Push dagger

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A push dagger (alternately known as: punch dagger, punch knife, push knife, fist knife, push dirk, or T-handled knife) is a short knife with a "T" handle designed to be grasped in the hand so that the blade protrudes from the front of one's fist, typically between the 2nd and 3rd finger. They are usually double-edged, and intended solely for fighting (with the possible exception of "keychain knives" which have a single-edged 1" serrated blade, thus being more suitable for light utility).

It is believed that the push dagger (in its modern form) originated in New Orleans during the gold rush era, where it was very popular with riverboat gamblers^{[citation needed]}. An ancient variant is the katar, which was an oversized pushdagger-type weapon designed to punch through armor. Push daggers were issued as trench knives during World War I and World War II.

The push dagger may be used in thrusting attacks, often delivered with a punching motion, or slashes. The short blade may inhibit its effectiveness as a slashing tool, though blade length is less of an issue in the thrust. The "T" handle aids in extraction and agitation, and makes the knife nearly impossible to dislodge from the fist of a determined adversary^{[citation needed]}. Furthermore, a blackened or beadblasted blade makes the knife virtually invisible^{[citation needed]}, as the blade is often quite small and it is rather atypical to see a blade anywhere other than protruding from the top or base of one's fist -- and an attack with such a blade is frequently misidentified as an unarmed punch. Due to these factors, the push dagger is considered highly dangerous, and its possession has been banned in many U.S. states, as well as Canada, Australia, United Kingdom, and New Zealand^{[citation needed]}. (Note that possession is only illegal if the blade is carried or wielded in public)^{[citation needed]}