Bichaqs?
 

Just ended.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...e=STRK:MEWA:IT

Please enlighten me: what is so valuable about these Cretan knives that justifies rather hefty price? Unless, of course, the name on the blade belongs to a very famous Greek(Achilles? Onassis? Zorba?)

Ariel

I watched these knifes a lot. I talked with people they bid on them. The small one is more recent, around 1960. The engraving writes “Chania Crete”. This is the second biggest city of the island.

The big one "took all the money" (a greek slag expression that fits here :) ). It is very well made. End of 19th century or early 20th. These old ones are rare. More rare than silver yataghans, because they were made only in Crete island. This one was intact that makes it more rare.

They exist a lot in houses of cretan families but they will not give them anymore to any collector. They are usually of their great parents and almost any of them are accompanied with stories of fights against Turks or Germans. With a lot of raki of course.

They still make knifes like these in Crete but the old masters are gone and the quality today is very low.

Not making any assumptions, but I saw some humor in the winner's "handle"/user name if divided into three words (not/for/*****) and not knowing if the name is a common one or not.
Mike

I just hope the winner is Eftihis , I know how much he want it one but even so if its him, he would need to sell quite a few barils of olive oil to get out of debt ... They are beautiful daggers though, Yannis admit it, you wouldnt mind one at all ...

Radu

Eftihis has forbidden me to bid on any cretan knife in Ebay, to buy any from an internet dealer or from greek antique store. Also I have to report him any of them I see. He wants them all for himself!

So the only possibility is smuggling.

Do you know any for sale?

Damn, how i didnt thought about that?
I just sent an e-mail to customs to have an eye on you!!!