Identification & thoughts on Afghani knife

[spiral]

Heres a strange beast from Afghanistan. I currently think of it as a recurved Kard.

Thoughts & comments welcome, has anyone seen anything like it before?

Very stiff yet springy distal tapered blade, Possibly patterned steel, such dark patina dont realy what to clean it up. :shrug:

The bone handle is a rounded hexagon become more circular with just flat tob & lower sides where joining the brass.

I cant recall seeing such a piece before. Total length 13 inches.

Thanks,

Spiral


http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y266/qwer3/P1010189.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y266/qwer3/P1010190.jpg


http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y266/qwer3/P1010192.jpg


http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y266/qwer3/P1010186.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y266/qwer3/P1010184.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y266/qwer3/P1010191.jpg

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y266/qwer3/P1010195.jpg

[spiral]

Seems a rare breed indeed then!

Anyone? By eye or book?

Spiral

[Lew]

Hard to tell on this one? The blade is old but some how it does not match up with the hilt it just does not flow together smoothly. Recurved blades often if not always have a dropped hilt rather than a straight one. I think the blade was rehilted at some later point in time. Still a nice dagger.


Lew

[spiral]

Well yes thats a possibility Louie, {although the sunlit photography doesnt help.}The Afghanis have always loved a bit of rehandling, it was bought back by family friends to England in 1920 after the third Afghan war along with many other Afghan trophies, but perhaps the blade is much older, I hadnt thought of that.Thankyou. ;)

Have you ever seen a thin recurve blade like that before though? most are much wider, & how about the handle? any similar examples?

Spiral