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Old 17th November 2012, 12:35 AM   #4
A Senefelder
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 214
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This is all purely gut, based on nothing more than how they hit me with a little constructional stuff influencing the feeling.

On the first one, the much subtler blade geometry, the finer nature of the details on the collar at the base of the hilt where the blade and hilt meet, the quality of the the work on the bronze/brass chape and tip of the scabbard, say older, mayhaps 18th century. The blade has more of a " working " appearence to me, a tool that was to be used, a finely made tool from the looks of it.

The second one, while nicely done, everything about it has more of a 19th century feel to it. The blade, guard and hilt remind me as much of some of the English Sheffield bowies in style as a hunting knife. The etching on the blade feels " newer " as does the decorative motif on the chape/frog and tip of the scabbard ( if theres such a thing as " new " when talking about the 19th century in the 21st ).

My gut opinion, the first perhaps 18th century, the second 19th century. The first does appear to be a very nice hunting knife, I would say the second certainly could be and probably is a hunting knife but certain features of the blade, hilt and guard has a little part of me wondering if it isn't perhaps a very nice example of the gentlmanly knives for personal protection of the 19th century of which the Sheffield manufactured ones are an example. My 2c. only.
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