What is this?

CourseEight · 26th August 2007, 07:24 PM

Wow! Quite a bit more exciting than I thought, thanks so much!

--Radleigh

tom hyle · 1st September 2007, 02:02 AM

Pretty sure this is Mediterranean. Less sure it was originally a dagger. The guard may be upside down. The nicely tapered grove may be our localixing factor?.....guesses and babbles. Doesn't look very Hindoo to me.

tom hyle · 1st September 2007, 04:35 PM

The Hindoo spear we are shown appears to be (as have been those I've seen) a socketed, not a tanged blade.
This dagger seems to have a heavy tang?
The swedged (bevelled) decorations at the blade base also seem European to me.
This closely resembles a type of mediterranean dagger commonly used for pig hunting in Spain.
The upside down looking guard is a fairly common feature on DE Mediterranean daggers. A narrowed and even thickened ricassoe is common to such daggers, though the full pedestalization seen here is not common, and reminds me of Rennaissance stilletoes.
The guard and lower ferule appear to be plated (?tinned?) iron, while the upper ferule (?or is it a set-off area of wood?) and pommel appear to be brass, etc.
Is the handle round in section, or close to it?

26th August 2007, 07:24 PM	#1
CourseEight Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Coral Springs, FL Posts: 222	Wow! Quite a bit more exciting than I thought, thanks so much! --Radleigh

1st September 2007, 02:02 AM	#2
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	Pretty sure this is Mediterranean. Less sure it was originally a dagger. The guard may be upside down. The nicely tapered grove may be our localixing factor?.....guesses and babbles. Doesn't look very Hindoo to me.

1st September 2007, 04:35 PM	#3
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	The Hindoo spear we are shown appears to be (as have been those I've seen) a socketed, not a tanged blade. This dagger seems to have a heavy tang? The swedged (bevelled) decorations at the blade base also seem European to me. This closely resembles a type of mediterranean dagger commonly used for pig hunting in Spain. The upside down looking guard is a fairly common feature on DE Mediterranean daggers. A narrowed and even thickened ricassoe is common to such daggers, though the full pedestalization seen here is not common, and reminds me of Rennaissance stilletoes. The guard and lower ferule appear to be plated (?tinned?) iron, while the upper ferule (?or is it a set-off area of wood?) and pommel appear to be brass, etc. Is the handle round in section, or close to it?