, and therefore must be convenient to use. This is not observed here, beautiful - yes, but extremely inconvenient in practical use.

That is why I would like to see a dagger before 1850.

[werecow]

I'm not sure what you're saying. I'm telling you my experience... I can assure you that a 7cm hilt is probably usable for me and easily enough for a younger version of me. Admittedly I'm relatively short for a Dutch guy but in international circles I'm about average in size. Maybe I have tiny hands, but it's never come up.

[Pertinax]

Originally Posted by werecow

I'm not sure what you're saying. I'm telling you my experience... I can assure you that a 7cm hilt is probably usable for me and easily enough for a younger version of me. Admittedly I'm relatively short for a Dutch guy but in international circles I'm about average in size. Maybe I have tiny hands, but it's never come up.

I am talking about the practical use of such a knife. Yes, judging by the photo, your palm fits into the handle, but the pommel will not allow manipulation of the knife.

When using any knife, the palm slides (moves) freely along the handle. In this case, the palm is rigidly fixed by the pommel. And when manipulating, the palm will inevitably shift to the pommel, which has sharp edges and will lead to injury.

That is why I had a question about these daggers (knives) - is this a souvenir?

[werecow]

So, out of curiosity, I stabbed into a few thick cardboard targets (the box of a recent acquisition ) with moderate force with my specimen and that at least seems fine. In fact, despite being quite angular, I find that it is actually pretty comfortable to hold. I held it with my thumb and index finger pinching the part near the bolster and my pinky snugly against the pommel. The pommel fits well in the palm of my hand that way and prevents my hand from moving during use.

Perhaps I would experience what you describe if I stabbed it with more force into more durable materials, but I don't want to risk damaging the tip (or my hands, obviously), and I don't have any targets that would be suitable in my home at the moment.

Of course, I can't really comment on the effect of having a shorter grip as I don't have one of that length, so perhaps that would make all the difference.