Accidental collector - old weapons ID assistance (Yao?)

Emanuel · 5th November 2014, 09:19 PM

Some thoughts...

Note that the blade is very similar to some short Burmese dha knives in both profile and execution:
- single-edged
- slight droop towards the edge
- well executed fullers on the good example, but flat blade on cruder examples

Note the bolster construction which appears to borrow both from Nepalese khukri bolsters, and from Tibetan knives, with a rivet through the bolster well brushed and hidden.

The tang construction is unique in that the tang maintains the same section as the blade and is not hidden inside the handle, which has a slot to received it. So far, only the crude Afghan knife above features this tang construction. Otherwise the Tibetan knives feature slab/scale handles, while most khukri and Burmese handles have a hole inside to receive a narrower rat-tail tang. Khukri with slab/scale handles appear in WWII with the British pattern MK2.

The circular decorative motif on the handle and sometimes scabbard straps is not a helpful feature in establishing the origin of these knives as it has already been shown many many times on this forum that it is extremely widespread to different cultures around the world.

The stamped markings at the base of the blade are like nothing else. They closely resemble flags or maritime symbols to me. The marks are repeated 2-3 times and look like they were struck by the same punch. This suggests a standardized manufacture to me, not simple village production.

Emanuel

5th November 2014, 09:19 PM	#1
Emanuel Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,242	Some thoughts... Note that the blade is very similar to some short Burmese dha knives in both profile and execution: - single-edged - slight droop towards the edge - well executed fullers on the good example, but flat blade on cruder examples Note the bolster construction which appears to borrow both from Nepalese khukri bolsters, and from Tibetan knives, with a rivet through the bolster well brushed and hidden. The tang construction is unique in that the tang maintains the same section as the blade and is not hidden inside the handle, which has a slot to received it. So far, only the crude Afghan knife above features this tang construction. Otherwise the Tibetan knives feature slab/scale handles, while most khukri and Burmese handles have a hole inside to receive a narrower rat-tail tang. Khukri with slab/scale handles appear in WWII with the British pattern MK2. The circular decorative motif on the handle and sometimes scabbard straps is not a helpful feature in establishing the origin of these knives as it has already been shown many many times on this forum that it is extremely widespread to different cultures around the world. The stamped markings at the base of the blade are like nothing else. They closely resemble flags or maritime symbols to me. The marks are repeated 2-3 times and look like they were struck by the same punch. This suggests a standardized manufacture to me, not simple village production. Emanuel