Some kind of dha?

[kronckew]

Originally Posted by Ian

... 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....

hi ian,

don't really want to hijack fabio's thread, was just showing him a couple of scabbard repair suggestions.

that dha of mine has a copper circular plate at the pommel end of the grip held on by three nails. the plate is lipped back over the grip & keeps the rings from sliding off (along with all the other gunk on the grip) the blade end has a tapering copper bolster, covered by the rings, and a flat circular copper disk with a square hole for the tang covering the blade/grip junction, held on with 4 nails. the nails are all apparently steel with cross-hatched flat heads. the tang is about 4 inches into the grip (checked with magnet) 3/8" thick at the grip. the flat blade spine is distally tapered sharply from the grip over the 1st third of the blade, then rounded/chamfered and tapering less sharply to the razor sharp tip. spine is initially flat & incised with a series of diagonal lines, in 4 groups of 6,2,7, and 4 lines. the 4th line of the 1st group and the third group are broad and inset with copper. the tip is sharp all the way from the edge to the spine. no brass/copper inserted dot. the blade has no pitting or active rust but has a well developed mottled patina. all copper has a very dark almost olive patina. was told it was probably a 'naga' type from northern thailand, but may have katchin ancestry as well, as they are a bit overlapped in the region based on what was popular with the smiths at the time & who was fighting who....