Search
Cookie Usage Statistics Colour Key Sudden Death Monthly Poll Caption Comp eMail Author Shops
Ships Fleets Weaponry Species People Timelines Calculators Photo Galleries
Stations Design Lineage Size Charts Battles Science / Tech Temporal Styling Maps / Politics
Articles Reviews Lists Recreation Search Site Guide What's New Forum
Jonathan Archer Soji Asha Reginald Barclay Julian Bashir Chakotay Christine Chapel Pavel A. Chekov Pavel Chekov Zefram Cochrane Beverly Crusher Wesley Crusher Damar Daniels Data Dax Richard Daystrom Degra Dukat Michael Eddington Elnor EMH Forrest Elim Garak Gowron Guinan Kathryn Janeway Agnes Jurati Kahless the Unforgettable Kes Harry Kim Kira Nerys James T. Kirk James T. Kirk Geordi La Forge Leeta Lore Martok Travis Mayweather Leonard McCoy Leonard H. McCoy Morn Raffaela Musiker Narek Alynna Nechayev Neelix Nero Nog Keiko O'Brien Miles Edward O'Brien Odo Thomas Eugene Paris Phlox Jean-Luc Picard Christopher Pike Katherine Pulaski Q Quark Janice Rand Malcolm Reed William T. Riker Cristóbal Rios Rom Alexander Rozhenko Worf Rozhenko Sarek Sarek Hoshi Sato Montgomery Scott Scotty Seska Seven of Nine Shran Silik Benjamin Sisko Jake Sisko Noonien Soong Soval Spock Spock Hikaru Sulu Hikaru Sulu Surak B'Elanna Torres T'Pau T'Pol Deanna Troi Lwaxana Troi Charles Tucker III Tuvok Nyota Uhura Nyota Uhura Weyoun Winn Adami Natasha Yar Additional People The Original Series The Next Generation Deep Space Nine Voyager Enterprise La Sirena Star Trek XI Enterprise

Contact Weapons

Universe Name : Prime Timeline
Weapon Name : Contact Weapons

Although it seems incredible that clubs, swords and daggers could survive in this age of shields and energy weapons, many cultures continue to use these types of weapons in the 24th century. For the most part this is a matter of tradition rather than practicality - bladed weapons are employed alongside their modern counterparts and used only in close quarter fighting. [1] Probably the most famous exponents are the Klingons; for this race of warriors there is no more honourable form of combat than the use of a blade, and virtually every member of the society is expected to become at least proficient with them. [2]

On occasion such ancient weaponry can even prove to be a significant advantage. The modern battlefield is an environment where dampening fields can be commonplace, and although regenerative phasers can operate within most forms of field [3] there are still occasions when phasers, disruptors or even simpler weapons will not function. In such cases the side with the most skill at swordplay will often have a crucial advantage. [4]

NotesImages

Bat'Leth

Universe Name : Prime Timeline
Weapon Name : Bat'Leth [5]

Probably the most famous of all edged weapons, the first bat'leth is said to have been forged when Khaless the Unforgettable dropped a lock of his hair into the Kri'stak volcano and then plunged the burning hair into the Lursor lake and twisted it into a blade. Khaless used the weapon to defeat the tyrant Molor before naming it bat'leth, or ""sword of honour". [6] The Sword of Khaless was for many centuries one of the Klingons most important relics, but it was stolen about 1,000 years ago by the Hur'q invaders. Many attempts have been made to find the sword since this time, including a mission led by the Dahar master Kor in 2372, but all failed. [7]

The Modern bat'leth is a simpler and less ornate weapon than the original. The weapon vaguely resembles a double-ended scimitar, with three handholds built into the back edge of the main blade and an additional pair of points inside the main ones. The weapon is usually held along the inside of the arm, and a whole form of martial art has been developed around this weapon. [2] Size and mass vary according to the preference of the user, but a typical warriors fit is 116 centimetres long with a mass of 5.3 kilograms. The bat'leth is composed of Baakonite. [4]

NotesImages

Mek'Leth

Universe Name : Prime Timeline
Weapon Name : Mek'Leth [8]

Although far less famous than the bat'leth, the smaller size of the Mekleth makes it a more effective weapon at closer ranges and in the right hands it is more than capable of holding its own. The mek'leth is also more easily concealed. The weapon is relatively uncommon even amongst Klingons, as it takes significantly more skill to use effectively. [8]

NotesImages

D'k'tahg

Universe Name : Prime Timeline
Weapon Name : D'k'tahg

The d'k tahg is a vicious three bladed knife carried by almost every Klingon. It is commonly used in hand to hand combat, but more importantly it is of great ceremonial value to the Klingons. [2] To a Klingon warrior the d'k tahg is a representation of his or her personal honour - to take the knife from a warrior is to steal their honour, and is a terrible insult. [8] The d'k tahg features in many Klingon rituals. [9] It has been in use since at least the mid 22nd century - Malik used a d'k'tahg to kill Persis on the Klingon Bird of Prey they captured in 2154. [10]

NotesImages

Lirpa

Universe Name : Prime Timeline
Weapon Name : Lirpa [11]

The Lirpa is a traditional Vulcan weapon. It is composed of a wooden shaft a little over a metre in length, with a cresent blade on one end and a large club on the other. The blade is extremely sharp, capable of cutting through metal. Lirpas are one of the weapons available for use in the kal-if-fee challange which formed a part of Vulcan mating rituals. [11] The Vulcan military has also used Lirpas on occasion when energy weapons could not be used - for instance, in the short Vulcan civil war of 2154 patrols in the Forge used Lirpas as the energy dampening fields in the area made energy weapons useless. These weapons had smaller blades and clubs than the ceremonial version [12] in order to improve their handling characteristics.

NotesImages

Nisroh

Universe Name : Prime Timeline
Weapon Name : Nisroh [13]

A ceremonial weapon of the Tilonians, the Nisroh is used in their traditional bartering ceremony. Potential traders are judged with their prowess with the blade. In 2369 Riker's mind included the Nisroh as part of a complex fantasy which it created to resist attempts to probe his thoughts by a Tilonian interrogator. [13]

NotesImages

Glavin

Universe Name : Prime Timeline
Weapon Name : Glavin [14]

A weapon employed during challenges to the Ligonian Right of Supercedence. Prior to 2364 the challange had not been employed in more than two hundred years, but the women of the planet had a tradition of preparing themselves for the accompanying combat. These weapons were designed to be light and easy to handle, so as to facilitate their use by women. The spines and the large stabbing point are both coated with a lethal alkaloid based poison. [14]

In 2364 one of the Ligonian leaders, Lutan, attempted to replace his wife Yareena with Lieutenant Yar of the Enterprise-D. Yareena challenged the supercedence, and she and Yar fought with these weapons. Yar was successful in the challenge, but Dr. Crusher was able to revive Yareena after her death. [14]

NotesImages

Spears

Universe Name : Prime Timeline
Weapon Name : Spears

The first spears were essentially knives tied to the end of a wooden shaft. The shaft allowed the wielder to use his weapon at a distance of several feet beyond normal knife range, giving a great advantage over short handheld weapons. This advantage could be extended further by throwing the spear to give extra reach. Over time spears became somewhat more sophisticated, but in essence even the most advanced models are little different to the originals. [15]

The natives of Taurus II used spears which were similar in construction to the Folsom Point, a weapon discovered in 1925 near Mexico, North America. The Taurus II weapon was a little more crude about the shaft, and was considerably larger than Earth weapons in line with the larger bulk of the natives who built them. It was not a very efficient weapon, though it worked well enough to kill a crewmember of the USS Enterprise who was stranded on the planet. [16]

NotesImages

Samurai Sword

Universe Name : Prime Timeline
Weapon Name : Samurai Sword [17]

More accurately known as a Katana, this is a type of sword used on ancient Earth by the Japanese. The Samurai Sword is reknowned as being one of the highest quality weapons of the kind ever to be produced. The blade was one of the few to combine a sharp cutting edge with the great hardness required in a combat weapon. The latter was a result of good materials and advanced construction methods. The slight curvature of the weapon also reduced the length of blade in contact with the target on any given blow, increasing the pressure and so enhancing the cutting effect.

The Samurai sword became so famous on Earth that their strength and sharpness became almost legendary, and many myths spread concerning their effectiveness - even into the 21st century Samurai swords were commonly appearing in fictional works as contemporary weapons alongside projectile weapons which had long ago rendered them obsolete in the real world. One popular myth was that the repeated folding of the metal resulted in a blade composed of millions of layers with super-strong properties. Another story claimed that the swords reflected the personality of their creator, making some weapons particularly prone to being involved in violence. Whilst no weapon of this type could possibly live up to the more exaggerated stories, it is indeed true that the Samurai sword was a formidable weapon for its time. [15]

When the USS Enterprise visited an alien pleasure planet in 2267, the machinery there created various items out of the imagination of the crew. Amongst these was a Samurai warrior complete with sword. [17]

NotesImages

Ahn-Woon

Universe Name : Prime Timeline
Weapon Name : Ahn-Woon [11]

A Vulcan ceremonial weapon, the Ahn-woon is little more than a strip of flexible material which can be used as a whip, or to entangle an enemy's feet. It is used during the Koon-ut-kal-if-fee ceremony alongside the Lirpa. [11]

NotesImages

Gin'tak Spear

Universe Name : Prime Timeline
Weapon Name : Gin'tak Spear [18]

A spear used by the Klingons. The gin'tak was intended for battle; when Worf found a group of Klingons who had lived for decades in Romulan captivity, he was distressed to find their children using the weapons as farming tools. [18]

NotesImages

Qu'vak

Universe Name : Prime Timeline
Weapon Name : Qu'vak [18]

A short Klingon spear. The Qu'vak is used to hone the skills of the hunt - a metal hoop is rolled across the ground and the Qu'vak is thrown, with the intent being to throw it through the centre of the hoop. When Worf found a group of Klingons who had lived for decades in Romulan captivity, he was distressed to find their children using the weapons as farming tools. He instructed them in the proper use of the Qu'vak as a way of introducing them to their heritage. [18]

NotesImages

Dagger

Universe Name : Prime Timeline
Weapon Name : Dagger

A dagger is a double-edged knife commonly used by primitive cultures. They can be used as contact weapons to stab or slash at the enemy, or can be thrown. [15]

In the mirror universe, officers carried daggers as part of their standard duty uniform. [19] The Dolhman of Elaas also carried one when she travelled aboard the Enterprise-D in 2268, and used it to stab Ambassador Petri. [20]

NotesImages

Rapier

Universe Name : Prime Timeline
Weapon Name : Rapier [21]

A type of sword commonly used in Europe around the 1600s, the rapier had a slender blade, a sharp point and often an elaborate hilt and hand-guard. Most rapiers were double-edged, though some later weapons were single-edged or even edgeless. A rapier can both slash and stab an opponent, with stabbing as the main form of attack. Rapiers were commonly used in duels. By the year 1700 they had largely been replaced by the lighter smallsword, though competitive sporting use continued for many centuries afterward. [15]

Even as late as the mid 2200s rapiers were still used in fencing; Lieutenant Sulu owned one whilst he served aboard the USS Enterprise. Under the influence of the PSI 2000 syndrome he menaced various Enterprise crewmembers with it. [21]

NotesImages

Ushaan-Tor

Universe Name : Prime Timeline
Weapon Name : Ushaan-Tor [22]

The Ushaan is a traditional duel to the death practiced by the Andorians. The Ushaan-Tor is the usual weapon used in the combat. It is actually a tool used by ice miners; Andorian children frequently play with Ushaan-Tors as toys, and the average Andorian is very well practiced in their use. In 2154 Captain Archer participated in the Ushaan with Commander Shran, taking the place of the Tellarite who had killed Shran's mate Talas so as to preserve the tentative alliance between the Andorians and Tellarites. [22]

Colour key

Canon source Backstage source Novel source DITL speculation

References

# Series Season Source Comment
1 Generic canonical information
2 Various Next Generation episodes
3 DS9 7 Field of Fire
4 DS9 2 Blood Oath
5 TNG 4 Reunion
6 TNG 6 Rightful Heir
7 DS9 4 The Sword of Kahless
8 DS9 4 The Way of the Warrior
9 Various Deep Space Nine episodes
10 ENT 4 The Augments
11 TOS 2 Amok Time
12 ENT 4 Kir'Shara
13 TNG 6 Frame of Mind
14 TNG 1 Code of Honor
15 Real world
16 TOS 1 The Galileo Seven
17 TOS 1 Shore Leave
18 TNG 6 Birthright, Part 2
19 TOS 2 Mirror, Mirror
20 TOS 3 Elaan of Troyius
21 TOS 1 The Naked Time
22 ENT 4 United
Source : Generic canonical information
Series : TNG Season
Episode : Various Next Generation episodes
Series : DS9 Season 7
Episode : Field of Fire
Series : DS9 Season 2
Episode : Blood Oath
Series : TNG Season 4
Episode : Reunion
Series : TNG Season 6
Episode : Rightful Heir
Series : DS9 Season 4
Episode : The Sword of Kahless
Series : DS9 Season 4
Episode : The Way of the Warrior
Series : DS9 Season
Episode : Various Deep Space Nine episodes
Series : ENT Season 4
Episode : The Augments
Series : TOS Season 2
Episode : Amok Time
Series : ENT Season 4
Episode : Kir'Shara
Series : TNG Season 6
Episode : Frame of Mind
Series : TNG Season 1
Episode : Code of Honor
Source : Real world
Series : TOS Season 1
Episode : The Galileo Seven
Series : TOS Season 1
Episode : Shore Leave
Series : TNG Season 6
Episode : Birthright, Part 2
Series : TOS Season 2
Episode : Mirror, Mirror
Series : TOS Season 3
Episode : Elaan of Troyius
Series : TOS Season 1
Episode : The Naked Time
Series : ENT Season 4
Episode : United


© Graham & Ian Kennedy Page views : 63,918 Last updated : 30 Mar 2005