PESH KABZ DAGGER FOR COMMENT

[Lew]

Hi Guys

This is an interesting pesh it seems to be made more like a khyber knife and it looks old but not 19th century maybe an early 20th century. It seems quite beefy to me and looks to be of good quailty. Let me know what you think?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6546097567&sspagename=ADME:L:RTQ:US:1

Lew

[derek]

Hi Lew,

I think you're right. The brass washers on the pins are a nice touch, I don't remember seeing that feature on one before.

-d

[Rick]

This could be a late 19C. pesh .
I have a late 19thC. French kitchen knife with the same type of rivets that I purchased from Lee Valley Tools some years ago . They had found a large stock of unused antique cutlery and were selling it in their catalogue .

The mark on the blade is a devil running with a pitchfork . :D

[Lew]

Hi All

Well I finally received the pesh. It is quite stout the spine measures in around 7/16" the blade is 11" long it seems old but has been cleaned up nicely. It looks like it was forged from a large file or rasp there are still remnants of the file teeth in one part of the blade. Hear are a few pics for the record.



Lew

[Ian]

Hi Lew:

Like a choora -- but not quite. I wonder if this is a relatively recent Uzbeck or Pakistan knife. Or from a group thereabout. The cloth covering on the sheath is atypical for the usual Khyber knives, which have leather-covered wooden sheaths, and may offer a clue to its origins.

Interesting piece. Did this one come from Sue?

Ian.

[Lew]

Hi Lew:

Like a choora -- but not quite. I wonder if this is a relatively recent Uzbeck or Pakistan knife. Or from a group thereabout. The cloth covering on the sheath is atypical for the usual Khyber knives, which have leather-covered wooden sheaths, and may offer a clue to its origins.

Interesting piece. Did this one come from Sue?

Ian.

Hi Ian

Yes it came from Sue. I don't think this is a recently made dagger there is quite a bit of age on the tang and the horn also has age I would place it's age around the begining of the 20th century to about 1920 but it could be as late as the 1940s its hard to say due to the cleaning. I did some tests on some heavy corrugated card board and it went through it with little effort. I would hate to be on the receiving end of this beasty :eek:

Lew


Lew

[Tim Simmons]

Hi Lew , the dagger looks great I am a little unsure of the scabbard. The material looks pretty new to be honest. Just my first impression. Tim

[ariel]

I am a bit puzzled about "Indian ricasso": all Khybers/karud I own start the edge right after the bolster.
Looks like Pakistani to me and not very old.

[Lew]

I am a bit puzzled about "Indian ricasso": all Khybers/karud I own start the edge right after the bolster.
Looks like Pakistani to me and not very old.

Ariel

The scabbard I agree is more recent but there is patina on the underside of the hilt that shows age I don't really think it is more than 60 years old but it is one mean razor sharp puppy and I am quite pleased with it. That is the problem with over cleaning stuff it makes it really hard to get a handle on it's age. The horn has the same patina as some of my WW2 Philippine bolos.

Lew

[ariel]

You are correct: well patinated. Couldn't see it on previous pics.
The ricasso is still a mystery.

[RobT]

Hi all,
What strikes me as unusual is the small step on the underside of the hilt. I don't think this is typical of the commonly seen pesh kabz hilts. Since the tang repeats this feature, I think it is more than an "artistic" afterthought and might be an indicator of a regional variant. I have a khyber knife with a similar (albeit more pronounced) step in the hilt. I have seen some Sarajevo knives where this step is exaggerated into a finger groove. Any thoughts?
Sincerely,
RobT

[Ian]

I was looking at that too, Rob. Also seen on some Greek knives. Curious little feature -- perhaps an Ottoman influence.

Another oddity is the curve in the blade towards the tip. Choora approach the tip in a more or less straight line, but this one has quite a curve to the edge.

Interesting discussion piece, Lew. The knife is older than would appear from looking at the blade.

Ian.

[Valjhun]

I found that choora photo on the net. It seems precisely alike. Is that the same dagger or another of the same type?

[Lew]

I found that choora photo on the net. It seems precisely alike. Is that the same dagger or another of the same type?

Hi Valjhun

It's the same one.


Lew