Origin of this dagger?

Loedjoe · 31st October 2012, 08:51 AM

Thank you all for your comments.

A luju Alas variant would be great, as Sumatra is my main interest, but like Kai I am not sure it is Sumatran/Indonesian - I was so intrigued by the hilt that I could not resist buying it. I had assumed that the hilt was elephant ivory - I shall try to take, and post, more photographs of it in the next few days, which may help identify it for sure. It is 12 cm long, to the bottom of the ferrule (which is pale brass, rather thick and crude, perhaps a later replacement).
The back of the blade is flat, maximum thickness 4.5 mm at the base. The oval depression near the tip, the tadpole-shaped one near the middle, and the two thin ones near the base (just visible in the photo.) are all identical on the other side of the blade - perhaps the oval one, at least, once had a metal inlay?
As for etching - same comment as in the reply to the comments to my other query, lack of knowedge, and nervousness about causing damage.

31st October 2012, 08:51 AM	#6
Loedjoe Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Oxford (UK) Posts: 96	Thank you all for your comments. A luju Alas variant would be great, as Sumatra is my main interest, but like Kai I am not sure it is Sumatran/Indonesian - I was so intrigued by the hilt that I could not resist buying it. I had assumed that the hilt was elephant ivory - I shall try to take, and post, more photographs of it in the next few days, which may help identify it for sure. It is 12 cm long, to the bottom of the ferrule (which is pale brass, rather thick and crude, perhaps a later replacement). The back of the blade is flat, maximum thickness 4.5 mm at the base. The oval depression near the tip, the tadpole-shaped one near the middle, and the two thin ones near the base (just visible in the photo.) are all identical on the other side of the blade - perhaps the oval one, at least, once had a metal inlay? As for etching - same comment as in the reply to the comments to my other query, lack of knowedge, and nervousness about causing damage.