The First Edged Weapon of War: The Knife
The knife, not the sword, was the first edged weapon developed by primitive man for use in hunting, fighting, and just plain murder.
Here's What You Need to Know: While the sword usually comes to mind first when one thinks of edged weapons, it was not actually the first such weapon—the knife was. The earliest form of knife may be more than two million years old, and it consisted of single- or double-edged sharpened mineral and stone pieces used by primitive people to cut up fresh kill and skin its precious hide. As such, the knife was a handheld tool before it became a weapon. The best materials to sharpen (by edge chipping) a knife blade included yellow amber, flint, and quartzite. But these and other materials had the same problem—they tended to break. Other materials, including bone, horn, and wood were also used with varying success. Early on, the knife in whatever form was modified with a sharp point to become a thrusting and stabbing weapon—the dagger—for use in fighting, self-defense, and just plain murder.