Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

DaveA · 25th March 2014, 06:33 AM

Hi, great pictures. Thanks for posting.

The small knife looks like it might be a Chinese hudiedao, a type known as a "river pirate" sword. This type is thought to be derived from maritime boarding knives. The lack of a hand guard distinguishes the ‘river pirate” type from other hudiedao. These swords without guards can be instantly reversed in the hand and used with the back edge to subdue an opponent without lethal cuts.

River piracy along the Yangtze River was rampant in the 19th century. The coasts of both Guangdong and Fujian province were literally covered in pirates in the 1840s. Pirates battled the military for nearly a century.

Best,

Dave A.

25th March 2014, 06:33 AM	#2
DaveA Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Wisconsin, USA Posts: 413	Small knife - "River pirate" Hi, great pictures. Thanks for posting. The small knife looks like it might be a Chinese hudiedao, a type known as a "river pirate" sword. This type is thought to be derived from maritime boarding knives. The lack of a hand guard distinguishes the ‘river pirate” type from other hudiedao. These swords without guards can be instantly reversed in the hand and used with the back edge to subdue an opponent without lethal cuts. River piracy along the Yangtze River was rampant in the 19th century. The coasts of both Guangdong and Fujian province were literally covered in pirates in the 1840s. Pirates battled the military for nearly a century. Best, Dave A.