Hand-Forged Hunting Dagger, Rosewood Handle

It is one of the longest-lived European blade types — a broad, stiff, double-edged dagger carried by hunters from the medieval period into the nineteenth century, and still made today. In German-speaking countries the family is called the Hirschfanger, literally stag-catcher. It existed because hunting produced a job that a bow, a boar spear or a gun could not finish: a wounded animal at close quarters that had to be dispatched quickly and safely. The form reflects that — broad enough to be strong, stiff enough through the middle to be driven accurately, short enough to control when things are moving. Because hunting was also a display of rank, many surviving examples are finely decorated with staghorn grips and engraved blades, but the working blade underneath is always plain and purposeful.

Three things, and only the first is dramatic. The primary job was dispatching wounded game — an animal brought down but not killed by an arrow, a spear or a shot, which is dangerous at close range and which humane practice required be finished quickly. A stiff broad blade driven accurately does that better than a slashing weapon. The second job was everything that follows a kill: field dressing, cutting through hide and joints, and the general butchery work that has to happen before an animal can be moved. The third was social. A hunting dagger was worn visibly at the belt as part of a gentleman's hunting dress, often matched to his sword, and it said as much about him as his horse or his dogs. That last point is why so many were decorated far beyond what the work required.

Yes, and it was the norm rather than the exception among those who could afford it. A hunting garniture — sometimes called a trousse — paired a hanger or short hunting sword with a matching dagger, and the better sets added small tools carried in pockets on the same scabbard: a skinning knife, a saw, a bodkin, sometimes a fork. Everything shared the same grip material, the same fittings and the same maker's hand, so the set read as one object. Surviving garnitures in museum collections are among the most elaborate edged objects of their period. We build to that principle: order this dagger alongside one of our hunting swords and we will match the guard, the grip material and the sheath across both, so they look like what they are.

Size and intent. Our medieval quillon dagger has a 16-inch blade, which puts it at the very top of the dagger range and close to a short sword, and it is dressed as a knightly sidearm — leather-wrapped grip, engraved knotwork disc pommel, fittings meant to match a sword. This hunting dagger has a 12-inch blade, which is squarely a dagger, and it is plain by comparison: bare rosewood, a squared steel guard, a simple polished cap. It is also considerably lighter at 830 g against a full kilogram. Buy the quillon dagger if you want a medieval knightly piece with decoration; buy this if you want a working blade you would actually carry.

It does, and that pairing is the historically correct one — a hanger or short hunting sword with a matching dagger is exactly what a hunting garniture was. The hanger is the larger single-edged blade for the work that needs reach; the dagger is what you draw when the animal is close. As they stand, the two are made to the same standards from the same steel but are not built as a matched pair — the fittings differ. If you want them matched, order both through Custom Forge and we will build the guard, grip and sheath to correspond across the two. That takes the usual 4 to 6 weeks but produces something considerably better than two blades bought separately.

Yes. It is hand-forged from 5160 high-carbon spring steel, full tang, oil-tempered, and sharpened to a true cutting edge along both edges before it ships. The guard and cap are steel and the grip is pinned through the tang rather than glued around a stub. It is stiff enough to be driven hard and keen enough to cut. Do not use the point as a pry bar, and do not cut anything you would not put a good knife through.

The blade is forged from 5160 high-carbon spring steel, the same alloy used in heavy-duty truck leaf springs, prized for toughness and edge retention. It is oil-tempered for a hard cutting edge backed by a flexible, shock-absorbent spine. On a stiff thrusting blade that toughness matters at the point above all — a hard brittle tip is the part that snaps under a bad angle, and 5160 gives you one that bends and comes back instead.

Yes, full tang with the rosewood grip pinned straight through it, so the handle is mechanically fastened to the steel rather than held by adhesive. There is no rat-tail and nothing glued into a hollow grip. On a dagger used for thrusting this matters: driving a point into something loads the hilt hard in compression, and a glued or threaded assembly works loose over time in a way a pinned one does not.

Double edges are correct for the type — a hunting dagger was meant to be driven rather than drawn, and two edges mean it cuts on the way in regardless of orientation, which matters when an animal is moving. It also keeps the blade symmetrical around the central ridge, which is what makes it stiff. As for shipping: yes, it makes a difference. A number of countries restrict double-edged blades more tightly than single-edged ones of the same length, and some restrict them outright regardless of length. Check your local rules before ordering. If double edges are a problem where you live, we will build the same blade single-edged with a false edge on the back, which keeps the look and sidesteps the restriction.

The grip is shaped rosewood, pinned through the tang and left bare rather than wrapped, which means there is no leather to stretch or wear through. The squared cross guard and the pommel cap are polished steel — solid, not cast alloy or plated pot metal. The sheath is brown leather with cross-lacing and brass eyelets, made by hand to fit the blade size you order. Because rosewood is a natural material, grain and colour vary between pieces.

Yes, sharpened along both edges as standard, finished by hand. Choose the display-blunt option if you need it unsharpened for reenactment, display, or to satisfy import rules where you live, at no extra charge. Blade length, edge configuration, finish and grip material are all adjustable — and the most interesting option is the matched set, where we build this dagger and one of our hunting swords with corresponding fittings. Tell us what you want the blade to do rather than only what dimensions you want and we will advise honestly.

Yes. We ship worldwide from Nepal by DHL or FedEx in 7 to 14 business days with tracking. In-stock specs dispatch within 2 to 3 business days; fully custom builds take roughly 4 to 6 weeks to forge first. Import and blade laws vary by country and double-edged blades face tighter restrictions than single-edged ones in many places, so please check your local rules carefully before ordering.