Knife

The common knife has long been a multi-purpose tool for skinning, cutting, and carving. It also serves its wielder quite well in a fight. Although its cousin, the dagger, has the advantage of versatility in combat situations since it can be used in melee or thrown, the knife wins out in terms of pure cutting power. It appears in  Ultima VI,  Savage Empire,  Martian Dreams,  Ultima VII and  Ultima VII Part Two.

History
Knives started to appear for the first time during the gargoyle war. Originally used by the butchers for the skinning, cutting, and carving, people began to start to use this has a weapon. In Serpent Isle, the knife were basically used to skin animals to make cloaks whose function was to protect against the cold. It were again seen in all main Ultima installments through Ultima VII Part Two. They were not seen used as weaponry after this.

Variants
Obsidian Knives

This particular knife is a more primitive version of the standard knife that only appears in the land of Eodon in Savage Empire. However, its drawback is that it is more effective as a tool than a weapon.

Trivia

 * According to Vetron's Guide to Weapons and Armour, the knife has a "2" effectiveness rating -- slightly better than the dagger, but making the main gauche a better choice for its defensive capability alone.