# Could this exotic knife really be used as an effective weapon vs other edged weapons? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 19, 2004, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-exotic-knife-really-be-used-as-an-effective-weapon-vs-other-edged-weapons/245984 "2004-05-19T16:15:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-exotic-knife-really-be-used-as-an-effective-weapon-vs-other-edged-weapons/245984/41 "2004-05-20T04:06:42Z")
> [@Evil Captor](#): > > Actually, it’s an exceedingly effective weapon, when used in conjunction with [this weapon](http://www.sillyjokes.co.uk/p-jokes/fav/rubber-chicken.html). OK. I was so TOTALLY not expecting that. Even though I have seen it used in conjunction with medieval armor. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-exotic-knife-really-be-used-as-an-effective-weapon-vs-other-edged-weapons/245984/42 "2004-05-20T11:14:27Z")
I see you Yanks have played knifey spooney before. Well, I must say I like it. If anything, it needs to be a little _more_ macho. Some more studded leather, and maybe a name like Xtermin8tr etched into the blade. I think it’d be great around the kitchen. I wonder if it’s got little fold out magnifying glasses, screwdrivers, and fish gutters? ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-exotic-knife-really-be-used-as-an-effective-weapon-vs-other-edged-weapons/245984/43 "2004-05-20T11:59:07Z")
> [@Inigo Montoya](#): > > A [definition of glaive.](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=glaive) > And a [better descriotion](http://members.aol.com/dargolyt/TheForge/glaive.htm) confirming it as a pole arm. ." Wasn’t the original latin “gladius” a sword? I’m asking that because in french a “glaive” is a sword, not a pole arm. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-exotic-knife-really-be-used-as-an-effective-weapon-vs-other-edged-weapons/245984/44 "2004-05-20T12:16:37Z")
Looking at one of the links provided in this thread, I’ m suddenly wondering why sabers (and others similarily shaped swords) had a curved blade? ---
**Author:** ![Exgineer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Exgineer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exgineer)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-exotic-knife-really-be-used-as-an-effective-weapon-vs-other-edged-weapons/245984/45 "2004-05-20T12:19:17Z")
I’m late with this, but I’d like to address something in **Phase42** ’s post. A “cestus” is an iron boxing glove. Those wacky Romans. ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-exotic-knife-really-be-used-as-an-effective-weapon-vs-other-edged-weapons/245984/46 "2004-05-20T13:20:38Z")
> [@Inigo Montoya](#): > > much the same way an adult human can handle a steak knife with greater proficiency than say, a cat. I’ll have you know that I can wield a cat pretty effectively. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-exotic-knife-really-be-used-as-an-effective-weapon-vs-other-edged-weapons/245984/47 "2004-05-20T13:41:53Z")
> [@JeffB](#): > > I’ll have you know that I can wield a cat pretty effectively. Is [this you?](http://www.snopes.com/photos/bigcat.asp) ---
**Author:** ![jfortun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2acd7d/32.png) [@jfortun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jfortun)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-exotic-knife-really-be-used-as-an-effective-weapon-vs-other-edged-weapons/245984/48 "2004-05-20T13:47:51Z")
that thing is missing a Klingon. ---
**Author:** ![Lilliphe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f0a364/32.png) [@Lilliphe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lilliphe)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-exotic-knife-really-be-used-as-an-effective-weapon-vs-other-edged-weapons/245984/49 "2004-05-20T14:53:38Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > Looking at one of the links provided in this thread, I’ m suddenly wondering why sabers (and others similarily shaped swords) had a curved blade? The answer depends entirely on the purpose of the sword. Some calvary swords took advantage of the curved blade because it performed really well on cuts done while charging on horseback, hence the military sabre. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-exotic-knife-really-be-used-as-an-effective-weapon-vs-other-edged-weapons/245984/50 "2004-05-20T15:50:33Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > In general, this fits into a category of weapon called a “pandybat”= which is a weapon which LOOKS scary but is about as dangerous to the us_er_ as to the intended victim. Just a quick question, where does the term “pandybat” come from? It’s a great term I may well use in the future, so I would like to know if it is from SCA or some similar group or something. It is a good as the term “jubbly” or “jub” for a weapon or armour that is in no way historically valid, but is instead designed to look cool or menacing. That would make the weapon in the OP a jub pandybat, and a person using it presumably a jubbly pandybatter (maybe). (Note I cannot find an official spelling for jubbly, it doesn’t appear on the web very much in any form like jubly, jublee,jubblee, or jubbly but that is the sound the word has). ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-exotic-knife-really-be-used-as-an-effective-weapon-vs-other-edged-weapons/245984/51 "2004-05-20T16:07:37Z")
> [@Bippy the Beardless](#): > > It is a good as the term “jubbly” or “jub” for a weapon or armour that is in no way historically valid, but is instead designed to look cool or menacing. heh… [Austin Powers] Machine-gun jubblies, baby! How’d I miss _those_?[/Austin Powers] ---
**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2004, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-exotic-knife-really-be-used-as-an-effective-weapon-vs-other-edged-weapons/245984/52 "2004-05-20T18:30:40Z")
> [@Bippy the Beardless](#): > > > [@DrDeth](#): > > > > In general, this fits into a category of weapon called a “pandybat”= which is a weapon which LOOKS scary but is about as dangerous to the user as to the intended victim. > > Just a quick question, where does the term “pandybat” come from? It’s a great term I may well use in the future, so I would like to know if it is from SCA or some similar group or something. It is a good as the term “jubbly” or “jub” for a weapon or armour that is in no way historically valid, but is instead designed to look cool or menacing. That would make the weapon in the OP a jub pandybat, and a person using it presumably a jubbly pandybatter (maybe). (Note I cannot find an official spelling for jubbly, it doesn’t appear on the web very much in any form like jubly, jublee,jubblee, or jubbly but that is the sound the word has). The OED lists _pandy_ as chiefly Scottish, meaning > [@](#): > > A stroke upon the extended palm with a leather strap or tawse, ferule, or rod, given as a punishment to schoolboys It also lists _pandybat_ as a combination form as an object for inflicting a pandy and gives two cites (both from James Joyce). A _pandybat_, then, would be something for striking someone in a way to hurt but not harm them. I can see a connection between this meaning and **DrDeth** ’s usage. The OED also has entries for _jub_ and _jubbly_, but I’m not sure either is related to your usage. A _jub_ is a “short coat or jerkin”, which could have a connection to armor, but I don’t see how it would be considered “cool or menacing”. _Jubbly_ is an Australian colloguialism meany “plump, fleshly”, particularly as applied to a woman, and in the plural _jubblies_, refers to breasts. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2004, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-exotic-knife-really-be-used-as-an-effective-weapon-vs-other-edged-weapons/245984/53 "2004-05-21T07:05:34Z")
Yes, you’re right. I think somewhere in Literature there is a term “left handed pandybat” for a silly-assed weapon. I know the SCA (my Bro plays with them) does use it as a term. Glaive originally just meant “blade” and the root comes from gladius. So ‘glaive’ can be any bladed weapon. But when you take a “blade” and put it on the end of a pole, you get a “glaive”. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2004, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-exotic-knife-really-be-used-as-an-effective-weapon-vs-other-edged-weapons/245984/54 "2004-05-21T08:24:09Z")
> [@Catalyst](#): > > So what about punching daggers in general? Is something like [this](http://www.ancient-east.com/products/daggers/katar-4500-lg.jpg) really an effective weapon? By itself, no, but that isn’t the point. The katar was designed to punch through the light mail worn by Mahratta soldiers toward the end of the Mughal period (16th c. onward). It wasn’t a primary weapon; it would be used to complement a more conventional arrangement such as a sword and shield, and would only be drawn for close combat, much like European soldiers would drop swords and draw daggers. It wouldn’t be as useful as a fighting weapon as a more conventional knife, because the transverse handle limits the wielder to punching/stabbing attacks (or very weak slashes). However, it would be virtually impossible to pierce metal armor with a normal knife. Later on the katar spawned a sword variant, the [_pata_,](http://therionarms.com/antiques/therionarms_c448.html) with an enclosed handle, which would be wielded in pairs. They were mostly ceremonial and parade weapons; I’ve never read any account of a military force using them in numbers, so I don’t know much about their effectiveness. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-this-exotic-knife-really-be-used-as-an-effective-weapon-vs-other-edged-weapons/245984.md?page=2)