Robert,
Sorry for taking so long to get back to you. Been busy with family stuff today.
Below are a few pictures of dha myaung, mostly from the Oriental Arms web site (apologies to Artzi Yarom), one or two of mine, and a few from other sources including the History of SE Asian Steel site. I have tried to show a range of styles that do not feature ivory--primarily silver clad hilts. For the point of discussion, I've classified the styles into "Burmese," "Thai," and "Lao." Even though these are probably all made by the Shan/Tai in the Golden Triangle area, those broad styles can be defined.
The first one is one of mine that has a copper/gold overlay on the wooden scabbard and hilt. These are old pictures that I posted here more than 10 years ago (sorry about the quality). I would call this one "Burmese" in style.
The next one is a fairly plain silver hilt and most likely Thai, but could be Burmese, in style. Most of the handle is wrapped in silver wire rather than silver sheet--the wire is more durable than the solid sheet, does not wrinkle or pleat, and is easier to replace if damaged.
The next two are Thai in style, each with a prominent ring (sub-hilt) about one-third of the way up the handle and a large lotus bud pommel. These pommels are quite common on silver-decorated Shan/Tai knives and swords.
The next one is very similar but has different decorations (spiral patterns) on the scabbard. It appears to be older than the other two with lotus pommels. The scabbard decoration strikes me as Lao more than Thai, but since the Lao are also ethnic Tai, and Lao styles have had a strong influence on Thai swords and knives, this may be splitting hairs.
The next one is not very old IMHO, and shows more of a Burmese style, with no sub-hilt or fancy lotus pommel.
The last one is probably second half of the 20th C, with heavily repoussed silver work, paneled "scenes," and spiral wire work near the toe of the scabbard, all of which are strong Lao features.
I hope these pics can help you with your decisions, Robert. You have a fair amount of variation in styles and complexity to choose from.
Your knife seems to have a degree of age to it. Based on others I have seen, I would say it probably has been around for about 100+/- years. It is a great pity that the ivory hilt was removed, but then it would have been much more expensive and you would not have the opportunity to bring it back to life.
Regards,
Ian.
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