dagger

[l'audois]

hi
what do you think of this dagger ?
the form seem oriental but the fabrication european
blade marqued (perhaps) JCDJTC
thanks for your ideas
best regards
l'audois
http://i47.servimg.com/u/f47/12/27/87/33/pict0123.jpg
http://i47.servimg.com/u/f47/12/27/87/33/pict0124.jpg
http://i47.servimg.com/u/f47/12/27/87/33/pict0125.jpg

[M ELEY]

Appears to be a mid/late 19th century bowie knife in the Romanticized "Arabic" fashion. Looks like old nickeling to blade. Bone? handle. European or possibly frontier American (I'm thinking of those MOP hilted knives and pistols that the gamblers/saloon girls used to carry.) This faux Persian style remained popular in the Old West for awhile. Of course, this COULD also be a fraternal bowie, like the swords and other paraphenelia used by the Knights of Pythias/Masons/Elks/WOTW. Some of their stylized pieces look like this, but must of those types are not of this quality (cheap white metal blades, etc). I'd bet on the former versus the latter.