A big and very old pira for discussion

[kai]

Hello Detlef,

Congrats, that certainly is a nice example! I'd be very interested to see how this blade looks after etching (that will also help to analyze those 2 areas that you think may be repairs). I don't think the pitting distracts very much - it's certainly a good blade!

I have a really similar piece (with suasa ferrule) that is also thinner where the blade is wider and again thicker where narrowing towards the tip. I believe this is mainly due to forging a billet of relatively even thickness to different widths, something that can be seen with many SEA blades. I'm not convinced the thinness of the wide part has any important functional reason; one possibility would be to increase cutting ability near the sweet spot.

We certainly need more details from a wide variety of this traditional gasah/pira style. Since dating is difficult to begin with, establishing a reliable timeline might prove very tough.

Could you add more dimensions for your blade, please? Will also try this weekend.

Regards,
Kai