Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

David R · 9th June 2012, 10:13 AM

Well it arrived today, and Lew looks to have called it spot on. The scabbard is your typical Kurdish piece, a bit worn but nicely tooled, and nothing to do with the knife.
The blade is a nice one, not too rusty, still sharp though with some fine serration due to abuse or corrosion, but nothing that will not disappear with a wipe of fine ebrasive as I clean the blade. It has a good distal taper and a well crafted section. A nice blade in fact.
The guard well made and well fitted to the blade, in fact metal to metal and metal to horn fit is good all round.
The grip is horn and pot metal, neatly done, and as you said Ibrahim very like Syrian work. And engraved on one of the metal panels of the grip...INDIA 1943.
Overall it is a sound piece of work, and I think Lew called it right, a 19th C Naval dirk reworked in India in the first half of the 20thC. Not what I optimisticaly hoped for, but hopefully not overpriced for what it is.........
Since posting this I went on the Google for naval dirks, and then a link to this site!!! took me in another direction,-kirpan- the Sikh short sword or dagger. The blade seems a it good though for something purely ceremonial?

9th June 2012, 10:13 AM	#5
David R Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 1,052	Well it arrived today, and Lew looks to have called it spot on. The scabbard is your typical Kurdish piece, a bit worn but nicely tooled, and nothing to do with the knife. The blade is a nice one, not too rusty, still sharp though with some fine serration due to abuse or corrosion, but nothing that will not disappear with a wipe of fine ebrasive as I clean the blade. It has a good distal taper and a well crafted section. A nice blade in fact. The guard well made and well fitted to the blade, in fact metal to metal and metal to horn fit is good all round. The grip is horn and pot metal, neatly done, and as you said Ibrahim very like Syrian work. And engraved on one of the metal panels of the grip...INDIA 1943. Overall it is a sound piece of work, and I think Lew called it right, a 19th C Naval dirk reworked in India in the first half of the 20thC. Not what I optimisticaly hoped for, but hopefully not overpriced for what it is......... Since posting this I went on the Google for naval dirks, and then a link to this site!!! took me in another direction,-kirpan- the Sikh short sword or dagger. The blade seems a it good though for something purely ceremonial? Last edited by David R; 9th June 2012 at 12:57 PM. Reason: Added information.