The European Sword Breaker, also known as the Sword Catcher, was a special kind of dagger. It was used mainly at the end of the Renaissance period and onwards. Its purpose was to catch an opponent's blade. The design of the Sword Breaker was unique. It had many openings on the non-sharp edge and an S-shaped crossguard. The user could trap the opponent's weapon in this way, possibly even breaking thinner blades like those of a Smallsword or Rapier. Besides catching and breaking weapons, the Sword Breaker's pointed tips could also be used in combat.