Unusual blade- Thai(?)
 

When I look back at this old thread, http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ht=smithsonian

I can't help but notice some striking similarities to the piece I have for sale. The blade profile and shapes of many examples in the Smithsonian look quite similar to my example. The big difference is the tang. The examples in the Smithsonian seem to have regular sword tangs that taper while my example has a solid cylindricular tang that is different than most SE Asian tang I am familiar with. Also, I had one side polished to see if there might be some metalurgical clues but the steel did not reveal anything as there is no pattern to the steel. I post it here as an interesting piece of unknown origin but wanted to provide the other thread for discussion points but felt since I wanted to sell this thing the swap forum would be the most appropriate place to discuss origin. Price is $25 plus shipping.

It does look very Thai. Don't know what is up with the tang. Is it proportioned to work as a grip?

I don't know the purpose of the tang done this way. It is 4" long and 1/2" thick. The end is squared off, like it could be inserted into a hollow handle but this is atypical of normal tang construction and mounting. I had thought perhaps it was a polearm blade of some sorts but again a different type of tang than you typically find on those. Perhaps some of the utilitarian type knives utilized a thick tang like this for real heavy use and it was inserted into a long handle with hollow end and then somehow wrapped or secured but it is hard to say whether or not this piece has ever been mounted. A real curio.

That was my first thought, Rick. From the photos, it looks like the blade may have been drawn out from a cylinder bar stock, leaving the terminal end as you found it. In other words, I wonder if that's really a tang, or just an unfinished blade. You have it in hand: any indication it was ever mounted?

Looks Thai to me as well.

There is no evidence of old resin or any other form of adhesive so I don't think it ever had a handle. Maybe it is an apprentice piece or something like that? Interesting that it should survive if it is.

I've been playing with the idea that maybe it was meant to be mounted on a bamboo handle, hence the thick tang. That doesn't make that a lot of sense (wouldn't it shatter the bamboo through internal work?), but it was the only thing I could think of. The idea of it being an experimental piece makes more sense.

F

Rsword,
Can you tell me what the actual measurements on this piece are? You know how much I like oddball items. :D

Robert

Hi Robert,

As mentioned, the tang is 4" long and 1/2" thick. The forged part of the blade is 10 3/4" long as measured from the tang to the "clipped" point. It is 3" wide at the widest point towards the point. It definately meets the oddball classification! :D

You've got mail :D

It has arrived and I am very pleased with it. I have found out that this style of point is called "baby chick's head" in Thai. I also agree with Rsword that because of the tang that it is either a polearm blade or that of farming tool. I'm leaning more toward the polearm just because of the shape of the tip.

Robert