Small Ottoman? Persian? Kard.

[kronckew]

...local equivalent of a pocket knife

[mariusgmioc]

Very beautiful example of an Ottoman Bichaq from the Balcans (Bosnia?).

They come in a rather wide range of sizes. Yours can be for a boy but it still falls within the normal range of sizes.

[Kubur]

I'm very suspicious about your kard or bichaq.
In red, Ottoman Balkans features, no explanations needed.
In green, Indian features:
the flowers design
the fact that the scabbard tip is in one piece, on the Ottoman examples it's another part.
The mid part of the knife is very Indian to me.
Finaly this knife is an excellent condition.
Someone knows if Indians are doing copies of Ottoman weapons??
I just ask...

[Norman McCormick]

Thanks guys for your insight and comments.
Regards,
Norman.

[motan]

Hi Norman,
To me, it looks like a Ottoman Greek dagger. Having said that, it is not a typical one because most of them have a more Bichaq-like shape and the silver engraving is done with deeper relief, more like the one discussed here http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=10027
In my mind, the style of decoration is not Persian but shows European influence, and the all-silver-plated look is certainly not Persian, but Greek-Ottoman. But I might be wrong, of course.

[motan]

After a closer look, I have to share Kubur's suspition. The gold koftgari does not look right and it COULD be an old simple kard blade re-hilted in India in general Ottoman-Balkan style

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by Kubur

Finaly this knife is an excellent condition.
Someone knows if Indians are doing copies of Ottoman weapons??
I just ask...

They can and have copied a wide range of weapons and armor. I always look for signs of wear, there should always be some wear on an old blade and scabbard. I have seen quite a few with beautiful gold work that looks like it was applied yesterday, not a hundred years ago, as beautiful as they are I pass for more used looking weapons with no doubt of authenticity.

[Norman McCormick]

Hi,
Some more images that might help the deliberations.
Regards,
Norman.

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by Norman McCormick

Hi,
Some more images that might help the deliberations.
Regards,
Norman.

The blade looks good to me, I see the signs of wear that one would expect to see on an older blade. Assuming that the scabbard and fittings are original to the blade the size is not unusual, I have a kard that is 10 1/2" with a 7 1/2".
blade, I also have a kard that is 17.5 inches long, quite a wide range of sizes.

Here is a link to many kard examples.
https://www.pinterest.com/worldantiq...-knife-dagger/

[Battara]

Thanks for the pics. I am now more convinced that the piece is Ottoman, but came into the hands of a Greek who took off the cartouche - a common practice among Greeks who got Ottoman pieces.

Sometimes the Ottoman and Indian kards are hard to distinguish due to trade and cross cultural influences.

[Kubur]

Originally Posted by Norman McCormick

Hi,
Some more images that might help the deliberations.
Regards,
Norman.

Thank you, You changed my mind.
This knife looks old and authentic.
The last thing that I don't understand is the flowers and the decorations.

I will see in the book Balkan arms.
Congrat. Norman, the same knife page 255 in the book previously mentionned.
So your knife should be from the Balkans....