Hand Weapons of the Empire

The bat'leh (bat'leH or bat'eth)  

Hand Weapons of the Empire

The traditional weapon preferred by most Klingon warriors the average bat'leth is a little over a meter long and shaped as a double-semicircle with four points it is composed of baakonite metal. The bat'leth is carried along the inside of the arm and normally wielded using two handholds on the outside curved edge of the weapon. A standard modern bat'leth is typically 116 centimeters long and weighs 5.3 kilograms

Klingon oral history, the traditional method of record keeping, holds that the first bat'leth was forged around 625 A.D. by Kahless who dropped a lock of his hair into the lava from the Kri'stak Volcano, he then plunged the fiery lock into the lake of Lursor and twisted it to form a blade. After forging the weapon, he used it to defeat the tyrant Molor, and in doing so united the Klingon Homeworld. This first bat'leth was known as the Sword of Kahless and was stolen a thousand years ago by the invading Hur'q.

The full story was never recorded, the clerics of Borath passed the entire tale down among their sect through the generations. This was done so that it could be used as a test in the circumstance of Kahless' prophesied return, as only Kahless would know this story outside of the clerics themselves.

In 2372 Ambassador Kor, Worf and Jadzia Dax traveled to the Gamma Quadrant to search for the legendary artifact, but came back empty-handed. Some beleive that they found the sword but none were worthy to weild it.

A bat'leth is often handed down through a family and many hold such weapons for many generations. Worf Son of Mogh has one that is ten generations old. Such weapons are considered to carry their own power, each warrior adding his strength to the weapon.

The qutluch

the qutluch

The qut'luch was a bladed weapon traditionally used by Klingon assassins. The weapon had a serrated blade and would cause a very serious wound. A pair of assassins hired by Duras used a qut'luch to attack Kurn in 2366. 

The Doctor finds that Larg, K'kath and Jeffrey have a dagger of qut'luch when he arrives home unexpectedly; the dagger is used in a ritual of a first bloodletting in preparation of becoming a warrior; Jeffrey says that it is an honor to perform the qut'luch. (STV-Real Life)

The mak'leth (mak'leH, meq'Leth or maq'etlh)      

The mak'leth (mak'leH, meq'Leth or maq'etlh)      

This blade is currectly termed a sword. As with the more common bat'leth the mak'leth does not resemble any swords from Earth's past. The weapons shape can vary quite considerably from one version to another but the general principle design remains. The main blade is normally around 20 inches long, though this varies from around 18 inches to 24 inches. The second blade is roughly a capital L shape and comes out from the main blade at an angle of 90% just above the pommel.

This sword comes in both left and right handed versions, though it is easily used off-handed. Many warriors like to fight with a matched pair of mak'leth.

This weapon is particularly suited to agile fast handed warriors and ideal for use in tight spaces, unlike the more common bat'leth. For this reason the mak'leth is commonly found among the weapons popular for combat use while on a starship. The weapon is normally wielded backwards along the length of the forearm, it is often however held 'reversed'.

The daq tahg

The daq tahg

The   tajtiQ 

   The tajtiQ      

These daggers are an older design than the daq Tagh. The blades are commonly around 16 to 18 inches long with an over all weapon length of 24 inches. A simpler weapon than the daq tahg this long bladed dagger is often used in duels.

The larger version of the tajtiQ is serated and the blade is commonly 20 to 24 inches long.

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This page was lasted updated: 06-Mar-2006