Two Indian Knives for interest and/or comment

[Miguel]

Obviously not interesting enough for comment
Miguel

[Rick]

The blade of the second one is appealing visually.
My 2 cents.

[Miguel]

Thanks Rick

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Here must be one of the Indian Classics... The Tiger Tooth... In my view one of the most efficient dagger blades ever made. Often with a reinforced tip for piercing armour/thick clothing and with chiselled blade making for a lighter stronger blade. I assume the tang goes right through to the typical 3 lobed pommel and there is one I saw with a tiger striped horn hilt ~ at 2 below..

See1. http://www.oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=2495
See2. http://www.swordsantiqueweapons.com/s995_full.html

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

[Miguel]

Thank you for your reply Ibrahiim and particularly for the links showing two very good examples of the "Tigers Tooth" dagger. Your assumption regarding the tang is correct.
Regards
Miguel

[mariusgmioc]

Hello Miguel,

Things are pretty clear for the Tiger Tooth dagger but I see no comments on the second one.

In my oppinion, the second one is a more artistic XX century Indian interpretation of a Khukuri, hence not an etnographically correct Indian knife. Yet, it appears to have a very well made, sturdy and effective blade.

If I were you, I would test the Tiger Tooth dagger for wootz, as most examples I have seen were made of wootz.

Regards,

Marius

[Tatyana Dianova]

For the second one please take a look here:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...highlight=pesh
By the way, there were very good Indian antique Kukris as well. There are some examples on the Kukri Forum. But this one is of course different.
The Tiger Tooth is pretty late too, I believe from the second half of the 19th century - beginning of 20th century.

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by mariusgmioc

If I were you, I would test the Tiger Tooth dagger for wootz, as most examples I have seen were made of wootz.

From what I have observed there are two types of Indian tiger tooth jambiya, and they are a type of jambiya....one type has a thick blade and the tang is also thick. The other type is a much less well made type.....a thinner blade, a bit flexible even and also thin at the tang.....for a person of less wealth, or a youth maybe, who knows but there is a world of difference between the two types...I also have one of the lesser types and it is certainly not wootz. hard to tell with a photo but in hand the difference is clear.

Miquel can tell which type his is.

Thin blade, thin tang, not wootz.


Thick blade and tang.

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi

Here must be one of the Indian Classics... The Tiger Tooth... In my view one of the most efficient dagger blades ever made. Often with a reinforced tip for piercing armour/thick clothing and with chiselled blade making for a lighter stronger blade. I assume the tang goes right through to the typical 3 lobed pommel and there is one I saw with a tiger striped horn hilt ~ at 2 below..

See1. http://www.oriental-arms.co.il/item.php?id=2495
See2. http://www.swordsantiqueweapons.com/s995_full.html

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

These are good examples of the two types I mentioned, one with ivory hilt and wootz, the other with horn and not wootz.

The family of daggers known as Tiger Teeth are coming from North India, They are characterized by the slender curved blade, usually with reinforced edges and slightly thickened tip. The hilt is of a full tang style, with big bolsters, wide grip strap and very typical three lobed pommel. This specific one has a fine 8 1/2 inches blade forged from good wootz (Damascus) steel with fine gold koftgari work on the ricasso bolsters and grip strap. The grips are ivory. Total length 13 1/2 inches.




Indian tiger tooth jambiya, 33cms long when sheathed.
Out of the sheath the dagger is 30cms long with a broad 20cm blade.
The hilt is a very well selected section of horn, cut and polished to resemble Tiger stripes. The blade has two broad central fullers, a chiseled forte and a thickened armour piercing point. The sheath is timber inners covered in a finely grained leather that is finished with a pierced brass end with a bud finial.