The katar was an Indian type of push dagger clearly identifiable by its H-shaped hilt. A push dagger is a type of bladed weapon that, unlike most bladed weapons, is lead in a punching motion rather than a swinging motion. The katar as a weapon has existed since roughly the 14th century, but was not widely used until the 16th century. Though certainly a practical weapon, they were more often of a decorative or ceremonial nature. As such, the blades and handles were usually ornate, and sometimes inlaid with silver or gold. This specific iteration of katar, the scissor katar, is the latest appearing version. What makes it unique is its mechanical functionality – when the outer grip is pulled, the outer blades part, exposing a smaller blade within. Unique, but with unclear purpose; and thus, it has been subject to historical debate over whether this version was actually used for combat. One side would argue the opening mechanism could worsen a wound inflicted by increasing the width of the point of impact, or that the inner blade could be tipped in poison making it an effective assassination weapon. Those arguing against its usefulness would cite that the overwhelming majority of this type are not sharp or strong enough to pierce light armor with the outer blade or even flesh in some cases. Regardless of whether it was built purely for novelty or not, the scissor katar has certainly succeeded in catching the eye, and remains one of the Indian sub-continent’s most iconic weapons.
The outer blade on the model can be opened or closed using shape keys included in all files except .obj, which instead includes a separate opened and closed version.Two texture sets are included: One with a worn painted design on the metal, and one without
Type: Thrusting | Culture: India | Time Period: c. 14th-20th Century |
Textures: Diffuse, Normal, Roughness, Metallic, Occlusion | Texture Resolution: 2048x2048, 1024x1024 | Texture Format: PNG | Polygon Count: 1558| Triangle Count: 3082 | Vertex Count: 1588 |