Ive been looking everywhere, cannot believe the dearth of info on bichaqs. Faktor ("Knives and Daggers" has a BALKAN dagger with ivory decorated with brass studs and circles resembling this, noted as 18th-19th c.
Knives are the hardest thing IMO to identify as they are so personal, and the artisans who made them were so much more prevalent than sword cutlers. The closest you can get is localized conventions and favored traditions prevalent in certain regions.
Like the Hendrix nod
, from what I remember of the 60s in So.Cal. ...Purple Haze man!
So not sure if 'bichag' but certainly a very old, probably Balkan dagger.
Have gotten pretty fired up on knives since you rekindled the puukko thing! so I excavated a pile of old knives acquired years ago in Germany from an eclectic collector so will start a new thread so not to derail here.
Hope those of who who collect knives can help.