Mek'leth

A mek'leth was a traditional Klingon bladed weapon. While Klingons often carried disruptors, they prefered to use bladed weapons in combat, with the two most common ones being the mek'leth and the bat'leth. ()
== Design ==
The mek'leth was described by T'Pol as "a two-pronged dagger" that was "typically used to slash the throat or disembowel." It could also be thrown effectively. When facing an opponent wielding a bat'leth, a skilled mek'leth user could use the reverse prong to snag the center of the bat'leth and snap it in half. (; )
Jadzia Dax thought that, although the mek'leth was better in some ways, she still preferred the longer reach of the bat'leth. She later practiced with a mek'leth. ()
== History ==
During the Battle of the Binary Stars, T'Kuvma used a mek'leth to battle Captain Philippa Georgiou aboard the starship Sarcophagus in 2256, eventually stabbing her to death with it. ()
When Michael Burnham challenged to a duel in order to buy time for the to complete its readings of the Sarcophagus cloaking device, he tossed her a mek'leth. ()
File:L'Rell's mek'leth.jpg|A single-handled mek'leth (2250s)
File:No image yet.jpg|A dual-handled mek'leth (2250s)
File:T'Kuvma's mek'leth.jpg|A spike-handled mek'leth (2250s)
Worf occasionally favored the smaller (and easily concealable) mek'leth instead of the larger, bulkier bat'leth. () Worf often used his mek'leth to fight the Jem'Hadar, such as those on Vandros IV and on Soukara. () He also concealed his mek'leth on his EV suit during a spacewalk on the hull of the , tucked into the suit's belt at the small of his back while in orbit around mid-21st century Earth. He used it to kill one of several Borg drones that had been building an interplexing beacon on the ship's deflector dish. ()
In an alternate timeline on Gaia, Worf's descendant Brota inherited his mek'leth. In this timeline, he had once used it to kill a yar-bear. ()
The mirror universe claimed that he had once stolen a mek'leth from his Klingon guard and had then used it to deactivate the sensor alarm of a cell in which he had been held. ()
One of the Klingon holograms in a simulation used by the Hirogen wore a mek'leth while singing Klingon drinking songs at a campfire. Later, some Klingon holograms used their mek'leth's to attack the Nazi holograms. ()
In 2383, Dal R'El found a mek'leth in a derelict Klingon Bird-of-Prey on the "Murder Planet" in the Hirogen star system. It was subsequently lost when his crew was confronted and pursued by . ()
In 2401, Jean-Luc Picard kept a book featuring Klingon bladed weapons in the library at Château Picard. He displayed the book open to a page illustrating a bat'leth, mek'leth, and d'k tahg. ()
=== Collector's item ===
Captain owned several Klingon blades, including a mek'leth. In 2256, Commander Ellen Landry wanted to use it to cut off the claws of "Ripper", but she was killed by the creature. ()
In 2381, a away team cataloguing Kerner Hauze's collection encountered a number of bladed weapons, including a mek'leth. ()
== Appendices ==
=== Appearances ===
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=== Background information ===
Dan Curry created the mek'leth at Michael Dorn's request when he joined in . Dorn was interested in something small enough to hide behind his back, that could effectively defend against the larger bat'leth. On a visit to Curry's home, Dorn and Curry landed on components of a Nepalese kora that could be thrown like a hatchet. (Star Trek: The Artistry of Dan Curry, p. 116) The ergonomics of the weapon were specifically designed for Dorn's mass and hand size. (; A Vision of the Future - Star Trek: Voyager, p. 13)
The Star Trek: The Visual Dictionary (p. 57) indicates the mek'leth is made of baakonite, with targ hide wrapped around the grip. The Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual (p. 89) describes the mek'leth as typically half the length of a bat'leth, and in addition to baakonite, can also be made of dikeiferate, which is 1.18 times denser than baakonite.
==== Diversified design ====
According to prop master Mario Moreira, the Klingon bladed weapons for were designed to convey more of an aesthetic/defensive race than thuggish/aggressors, with three designs of mek'leth created for "Battle at the Binary Stars." The blades and handles were painted using different combinations of gold, green, aluminum, black, red, burgundy, orange, and copper, to be affiliated with the different Great Houses (rather than inscribe each with crests, to save budget.) (The Art of Star Trek: Discovery, p. 70) 
The props were physically constructed in Toronto, Canada. It was made from hand sculpted high-density foam. That sculpt was subsequently converted into a 3D model and milled out of aluminum. The blade's elaborately detailed surface was hand carved from a poured resin. The weapon's handle was also hand carved from foam and then cast in resin. ("Star Trek Exhibition" at screening, Millbank Tower, London, UK, ) One of these mek'leth props was featured at in Blackpool, UK, and is now on a world tour.
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de:Mek'leth
Category:Klingonese
Category:Hand-held weapons