AFRICAN BOWIE KNIFE ?

[Gavin Nugent]

Originally Posted by Royston

Does anyone know if the silverwork on the pommel is local ?

regards
Roy

Hi Royston,

If by local you mean original and native to the piece, yes it is.

Gav

[KuKulzA28]

Collins was a very popular machete brand during that time. EspadaAncha has been pretty thorough about explaining it. I don't know how old Martindale is, but their machetes are very popular in Africa today, perhaps it was a cut down martindale... hard to say

[Tim Simmons]

Pictures from "British and commonwealth military knives, Ron Flook" he states ww2 Indian made knife based on the American V-44 what ever that is. Originally designed by the Americans as aircrew survival knives. Did Indian army troops serve in British Somalia?

PS. yes they did.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/t...a1126360.shtml

[laEspadaAncha]

Originally Posted by Tim Simmons

Pictures from "British and commonwealth military knives, Ron Flook" he states ww2 Indian made knife based on the American V-44 what ever that is. Originally designed by the Americans as aircrew survival knives. Did Indian army troops serve in British Somalia?

PS. yes they did.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/t...a1126360.shtml

Good find, Tim...

One footnote - the V-44 was in actuality a blunt-tip machete that had a remarkably appearance different from the No. 18, but over time the label was misappropriated to the No. 18 machete within the collector community and for whatever reason has stuck. You'll more often than not find the MilSpec No. 18's labeled as "V-44"s at knife/gun shows, as that's the name many collectors identify with them.

Here's a picture of an actual V-44 (which was Case's pattern number):

[laEspadaAncha]

One other note: WWII-era Indian copies would be consistent with my earlier suggested attribution, as until 1947, Pakistan was a part of India!

[Tim Simmons]

Cool!!!! Even the publishing top brass can learn a thing or two here.

[katana]

Hi Roy,
how thick is the spine ?

Regards David