Tauriel's forward curving Elvish daggers from The Hobbit

J

JTmisterknifeguy

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May 22, 2013
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477
Has anyone seen these?! They look like ferocious fighters by the design of them. They look like a Fairbairn Cobra in design, or maybe a reverse Jambiya. What do y'all think about the slight inwardly curving design?
 
G. Scott H. said:
The blade shape is usually called a hawkbill. Not uncommon, but somewhat specialized it use. I imagine these daggers would be pretty decent weapons, though I've never been and never plan to be in a knife fight. :D;)


https://www.google.com/search?q=hawkbill+blade&espv=210&es_sm=122&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=NNSSUrfiF8WLqgHE94Fg&ved=0CFMQsAQ&biw=1920&bih=936
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A variety of hawkbills :thumbup::

Yeah, that's what I suspected, :) they reminded me of a butcher's scimitar but in reverse, or maybe a long slightly straightened kerambit. They look vicious, but I agree on the "limited utility". I don't plan on off'ing too many orcs in the near future... ;) still interesting to me that Fairbairn thought enough of the design to do his own take on it. The Filipino's Ginunting (sp) looks similar IM
 
G. Scott H. said:
The blade shape is usually called a hawkbill. Not uncommon, but somewhat specialized it use. I imagine these daggers would be pretty decent weapons, though I've never been and never plan to be in a knife fight. :D;)

A variety of hawkbills :thumbup::

https://www.google.com/search?q=hawkbill+blade&espv=210&es_sm=122&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=NNSSUrfiF8WLqgHE94Fg&ved=0CFMQsAQ&biw=1920&bih=936
Click to expand...

I like the middle and lower ones! :)

www.jerzeedevil.com/forums/showthread.php/10638-Very-large-hawkbill-sub-hilt-fixed-blade
 
1471998_10151717210262303_730127850_n.jpg
 
Mannlicher said:
They call movie blades "fantasy knives" for a reason! :rolleyes:
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I agree that these are fantasy blades (the "gold" inlay and the fact that they're from a fantasy movie give it away ;) )
I'm more talking about the design, if hawkbill folders are useful and effective defense/tactical blades, why don't we see more fixed blades with this design? Are people just too set their ways, or are "conventional" designs really just better? (Honestly, I'm just curious.) ;)
 
JTmisterknifeguy said:
I agree that these are fantasy blades (the "gold" inlay and the fact that they're from a fantasy movie give it away ;) )
I'm more talking about the design, if hawkbill folders are useful and effective defense/tactical blades, why don't we see more fixed blades with this design? Are people just too set their ways, or are "conventional" designs really just better? (Honestly, I'm just curious.) ;)
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I can't speak for everyone but I buy fixed blades for utility first and conventional designs work better. Defense is at the end of my list of wants for a fixed blade.

Those are pretty cool though.
 
Conventional designs are more familiar, so they sell better. Also applicable to daily utility as well as self-defense. Hawksbill blades are sickles by origin, like the karambit, so agricultural societies may find them more familiar.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
Conventional designs are more familiar, so they sell better. Also applicable to daily utility as well as self-defense. Hawksbill blades are sickles by origin, like the karambit, so agricultural societies may find them more familiar.
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I guess that makes sense. I also generally prefer "conventional" blades (Bowie, drop point, spear point, and anything with a belly) to a wharcliffe, American tanto, stiletto, and hawksbill blades for edc, and camping/woodscraft. I guess if you worked with rope/line A LOT or live in an agricultural society, then an inwardly curved blade would make sense. I wonder why no one picked up Fairbairn's design of the Cobra, it was (I read) that last design he came up with before dying, and that he was very enthusiastic about it. If he was thrilled about its potential as a backup/melee weapon, could it really be as pointless and impractical and the "conventional only" crowd would want others to think?

And this isn't a "newfangled" design, peoples in SE Asia and elsewhere have been using non-Khukri, inward curved blades as knives (and not just sickles) for quite some time, the Filipinos and Indonesians are some cultures for example. But it probably has 99.8% to do with what will sell to North American Knife guys who were raised on John Wayne, Davy Crocket, and Rambo.

Me? I'm not ex-military, I'm not in law enforcement, I'm not a survivalist, I'm not a knife maker, I'm not a professional martial artist, I have no Sabenzas, beckers, microtechs, uber expensive/rare customs or anything that puts me in a super secret or special club (more power to you guys !), I'm in my late 20s starting a family & my yearly knife budget has shrunk to something like less than $10 a year...
But I still really like so many of the "impractical" designs that I see in Tolkien's books-made-movies, as well as what passes for cutlery in other cultures. So yeah, while my bowies, Khukris and drop points aren't going anywhere, I like the looks of these other ones too! :)
 
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This is Bladeforums, we're supposed to like all kinds of knives! :D

I'm not into the whole self-defense shtick with knives, although I have a few. I also have hawksbills, which I really like. It's more fun reading about knives I don't use than knives I already have too many of.
 
JTmisterknifeguy said:
And this isn't a "newfangled" design, peoples in SE Asia and elsewhere have been using non-Khukri, inward curved blades as knives (and not just sickles) for quite some time, the Filipinos and Indonesians are some cultures for example.
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Also the European billhook, which dates back at least to the Medieval period. :thumbup:
 
It's true that these have been around a while but from what I've seen it's usually a farm tool or a weapon. Not much in between. Could be wrong though.
 
Well, it's primary use is stabbing, right? Looks like the hooks/protrusions about halfway along the spine might cause some problems......
OTOH, I am glad to see Evangeline Lilly in a major role, but my favorite elf was Liv Tyler......
[video=youtube;nTS-BNf4EY8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=nTS-BNf4EY8[/video]
 
filedog said:
Well, it's primary use is stabbing, right? Looks like the hooks/protrusions about halfway along the spine might cause some problems......
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- Given that these daggers exist in a world where a ring can turn you invisible and a flying dragon can breathe fire, I think a knife that isn't 100% functionally correct is a small thing to suspend your disbelief over. ;)
 
filedog said:
Well, it's primary use is stabbing, right? Looks like the hooks/protrusions about halfway along the spine might cause some problems......
OTOH, I am glad to see Evangeline Lilly in a major role, but my favorite elf was Liv Tyler......
[video=youtube;nTS-BNf4EY8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=nTS-BNf4EY8[/video]
Click to expand...

I second Liv Tyler bring my favorite Elf, but as far as the blades go, I could see this design being used JUST AS MUCH for slashing and cutting as for piercing. But that's just me. I gotta hand it to the armorers at Weta, their fantasy blades inspire wonder and awe more than any movie based blade offerings that I'm aware of... Until they come out with a functional Lightsaber!! ;)
But really, it also seems that these were designed to be used in the reverse grip (look at the ergos of the hilt) by the angles of the guard area and "pommel". Anyone else see that?
 
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