art-of-swords:

The Stiletto

The graceful stiletto is finally here. The knife or dagger is recognized by its long slender blade and needle-like point and the weapon was primarily intended as a stabbing weapon.

The stiletto blade’s narrow cross-section and acuminated tip reduces friction upon entry, allowing the blade to penetrate deeply. Though considered by some to be a form of dagger, most stilettos are specialized thrusting weapons not designed for cutting or slashing, even with edged examples.

Over time, the term stiletto has been used as a general descriptive term for a variety of knife blades exhibiting a narrow blade with minimal cutting surfaces and a needle-like point. In American English usage, the name stiletto can also refer to a switchblade knife with a stiletto or bayonet-type blade design.

First developed in Italy, the stiletto dates from the late 1400s, and is thought to be a development of the rondel dagger or misericordia, a needle-pointed weapon with a narrow blade designed primarily for thrusting, though possessing cutting edges.

By the time of the Renaissance the term stiletto had come to describe a range of slender thrusting knives closely resembling the French poignard, many with conventional dagger-profile blades and sharpened edges, but always retaining the slim profile and needle-like point.

Source: Wikipedia