Mysterious knife number 2

[mariusgmioc]

Originally Posted by Kubur

Ah Marius, I prefer when you write about etching...

... yeah, then at least looks like I write about something I know...

[francantolin]

Hello and thank you for all the informations !!

does anybody know how do they for blackening the blade like that in the 19th century ?
by heating or oxydation ?
I don't think they used gun blue !

[kronckew]

Tannic acid turns rust a nice black and stabilises the rust.

[mariusgmioc]

Originally Posted by francantolin

Hello and thank you for all the informations !!

does anybody know how do they for blackening the blade like that in the 19th century ?
by heating or oxydation ?
I don't think they used gun blue !

They did it like this:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niello

[Kubur]

Here is the classic Tunisian dagger from 1900 1920ties
But it wont be fair to call it touristy, i prefer to say colonial souvenir....
These daggers are very sharp and very pointy, not toys.
It will be cool if Ibraheem or others can translate the inscription...

[Kubur]

And here the early 19th c one

[francantolin]

Really like the last one with coral and turquoise !!

[kwiatek]

The first says:

صنع في بنزرت

suni’a fi binzart

“Made in Benzart (Bizerte)”

The second says, I think:

اسلاح (السلاح) نافع للعدو دافع

a(l)-silah nafi’ li’l-‘aduww dafi’

“The weapon is useful, it repels the enemy.”

Both are in a Maghribi hand

[G. Mansfield]

I believe these examples are from the early 20th century, souk pieces, but post #1 is definitely an older piece. I have also seen similar hilt decoration with the brass circle-dot, brass wire, tacks, and coral from the late 19th century with Balkan form handles like that of Sarajevo models. Attached is an example that I received earlier this year very similar to the examples previously posted above.

-Geoff