DIRK (short blade) ================== Weight: ~0.5 kg Rank(s): 1st row A dirk has qualities of both the dagger and the knife. While useful as a weapon, it was designed for a variety of uses. It is a version of the ballock knife (or "kidney dagger"). The dirk has two round, symmetrical globes at the base of the handle, where the handle meets the blade. The grip itself emerges from between the globes and is flared at the top. The blade is often made from a large shard of a sword blade. The dirk is a single-edged, grooved weapon with a back edge near the point. It usually features a decorative notch at the base. Most dirks have a special scabbard that has two small pockets in the front, one for a knife and one for a fork, used by warriors in the field as an early mess kit. The dirk is a Scottish weapon, carried by Highlanders, making its appearance in the late 17th century. The grip is usually leather, ivy root, or ivory. In the 18th century, the dirk was sometimes mounted in silver or gold. Though normally considered a civilian weapon, the dirk was produced as a military blade when Scottish men were incorporated into Britain's regular army. Some skill(s) usable with the weapon: Bladed fury, battlecry, bloodlust, cardiac stimulation, damn armament, lure, pierce, short blades, stab and vampiric blow. See also: Knife, dagger, main gauche, rapier, poker, foil, sai, wakizashi, short sword, scimitar, cutlass, and horn.

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