Mystery Knife-HELP!

[Aurangzeb]

Hello All!

I bought this knife off Artzi. He identified that it might be Medditeranean(?). It is relatvely small but is good quality. It has 1937 scribbed into the blade. I hope that the belt hanging device will give some clue as too where it is from. All comments are welcome!

Mark...

[Aurangzeb]

no thoughts?

[RhysMichael]

I like it but I have no ideas on its origin..... sorry

[Emanuel]

Hello Mark,

The pendants looks like Touareg - or at least Berber - jewellery, so Mediterranean is possible. The blade looks very odd though. The scales of the grip have a one-sided rivet, and what with the brass guard and ferrule, the whole looks like some modern Indian daggers seen on ebay once in a while :confused: . I will post some pics tomorrow if I find them.

Regards,
Emanuel

[spiral]

Scabbard & handle look like pataned, dirty or lightly dyed European beech...

Spiral

[Lew]

It looks like it could be North African but the knife itself seems to have been reshaped/recycled from a European chefs knife?

Lew

[Justin]

My first thought was that the blade looks just like a fillet knife,but with the way the handle/tang is constructed I'm not sure that is the case.

The brass work that the sheath hangs from seems North African to me as well but I don't think that alone is enough to place the whole piece.Congrats on a very unique piece,hopefully someone will be able to give you some more specific info on it. :)

[Pukka Bundook]

It reminds me rather of a Finnish filleting knife.

I'm sure both the handle and the sheath are European beech, but who knows where it started it's travells!?!
It does look rather useful....

[Aurangzeb]

The only marking on the blade is 1937 and a small floral scroll on either end of the year. It does resemble a fillet knife now that you mention it but the blade is sort of think to be kitchen implement even though it might have started out as one. The tassals do look North Africa but the two longest tassals are actually belt loops. I did not think belts were in widespread use in North Africa until recently. could it be Maltese or Sicilian?

Mark...

[Flavio]

Hi Mark, from pictures, but maybe I see wrong, the metal parts on the scabbard seem to not fit with the patination that is lighter around them???

[Aurangzeb]

Hello Flavio!

All the patination matches but some pots are worn lighter by continuous wearing like on the pair of belt loops.

Mark...