interesting sawfish sword

Tim Simmons · 6th June 2006, 07:42 PM

Ah! A subject close to my heart. I think it is safe to say that this, fine as it is, is either made for the tourist trade or the handle was fashioned by an owner foreign to where the bill can from. The reddish wood of the guard does look like some timber from around PNG, I can post other examples, and not old. The pale wood must be of the same age and looks really quite recent, a couple of decades? The swirl on the quillions does have a slight Oceanic feel and is quite pleasing, I am not so keen on the handle. I think this is a very fine tourist piece. Much quality tourist work, some now antique is worthy of artistic consideration.

fearn · 7th June 2006, 02:42 AM

Hi Tim,

Here we go again! (see the other sawfish link).

I'm not sure about the age. I'm leaning towards more recent, because I'm not seeing a lot of patina on the handle or the guard.

design: those scrolls on the guard are definitely European style, as is the pommel. I don't think this is made to any indigenous PNG designs, although it could have been made in PNG for tourists. With those scrolls, it was pretty definitely made with steel tools, not bone or stone.

Materials: if the seller is right, I would guess it was made in the US, with a lesser alternate being England (or somewhere else where they could get their hands on walnut, bamboo, and oak, or whatever the pommel is). I'd also note that unworked sawfish bills turn up regularly on eBay, so it's pretty easy to get the materials to make this creation.

My diagnosis is that it's another "sailor-made" (not a derogatory term) or hobbyist made piece, of fairly recent vintage (last 50 years). I've seen some very similar swordfish bill swords sold on eBay, and they were made in New England or maritime Canada (don't remember at the moment).

As with the other sawfish bill, we're missing a lot of clues that would let us give it a provenance. Whoever made it had access to 1) a sawfish bill (bought or caught), 2) woodworking tools, 3) some dark wood and some light wood, and 4) some bamboo (assuming that's what the grip is). That doesn't eliminate much of the world, unfortunately.

My 0.02 cents,

F

6th June 2006, 07:42 PM	#1
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,855	Ah! A subject close to my heart. I think it is safe to say that this, fine as it is, is either made for the tourist trade or the handle was fashioned by an owner foreign to where the bill can from. The reddish wood of the guard does look like some timber from around PNG, I can post other examples, and not old. The pale wood must be of the same age and looks really quite recent, a couple of decades? The swirl on the quillions does have a slight Oceanic feel and is quite pleasing, I am not so keen on the handle. I think this is a very fine tourist piece. Much quality tourist work, some now antique is worthy of artistic consideration.

7th June 2006, 02:42 AM	#2
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	Hi Tim, Here we go again! (see the other sawfish link). I'm not sure about the age. I'm leaning towards more recent, because I'm not seeing a lot of patina on the handle or the guard. design: those scrolls on the guard are definitely European style, as is the pommel. I don't think this is made to any indigenous PNG designs, although it could have been made in PNG for tourists. With those scrolls, it was pretty definitely made with steel tools, not bone or stone. Materials: if the seller is right, I would guess it was made in the US, with a lesser alternate being England (or somewhere else where they could get their hands on walnut, bamboo, and oak, or whatever the pommel is). I'd also note that unworked sawfish bills turn up regularly on eBay, so it's pretty easy to get the materials to make this creation. My diagnosis is that it's another "sailor-made" (not a derogatory term) or hobbyist made piece, of fairly recent vintage (last 50 years). I've seen some very similar swordfish bill swords sold on eBay, and they were made in New England or maritime Canada (don't remember at the moment). As with the other sawfish bill, we're missing a lot of clues that would let us give it a provenance. Whoever made it had access to 1) a sawfish bill (bought or caught), 2) woodworking tools, 3) some dark wood and some light wood, and 4) some bamboo (assuming that's what the grip is). That doesn't eliminate much of the world, unfortunately. My 0.02 cents, F