Ethnographic folding knives

Martin Lubojacky · 19th September 2019, 08:34 PM

Not my field, but - I was told in China they used simillar (concave) knives for tonsure. But it could be any country from Iran to the east (?)

fernando · 19th September 2019, 08:54 PM

A rather cute piece, it is

.

RobT · 20th September 2019, 02:36 AM

Martin,
Thanks for the response. I did two searches. In the first search (Chinese tonsure knife), everything I saw was pretty straight or electric. With the second search (antique tonsure knife) I did find a very nice antique tonsure scissor and knife set from Bangkok Thailand. The set was made for royalty and had a lot of gold on it. The knife was slightly back curved.

Fernando,
Thanks for the complement. I agree, it is very cute.

Sincerely,
RobT

Rick · 20th September 2019, 02:40 AM

Could this have been for cutting the betel nut; or are they too hard to use something like this on.

kronckew · 20th September 2019, 08:16 AM

Looks like a pruning knife. Similar small ones are used in scoring opium poppies & collecting the head later to get the seeds for next years crop. I recall seeing similar decorations on blades from northeast India near Burma.

fernando · 20th September 2019, 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kronckew

... Looks like a pruning knife. Similar small ones are used in scoring opium poppies & collecting the head later to get the seeds for next years crop...

Makes sense, incurved edge and all.

20th September 2019, 02:36 AM	#3
RobT Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 563	Tonsure Search Martin, Thanks for the response. I did two searches. In the first search (Chinese tonsure knife), everything I saw was pretty straight or electric. With the second search (antique tonsure knife) I did find a very nice antique tonsure scissor and knife set from Bangkok Thailand. The set was made for royalty and had a lot of gold on it. The knife was slightly back curved. Fernando, Thanks for the complement. I agree, it is very cute. Sincerely, RobT

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19th September 2019, 08:34 PM	#1
Martin Lubojacky Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Czech Republic Posts: 845	Not my field, but - I was told in China they used simillar (concave) knives for tonsure. But it could be any country from Iran to the east (?)

19th September 2019, 08:54 PM	#2
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	A rather cute piece, it is .

20th September 2019, 02:40 AM	#4
Rick Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 6,347	Could this have been for cutting the betel nut; or are they too hard to use something like this on.

20th September 2019, 08:16 AM	#5
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,239	Looks like a pruning knife. Similar small ones are used in scoring opium poppies & collecting the head later to get the seeds for next years crop. I recall seeing similar decorations on blades from northeast India near Burma.