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Old 27th May 2005, 08:06 PM   #10
derek
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I had not read this article for some time and went back through it as I scanned the pages. There are some specifics given for the different types of daggers and knives. Here are some that relate the knives we classify as piha kaetta (the author calls them "pihiya"):

"Dagger blades vary as follows: -- (c.) a straight blade tapering gently to a point; (d) a straight edged blade with an almost truncate tip coming down abruptly to a point; (e) a concave edged blade gradually tapering to a point; (f) the blade is antire and devoid of panels (g) the blade has decorative panels inlaid with some other metal extending from the hilt along the back; (h) this panel may possess a groove containing small balls which move up or down; (j) the panel might cover as much as half or even two-thirds of the blade and be perforated.

Dagger possess a variety of names depending upon the material forming the hilt and the shape of the blade. Thos with handles of rocks such as crystal (J.F. Pieris 1938) or green marble are "Gal Mita Pihiya", the delicate narrow blades are "Ul Pihiya", the curved ones are the "Vak Pihiya" (see e.), and the chopper form is the "Pihiya Kattha" (see q.) The hilt is either straight with the pommel twisted downward towards the edge, or downward and then upward towards the reverse of the blade."

And here is the plate referred to in the paragraph above (I added bolder letters to help ID them as referenced). I wish it was a better pic:
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