Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

David · 10th April 2011, 03:49 PM

In regards to quality and craftsmanship, it seems to me that this has varying levels in all time periods. In each age there are good, bad and mediocre craftsman. Sometimes something like a sheath or hilt might be made by the owner themselves if they could not afford to have a professional make one. This is all dependent upon what a person can afford.This dress seems to have some real age, patina, and wear to it.
As for the coins, i don't believe they are a good determining factor of age at all. The 1945 coin may have been added in 1945 or it may have been added in 1955, 65, 75, etc. There is really no telling. But the material has some apparent age so i would guess earlier than later. The one thing we can be sure of was that the coin was not added before 1945.

And of course the coin may have been added well after the badik was created, which would be my guess as this badik seems to have some authentic age to it. I would think it is much older that 1945, probably closer to 1900 or before. I can see no possible reason to spend the time and effort to artificially age a piece like this as it is not a high price item that is likely to be worth the effort of making it look older than it really is to increase it's market value. I agree with Detlef that it seem to be a nice little commoner user badik that certainly has a place in anyone's collection of such knives.

10th April 2011, 03:49 PM	#9
David Keris forum moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Nova Scotia Posts: 7,034	In regards to quality and craftsmanship, it seems to me that this has varying levels in all time periods. In each age there are good, bad and mediocre craftsman. Sometimes something like a sheath or hilt might be made by the owner themselves if they could not afford to have a professional make one. This is all dependent upon what a person can afford.This dress seems to have some real age, patina, and wear to it. As for the coins, i don't believe they are a good determining factor of age at all. The 1945 coin may have been added in 1945 or it may have been added in 1955, 65, 75, etc. There is really no telling. But the material has some apparent age so i would guess earlier than later. The one thing we can be sure of was that the coin was not added before 1945. And of course the coin may have been added well after the badik was created, which would be my guess as this badik seems to have some authentic age to it. I would think it is much older that 1945, probably closer to 1900 or before. I can see no possible reason to spend the time and effort to artificially age a piece like this as it is not a high price item that is likely to be worth the effort of making it look older than it really is to increase it's market value. I agree with Detlef that it seem to be a nice little commoner user badik that certainly has a place in anyone's collection of such knives.