What is the difference between a dagger and a knife?

A dagger is sharpened on both edges and tapers symmetrically to the point. A knife has one edge and a thick spine, which lets it take pressure from the hand or a baton and makes it better at ordinary cutting. The dagger trades that spine for a point that goes in from either side.

Are these daggers full tang?

The compact Damascus pieces are, with the steel running the full length and width of the handle and the scales pinned through it. The longer Celtic, Norse and Roman shapes use a narrower tang peened over a pommel cap, which is the correct construction for those patterns. Each product page states the build in its own specification table.

Do the daggers arrive sharp?

Yes. Blades are ground and finished by hand and arrive with a working edge on both sides. They are not razors out of the box, because a very thin double edge chips. A few passes on a 1000 grit stone will take any of them further.

Will 1095 and Damascus rust?

Both will if you let them. Damascus here is mostly 1095 with 15N20 layers, so it behaves like carbon steel rather than stainless. Wipe the blade dry after handling, keep a light film of oil on the steel, and do not store it in a damp sheath.

Is a pugio a real historical dagger?

Yes. The pugio was the sidearm carried by Roman legionaries alongside the gladius, with a waisted double edged blade and a raised midrib. Surviving examples are found across the Roman frontier. The two pieces here follow that outline in 1095 with bronze or brass fittings.

Which dagger should I buy first?

A Damascus piece between 10 and 13 inches overall covers more ground than anything else here. It is short enough to handle and store easily, long enough to feel substantial, and the pattern is the reason most people buy one. Go longer if the piece is going on a wall.

Can I get a name or runes engraved on the blade?

Yes, on most fixed blades. Engraving is carried out in the United States after the piece arrives, so send the exact spelling you want. Elder Futhark works phonetically, and there is no rune for the letter C, so names are transliterated by sound.

Where are these daggers made?

They are made by hand in the Czech Republic, then imported, inspected and shipped by Ransack Viking from North Babylon, New York, with engraving added in the United States after arrival.

Hand forged in the Czech Republic•Inspected and shipped from North Babylon, New York•Worldwide, duty paid, every order tracked

A dagger is a short blade sharpened on both edges and built to a symmetrical point. That is the whole definition, and it separates a dagger from a knife with one edge and a thick spine, one of the many dagger forms. The collection here runs from 8 inch belt daggers up to a 20 inch Norse piece, with most sitting between 13 and 17 inches overall.

Two steels run through the range. Plain 1095 high carbon is hardened to 54 to 58 HRC, takes a fine edge and files back easily. Damascus of 1095 and 15N20 is forge welded, folded and acid etched, hardened to 58 to 60 HRC, and shows the layer count on the flat. Handles are camel bone, stag horn, buffalo horn, rosewood, olive wood, micarta or leather over a shaped core, and almost every piece ships with a fitted leather sheath.

Choose on length first. A blade under 6 inches carries and works. A blade past 9 inches is a display and collecting piece, because a long double edge is awkward to sharpen and awkward to carry safely.