Katar (Punching Dagger)

The oldest of Bara knives is the katar. To wield the katar is to wield the weapon that Sahara gave to the Bara when they first began, thus it is an extreme honor for a Bara to be proficient in the katar. Bastard half-elves are another matter; it is just short of blasphemy for a bastard to handle a katar.

The handle of a katar is made up of two parallel bars connected by two, or more, crosspieces, one of which is at the end of the side bars and is fastened to the blade. The Katar is wrapped to the hand to optimize the grip. The blades are always double-edged and generally straight, but occasionally curved. They are of all lengths from a few inches to about three feet, although the longer ones are not used to much as they are not really practical. Katars are often thickened at the point to strengthen them for use against armor. The Bara blades are often forged in one piece with the handle as part of it, but sometimes the handle is riveted on in the cheaper blades. The blades are sometimes forked at the point, and even three blades occur.

The Bara armorsmiths occasionally make Katars that are hollow and serve as sheaths for smaller ones; or with three blades that fold together, appearing to be one, until handle bars are pressed together, and then they open out.