There were several pihas included in a recent Australian estate sale. Several had unusual blades, but this one caught my eye. If ever there was a piha made for fighting, I think this one would be it.
The recurved grip is more rare than the simple curved version, but I've never seen one so plain. There is none of the typical floral work, and the brass eyelets are like no other piha I've seen. The blade is almost entirely undecorated with the exception of some simple brass inlay at the base, near the grip.
In one of the old articles I've read, it is noted that the more decorated examples came later. But even at that, the guilds that made them weren't around long after the British took over Ceylon in 1815. Looking at this one, the blade looks very old and the scales have shrunk with age. Out of the 30+ pihas I've owned, I think this one may well be the oldest by far.
Did anyone else on the forum get one of the others in the sale? The blades looked like meat cleavers. I would love to see some more pics!
Compared to another plain blade, but this recurved grip shows all the floral style you normally see on a piha:
A few other simpler blades:
