So what else do I do with my Pugio

[Matt Lukes]

That's a really interesting question Mike- given the training a Legionary was supposed to have gone through in the use of his scutum, pilum and especially his gladius, it does raise the question of whether or not there was any special training for the use of the pugio. They even learned unarmed combat at least in the form of wrestling, so it does seem unlikely that there would be no interest in using the pugio.

As for a specific situation in which the pugio would be the most appropriate weapon, nothing really comes to mind- given that the gladius was already a very close-range weapon. It's not like today where, for example, a shotgun might be considered most desirable for very close-range and a high-powered rifle for long-range.

I'd imagine that if he were to lose hold of his scutum during a battle, drawing the pugio and fighting with two blades might be something to do...

Matt