Nice Older Bhutanese Dossum Dagger
 

Hello All,

Acquired this in a trade not too long ago. Measures 41 cm overall in sheath with a 30 cm blade of wedge-shaped cross section. Pommel is silvered brass set with turquoise, while the sheath is made of different overlaid copper alloys.

Cheers,

Chris

Very beautyfull dagger.

Unfortunately I know nothing about them (sorry :shrug: )

Best regards,
Willem

Agree with Willem, very nice old example. Do have etched the blade?

Regards,

Detlef

Thank you Detlef & Willem... :)

I have not etched the blade (without exception, each attempted etch I have undertaken has always produced entirely underwhelming results :shrug: ), but the hairpin laminations are visibily evident even with the old etch/polish, so aside from some minimal oiling, it is my plan to leave it be.

Having only had one other older one pass thorugh my hands over the years, my exposure to comparable examples is largley limited to those I have researched here on the forum. Yet I do not recall seeing another example with the cord binding over the (top and bottom of the) shagreen...

Is this indicative of a regional variation? :shrug:

I am also puzzled as to the significance of the green pigment visible on the blade-side of the base of the hilt. An auspicious addition, or purely an accidental application? :confused:

I've attached a couple additional photos, including one of the aforementioned pigmentation.

Wow, great! Do you have other Bhutanese weapons? Very interested!

Sorry... but this is the one-and-only at present... thank you, though. :)

Thought it was also worth noting the Buddhist symbology worked into both sides of the center panel of the scabbard, the crossed vajra on the front, and the dharmachakra on the back.

No one has any ideas on the use of pigment where shown? :shrug:

A very nice knife. The red cord is characteristic of many Bhutanese swords and knives.

See: http://www.bhutanstudies.org.bt/pubFiles/v5-8.pdf . And you'll find a bunch of photos if you search "Bhutan" on this site.

The green looks to me like a copper oxide on the brass "khaser", i.e., corrosion.

Thank you, dennee for your thoughts - you are among the forumites that came to mind after reading through some of the Bhutan threads in the archive. :)

Unfortunately, another among us who likely would have something to say is no longer with us, though there are several others I am hoping will chime in when time allows - a certain brother in (antique) arms Down Under comes to mind... ;)

In revisiting the document to which you had provided a link (originally downloaded after reading Tatyana's thread about a Bhutanese sword with a plated blade a couple years ago), I realize that the corded wrapping on the grip is indeed common. Thanks again for the link, and not knowing if the document has been updated (more pics?) from the iteration already on my desktop, I downloaded it again.

With regards to the green discoloration on the udnerside of the base of the hilt, after viewing it with a 20x loupe, I am still rather certain it is pigment. :shrug:

Cheers,
Chris

Thanks you!
Do you have the information about Bhutanese warriors?

*Bump* in the hopes some of our other Tibetan or Bhutanese weapons enthusiasts missed this and might have something to add... :)