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'Swordbreaker' parrying dagger for catching and binding enemy swords, Italy, ~1600 AD
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this post was submitted on 19 Feb 2024
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It's definitely designed to parry and capture rapier like swords. The arrow head parts allow the blade in, but stop it sliding back out.
It was likely used to momentarily tangle an opponent's blade. You could then either run them through with your own sword, or, more likely, close within their guard, to use a dagger.
These are used all the way up to broadswords. You use them to entangle and then wrench the blade away from your opponent. A lot of times they’re used with a cudgel in the other hand, not a sword.
Oh agreed that various sword breakers exist (ed) this particular one is designed for dealing with narrow stabbing blades. A broad sword, or similar would simply overwhelm it. This is a mugger's weapon, designed to deal with a "gentleman" sword, not a war sword.