Museum Quality Roman Pugio
designed by John Barnett
Around 150 BC the Roman legions adopted a dagger of Spanish origin and from this point forward it was to see almost continued military service until the decline of the Roman empire.
These daggers had short pointed blades of around nine inches in length and were especially effective at piercing chain-mail body armour.
The pugio was favoured as a secondary sidearm to the Roman gladius-short sword and was widespread in its use until the general adoption of the longer spatha-cavalry sword, as the primary Roman sword of the legions around AD 100.
Although examples of pugio after AD100 have not yet been excavated they do seem to reappear by the third century again however it is most unlikely that such a useful secondary sidearm ever really ceased to be carried by the individual Roman soldier.
All swords in the John Barnett collection have EN45 sprung steel blades, guard and pommel pieces are always in steel unless brass or bronze are specified, hand grips are of oak wood over very broad strong tangs
The John Barnett collection are all museum quality pieces with their own distinct look and feel.
The dagger sheathed measures approx 16 1/2" (419mm).
The blade measures 9 1/4" (235mm)
and the handle measures approx 5 3/4" (146mm).
The pugio weighs approx .6kg sheathed
