Difference Between sword and dagger

Most of us know what swords and daggers are but the question is that how many of us know the difference between the two? There will be very few who can actually differentiate the two. It is possible to tell them apart if they are placed right in front of you and that is due to certain differences between them that we unconsciously know but are not always able to put into words. Many of us use the words sword and dagger interchangeably but that is not correct owing to some significant differences between the two. Let us discuss some common ones.

Sword

A sword is a weapon or a blade that is used for thrusting and cutting in addition to other uses. The exact definition of the word sword varies in different parts of the world owing to different histories and historical epoch. When we first hear the word sword, what comes into mind is the weapon used in ancient wars before modern weapons were available. In the narrowest sense, a sword consists of a straight blade that has two edges and a hilt.  However, this definition is not exhaustive. In many cases, a sword may also refer to weapons that have a single edge.

Outside Europe, the word sword is also used to refer to single edged weapons such as the Chinese dao, the Middle-eastern saif and the Japanese katana. If we see the history of the sword, it was developed in the Bronze Age and was an evolution of dagger.

Dagger

A knife fighting weapon that has a very sharp point is known as a dagger. The sharp point is designed so as to use a dagger as a stabbing or a thrusting weapon. Daggers have been used for ages and even the all so common sword is an evolved form of a dagger. They are the most commonly used weapons in close combat confrontations. Apart from this, they have also been used in many ancient cultures for ceremonial and ritual purposes. This use prevails today as well in many regions where daggers are specifically made in an old-fashioned, traditional way.

When we use the term dagger, it also refers to thrusting knives, knives with a single cutting edge as well as knives that do not have any cutting edge. However, most daggers do have a full cross-guard to keep its usage safe.

Differences

Today, there is not much difference between a common sword and a dagger. However, if these are made in their traditional way then there can be differences in design, weight, handling etc.

To begin with, daggers were used long before swords came into existence. There were many uses for which people made daggers and then later on in our history were swords made for other purposes such as fighting wars.

In many cultures, swords and daggers are used in the performance of certain arts. The skills that can be done by each differ owing to their different designs and sizes. This is because a dagger is lighter than a sword which allows its user to be more agile. The lighter weight of daggers however, does not come without a disadvantage; they have lower attacking power and are more dependent on the power of the user.

Daggers make your strike faster as they add to your speed. However, as mentioned above, they have low attack power and are therefore used only as secondary weapons. This is not true for swords that are used as primary weapons.

Summary

1. A sword is a weapon or a blade that is used for thrusting and cutting in addition to other uses

2. A knife fighting weapon that has a very sharp point is known as a dagger, the sharp point is designed so as to use a dagger as a stabbing or a thrusting weapon

3. Daggers were used long before swords came into existence

4. A dagger is lighter than a sword and that is why using a dagger allows the user to be more agile

5. Daggers have lower attacking power and are more dependent on the power of the user

6. Swords are used as primary weapons; daggers are used as secondary weapons

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