dagger ID and translation
 

Hi at all ,

I bought some items today and there was olso this dagger ... not much beautiful but very interessant....

anyone known information abaut ?

Caucasian? 19th ? the language of inscription ?

I can barely see it to translate, but I am positive it is Greek.

It is greek, I can read some of the inscription, please get some better photos and I will try and decipher it.
Regards,
Andreas

hello. The writing is really greek. if I'm not mistaken is a qama around the end of 19 century.

hello, thank you at all .... i will try to made a nice photo with visible the inscription but not easy ....

Hi Berber, if photographing doesnt work, you can also make a socalled rubbing; fix a paper on top of the blade and draw the hole paper (and knife)surface with pencil. The engraved marks will stand out to be darker than the rest. This way it MAY be easier to read!? Idea?
Although this is totally not my area of interest, it DOES seem to be a good antique dagger and -curious as I am- it will be fascinating to learn about its translation!
Good luck, Wouter

The style of the script gives me a late 19th-early 20th century impression. Based on that, and the literary style (from the words I can read pending clearer photos), I’m tempted to imagine that it belonged to a mangas, a member of a social group of criminals/bullies of late 19th century large Greek urban centres. They carried a qama, which was often inscribed with gloomy poems. I’ve read somewhere that their qamas were usually of Bulgarian provenance. Eftihis or Yannis would probably know more about that.
Andreas