Evolution of the Bollock Dagger by Tod Cutler
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- Опубликовано: 5 сен 2024
- Video showing the evolution of the bollock dagger from its earliest incarnation in the 13th/14thC and all the way through to the Scottish Dirk of the 17th/18thC.
This dagger style was popular throughout Europe and Scandinavia from 14th-to 16thC
All daggers shown are available through todcutler.com/...
Music: Renaissance by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution licence (creativecommon...)
Artist: audionautix.com/
If you are interested in medieval replica weapons take look at my websites:
todcutler.com for budget medieval knives
todsworkshop.com for custom knives, swords and crossbows
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I can just imagine a video 700 years in the future: "today we're talking about truck nuts"
David M welp, you just made my day
I'm suddenly praying for rust...
Bold of you to assume that humans will still be around in seven centuries.
So, it's a knob-ended bollock dagger that's been peened. How many double entendres can you fit onto one weapon?
Depends on the size of the handle my friend
@@dovannik32 Touche.
I could fit them all in mine ha
Proper wanker's dagger,
has anyone done the 'never mind the bollocks, here's the seax pistols' joke yet?
They have now!
You win the internet
Amazing work, sir
BRILLIANT!
English guy getting stabbed to death: "Ah, bollocks."
Blacksmith standing nearby: "say thats a great idea"
I actually have a theory as to a practical reason why the divot separating the two bollocks is there. It makes it easier to thumb the blade as you would if you were using the dagger in your left hand for parrying. And it does so without really compromising its ability to be used as a stabbing weapon in an icepick grip.
Beautiful work. I've heard older bollock daggers hang a little lower.
very true my friend, funny thing is it will happen to to you lolol
11:08 "a very pronounced knob end which prevents the hand sliding off"
I can relate to that😀
Great video, thank you for your work.
Im such a child, as soon as he said "knob-end" I was gone
the medical term is gland end
LOL
"Hearts were just a nice motif for a knife, which you will use to stab somebody to death with" Tod 1/30/19
Is it possible that they are ' pompebleded' like on a Frisian flag? Lots of mercenaries used in the 80 Year War.
That should be pompebleden.
Yeah made me chuckle.
5:01 you could say "The French in particular used to go in balls deep for really fancy handles on Bollock daggers."
Just bought a dirk from you. I've had it for less than an hour, but it seems to be pretty well made. Thanks for making these available for people without a lot of money to spend.
I used to think these were fugly and loved the style of the rondel and quillion dagger. But doing some wood working in my time, and such, I have grown to appreciate the style of the grip and the simple nature of these weapons, from their early "bollack" incarnation to the more well known dirk. Truly a weapon for the regular dude, but with enough variety and potential class to cover all the bases. Thanks for sharing this. These don't get enough appreciation by historical weapons folks esp. as most HEMA or historical fighting emphasis is on rondel dagger. If I was around in the middle ages these would be daggers I'd be pleased to own!
Alternate title: "Tod Talks Bollocks"
Jonathan, Your comment was born in a flash of genius :D
Haha 🤣
I almost did a spit take when he said the end of the "peen" was peened.
I've been toying with the idea of making a bollock dagger with a...suggestive shaft, and cross pinning it.
Tod Talks Testes
A bit testy we are.
What a load of........
Nicely collated information 👍
And a ton of Ejecting
Education! Yes!
During times of wealth and economic growth, blades tend to get longer and fancier.
During times of economical crisis, blades tend to get shorter and simpler.
At least, that's whats often said, idk if it is true though.
Might be bollocks.
You should make more videos like this, just talking about the items you sell. This made me decide to finally get the Mary Rose dagger I had been thinking about getting for a while.
Just had a look at that one on Tod's website. Lovely. :)
Blaksmith: *forging bollock daggers* heheheh... hehehehe-hahahahahahah!
I'm a blade smith and I have that same design of sweatshirt. The ol " HELP I'M ON FIRE" Angle grinders are really bad about that
Reads title...."Bollock dagger? Why?"
Sees video. "Oh. Got it."
I was like oh that is a funny name then realized its literally bollocks. Isn't dirk relavent to dick as well.
hehe
Tod , We are soooo exited. The wife and I realized we can buy you wares. Thank you sooo very much for all you do.
Just a thought, have you ever noticed that a hart's leg bone looks like your first handle, maybe they started off with bone handles and over time evolved into wooden handles.
I've got a Scottish Dirk from this Gentleman and it's just fantastic, fits my hand to a tee.
Ah, your very best grinding jumper Tod?
Good to see a working man. Excellent daggers and all your products are likewise the same. Great learning the history of them. My girlfriend got me a seax from you on Christmas from KOA, excellent craftsmanship and historical. I really like it a lot, thank you so much.
Another note for why they don't have crossguards and have just enough to keep the hand from slipping onto the blade. These weren't meant for crossing swords, there was no worry about an opponent's blade slipping down the blade and cutting the wielder's fingers. That opponent was likely closer to a victim than an opponent.
And for regular work, a crossguard isn't needed either.
This was an exquisite video Tod, thanks for producing it for us.
(I would also like to thank you for providing Kult of Athena with your business, especially since you have provided them with a few eating knives for purchase.)
I have this book which you probably helped write but I wanted to show it to you. It’s called “A Glossary of the Construction, Decoration, and Use of Arms and Armor in all Countries and in all Times.” Every time I read through it I hear your voice narrating. I love your work. Thank you for what you do for our community.
I'm gonna reanact a medievel peasant just to swear and carry a bollockdagger all day long.
Enjoyable video on a subject that I knew zero about. You kept a straight face rather well, so thumbs up there too.
Educated, well informed and a good sense of humour. Another excellent video 👍
That is the most outstanding sweatshirt I've ever seen. Good job job keeping it out of the waste stream.
Great work, Todd. Really love your attention to details.
Hope to see more videos like that from you.
The best title on RUclips. I was laughing before I even clicked on it.
This was fun and fascinating at the same time. I think my favourite dagger would actually be the first one, though with a smaller grip that's less flared. I'm female with smaller than average hands. I'd certainly use it for a working knife, and I'd certainly be on the peasant end of the scale. So my question is, would women have used these daggers too, as a work tool, or would it have been a men's tool? thinking about the "bollock" aspect of it, would such decoration have caused it to be a frowned upon thing for women to use them? The query of did women use them applies to the entire range you have in the video. Thanks for the information!
Nice explanation, I enjoy hearing someone explain the changes to an object so we can see how we have changed their use.
the people who called them bollock daggers probably weren't scholars and historians or nobility so it wouldn't be preserved in text. just a guess
I've got one of your Scian blades in the cart. Thanks for the share!!
An old knives tale. (Fascinating history!)
As soon as I am working again I intend to buy one of your daggers. Great vid.
Everytime Tod says, nob-end I cant help but giggle like a schoolgirl XD
Look Tod I've watched your stuff for ages now and you've made some fantastic stuff in the past but I really gotta let you know something....
that hoodie needs replacing mate.
Don't talk like that, you might find yourself on the wrong end of a bollock dagger.
@@Drottninggatan2017 or what is more commonly known as; "havin' a bolloking"
I'm pretty sure he gets mauled by a bear before every video just to get him in the right mindset to talk about whatever it is he talks about.
Farendloese seeing that handle Im not entirely sure which one is worse, death or the humiliation of getting ferociously pleasured by a knife-dildo
The hoodie is the newest thing he owns… 😜
Awesome video. Always had an eye for bollock daggers and this was interesting to see the evolution.
I have a couple of Tod's daggers and I really do need more.
Absolutely loved this Tod. I do a lot of living history education and would love to be able to add this to my curriculum, with your permission of course. I suppose it would cost a rather hefty sum to have this collection of daggers from your website? Anyhow, I learned a few things on this video and, being Scottish, it would be fantastic to be able to relate the evolution of the Scottish dirk to others. Greatly admire your videos mate. Keep em coming 😀
I like to think that the hearts are there to remind you where to aim 😜
Never has the word ‘bollocks’ been said so many times on RUclips. Glorious!
Just discovered your channel and I'm seriously impressed! Checked the store and I've fallen in love with so much! Money is tight but I've made do with ordering a bottle opener for now :-) can't wait to order something more special!
Interesting! I wonder if that's where we get the phrase "to give someone a bollocking" from. For folks outside of the UK, it means to give someone a severe reprimand, by way of getting really shouty and in their face.
I'd love to know more about the history of the stiletto I bought from you. Was quite surprised how blunt the tip was. I expected a needle tip.
I don't think he'd want you to hurt yourself.
Funny I've gone over a lot of various old knives and you very seldom come across a really good needle tip on anything... even basic pocket knives very seldom have a good tip on them.
@@rogersheddy.8497 That you usually have to do yourself, god forbid you cut yourself unboxing one of these daggers!
Never heard of this style of dagger.. thanks for the info! Well out together video.
Can’t wait to tell everyone about the bullocks I’ve just learned of
"Can thou sharpen mine bollock dagger?"
"All of it?"
"Just the tip"
So these were the useful equivalent of a seax to an earlier period? A simple weapon/tool that everyone carried?
Tod you're amazing. I love seeing your recreations of historical pieces
Your'e an excellent craftsman Tod, I really enjoy your content, its channels like yours that make you tube just about tolerable for me these days..
Remember that people were smaller of stature during that time frame. Smaller grips make sense for a period piece.
lol no.
Toshiro Mifune ourworldindata.org/human-height
Mr Freud smiles in his grave.
"All oblong objects, especially rising, firm objects, tuch as trees and lamps, tools of competition and combat such as lances, daggers, swords, pistols, are stand-ins for the male genital..."
"Genius!"
Ordered a dirk tonight. I really, really like your blades! I could easily see me collecting a bunch of the knives you make.
Very interesting! I've never seen a flat side knife before!
Thank you very much for the education.
I absolutely love this video. To see the evolution of a weapon from its primitive origins to it's stylised final form is fascinating. Thank you and keep up the great work.
So I found your channel on my feed and I will say I am impressed with your knowledge and collection of weapons consider me s new subscriber.
Excellent tracing of the lineage of the bollock to the dirk. It was a piece designed to do a bit of work. Thank you for this video.
This is terribly fascinating. I love the plain English ones.
Todd I saw your Italian ( thank you for representing) stiletto style dagger featured in a movie recently. Your are the best.
regarding grip on dirk Tod, most dirks were held underhand, especially in charges. The dudgeon is a favourite of mine due to the fact that half of my heritage is from Southern Scottish, Irish farmer folk, been a bone of contention for centuries, Reivers I think they were called, bloody savages with sharp pointy things in the dead of night, look good on my Dagger wall.
I think the best sort of comparison for why medieval people referred to daggers, or swords, as just "a dagger" or "a sword" and not by what type it was, is the same thing as how in modern times we're more than likely going to say "a handgun" or "a rifle" instead of what type/brand of handgun or rifle it is
Rewatching. I just wanted to say thanks for what you do. Used one of your knives to prepare supper tonight, and just for hell of it used one of the daggers to cut the vegetables. It was overkill but why have a nice dagger if you aren't gonna use it? I hope someday I can afford one of the nicer pieces but am VERY happy with my bollock dagger, thank you for sharing your knowledge with us and for producing these wonderful blades. In a world of throw away mass produced stuff it is nice to have a few good well made tools!
I thought my 2018 Christmas was somewhat lacking. Now, I've realised why. By the end of this year, I want to buy one of these fantastic daggers to carve the family turkey.
Great history with lots of cool information. I like seeing the evolution of weapons chronologically and so side by side. The next time someone tries to tell me Freud wasn't right, I'll tell them about these daggers lol
Perhaps the groove up the middle of the guard was used as a place to put the thumb, similar to the weird ricasso on later dudgeon daggers?
Bollock Dagger: a whole new meaning to hilting it to the balls.
Thank you for a fun and informative video. The daggers are gorgeous.
Another cracking Mini-doc . love your honesty as well . :)
I have just received delivery of the 14-15th c. studded handle bollock dagger- or as I call it, The Knobblyboy 1350. It arrived promptly in good packaging. I was looking for an all-round knife for camping, something I can cut firewood, build a bivvy and cook with. This knife does all of these thing, and it takes a mean edge but, by God's wounds was I wrong to buy it! Oh, it's beautiful, it's well made, the scabbard is lovely and the whole thing just gives off an aura of quality- this thing is an heirloom- but it's not suitable for my purposes. It's too big and I reckon should a pig even find this at the bottom of a big rucksack, he'll taze you to death on the spot. It looks, frankly, like a pure weapon and, like, I know Tod told me on his website that the whole thing was 13 inches long but I didn't really believe it was going to be this BIG! It's a real humdinger and I am so pleased to have it but as far as I can see it has no practical purpose. I absolutely do not regret buying this though. It's just massively exceeded my expectations!
Very informative video! May I suggest that during editing, put just a touch of stabilization on the beauty shot at the end of all the knives laid out? It doesn’t have to be that much, just something to smooth it out slightly to make it look more professional.
Tod's Workshop It’s not a problem. I only notice that kind of stuff because I work with video myself. Loving this more frequent upload schedule.
Very nice knob end
So basically it's a "ball dagger" in American English lol. I remember my dad telling me about the Scottish during English occupation they would hide their daggers on their inner thighs because " No Englishman wanted to search down there".
Are... do you mean... are you talking about the Scottish occupation of the 13th century? Your old man has a long memory. Also, you should adopt the word "bollocks". Its great for when you stub your toe, or you wish to declare something to be bullshit. You can even use it to refuse some instruction or admonishment with an elongated "bo-ollo-ocks". To bollock someone means to tell them off. It's a good word
About the one from the Mary Rose - maybe the change in the handle is due to them being manufactured in large quantities? Wouldn't it be faster to cut them like this instead of turning them?
great presentation Tod, well done. much appreciated, thank you
According to the dates you are giving us for the longer or shorter blades it roughly works out to before or after major battles where a lot of armour was needed shorter blades were used,after the battles lots of scrap available so longer blades were cheaper to make.
That same thing happens with blackjacks/saps (not even those are the same thing, but they get called the same thing). "Life preserver" was a common term- could be a weight on something somewhat flexible, could be a handle with a chunk of wood attached by a string, etc...
I have the Tod Cutler Dudgeon. it is a very good, very interesting piece
Chaucer and 2 knives, does that make a pair of bollox? ...A nice bit of bling to show off at the alehouse - amazing, I am always getting my bollox out at the pub! :)
great video! Will you do a video on roundel daggers in the future?
Just as a thought on the Mary Rose handles being cut from a plank. There's more building going on (housing and ships) so planking would have being produced in appreciable amounts. That means lots of off cuts presumably and it's a shame to waste material that's got little other use.
I wonder if the Mary Rose era blade is longer, because the quality of steel was good enough to handle it. Before then, you'd not be confident enough to make it longer than functionally necessary. You can reach every organ in the human body if you can penetrate 6", so that plus not much, is your minimum.
So who was the saucy little nobleman who made it socially acceptable for the upper crust to don the humble bollock dagger? I bet he thought it would go great with his 8 inch cod piece.
Londinium Armoury I’m no expert on these things, but I reckon even in the Middle Ages and renaissance a teenager was a teenager. Someone young and rich might have wanted to shock all the old conservatives by wearing stuff you’d normally associate with mercenaries and tavern brawls. Kind of like old school metalhaeds dressing up like bikers. Or modern middle class suburbanites dressing ‘gangster’.
I vaguely remember coming across a medieval rant about apprentices having strange haircuts and being drunk and terribly disrespectful to their elders. Not like in the writers youth when things were much better. Some things seem to go a surprisingly long way back.
Is there not a very simple explanation for the Mary Rose daggers being longer? The Mary Rose was a war ship. It's consistent with these daggers being primarily weapons by that time, and the pronounced "knob end" on the handle, as you so elegantly put it, gives me the same impression.
Thank you, that was very concise and easy to follow. I have bookmarked your website just in case someone gives me extra money.
They may not refer to Bollock Daggers as the writer believed them to be uncouth.
Great video, very informative. Seems like the Seax sort of evolved into having a flat on it for better edge alignment and things proceeded from there.
Certainly gives balls deep a new meaning.
Why do you think the blades oscillate between long and short throughout the ages?
Very intersting topic!
I find these daggers look a bit like bronze age swords, mostly because of the wooden handles that are one piece with the "crossguard".
That's a nice set of balls you got right there 😅
Maybe it was a Ladies' Dagger. You know...multi purpose tool 😅😅😅
Possibly why the French one was studded as well? :P
😁😁
that qould be a fanny dagger
I heard someware that the work Bollucks was an Olde English word or slang for rubbish or discarded items much like the word Trash is used today. Makes sense as these are made of discarded offcuts.
Fascinating evolution! Thank you for sharing your skills and knowledge :D
Just checked your site stuff look great
gutter humor never grows old.
Nah, it’s just born that way...
nice workmanship
is there any evidence of an evolution between the seax and bollock daggers or does one stop being used and a new fashion revolutionise the look of these personal knives?