Some kind of dha?

[PUFF]

Braid hemp 's fine. Even metal (copper) bands will do.

The sockets at scabbard 's tip might be the place for another metal fitting, similar to one at the butt-cap (pommel?).

[Mark]

My guess is that the socket is actually due to a bit of wood coming off between the very tip of the scabbard,and a hole made for a peg to hold the two halves together. It is typical for the scabbard halves to be held together also with a peg through the end. Usually there is more wood at the tip of the scabbard so the hole can be set back, but in your case the hole for the peg seems to have been quite near the tip, allowing the peg hole to break completely out and make a notch.

[Flavio]

Thank you guys, i will post some pictures of scabbard as soon as the work is finished

[PUFF]

Thanks for detailed pic. I just discussed with K. Bancha. The blade style was used during early(late C18th)-mid(late C19th) Rattanakosin. With this kind of spine, this one 's likely to be mid-Rattanakosin (as Ian mentioned, late C19th). The origin 's likely to be central Thailand because he found a similar example from NaKornSawan province. And the hamon 's likely to be differential harden rather than Sanmai

[Flavio]

Thank you very much Puff

[kronckew]

hi flavio,

one of my dha's came with a scabbard in much the same shape as yours, made some copper bands for it from sheet copper, and a copper chape for the scabbard end which replaces the one much like it that was very damaged., added some braided string bands later. i'll probably replace those with turk's head knots at some point, now that i learned how to tie them (google 'turk's head' - they're the same knots scouts use to make their neckerchief slides, and can be used for other decorative purposes (mats, monkey's fist rope ends, etc))
much of the wood was missing near the tip which i hand carved replacement bits for & carefully inlaid & glued them in place (before banding, of course) from your photo i think there may have been a wooden pin to hold the halves together near the scabbard tip which was also present on mine. i replaced it with a piece whittled from a bamboo chopstick. this was my first 'restoration' and the scabbard was in so bad a condition on receipt, i did not feel too bad about not being overly 'authentic' in restoring it. anyhow, picture follows, (the kukhri in the picture is 21" LOA.....the dha in it's scabbard is 34" LOA, 10" grip, 23" blade)

edited:
found my 'before' pictures for this naga dha, the scabbard was complete tho in 2 halves, no bands tho, rotten baldric was only thing holding it all together, re-varnished it & added new turk's head bands - dha grip has individually braided rattan rings covering it which luckily were complete & in good shape so did not require any rework, so the sword was basically just cleaned & oiled. it had a bamboo pin at the scabbard tip also.
before:

after:

[Ian]

Hi Kronckew:

Nice looking work and close enough to the original. BTW, I think the bottom example is probably Thai -- 19th C. The tip is a little unusual but of a style for blades that serve as a utility tool and weapon. [PUFF could probably give you the province from which this one comes.] I have a similar sword, probably early 19th C., which is presently on display at the Macau Museum of Art. Its scabbard is black lacquered wood with old rattan strips and baldric.

Yours is a handsome example with what sounds like a well preserved rattan wrapped hilt. Some plaited rattan strips would look super on that scabbard.

Ian.


Here are pictures of mine off Mark's Dha Research Index