The main gauche was a dagger developed in conjunction with the rapier during 16th and 17th century Europe. It is a left handed
dagger used as a defensive weapon to parry and block an opponent’s weapon. The main gauche was double edged with a sturdy
crossbar to protect the hand. The knuckleguard in the most highly developed main gauches was triangular in shape and often
lavishly engraved. Some versions of the main gauche had devices built into the blades to catch and even break an opponent’s
blade (rapier blades were narrow -- a main gauche would likely be snapped in half by a manly medieval European sword). The
German main gauche had two blades which sprang away from the center blade at 30 degree angles upon depressing a lever in
the guard. These pronged blades could catch and break a blade as well as inflict greater damage to the opponent when the
opportunity to strike with the left hand arose.