Small Dha and a Question About Ivory

Andrew · 31st March 2005, 04:06 AM

Hi Derek. I believe what you have there is a recently made dha hmyaung, likely produced by Karen or Shan tribesmen. The green baldric seems to be the color of choice for similar swords and knives.

The bottom knife looks significantly older, and not just in the color of the ivory. The silver wire work and sheeting is generally heavier on these, and the blades are often quite good, many exibiting the forge-folding or stacked laminate construction and differentially hardened edges of their sword sized relations.

As for the ivory, I'll defer to others more experienced than I. I do recall, however, that different types of ivory will age differently.

Best,
Andrew

31st March 2005, 04:06 AM	#2
Andrew Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: USA Posts: 1,725	Hi Derek. I believe what you have there is a recently made dha hmyaung, likely produced by Karen or Shan tribesmen. The green baldric seems to be the color of choice for similar swords and knives. The bottom knife looks significantly older, and not just in the color of the ivory. The silver wire work and sheeting is generally heavier on these, and the blades are often quite good, many exibiting the forge-folding or stacked laminate construction and differentially hardened edges of their sword sized relations. As for the ivory, I'll defer to others more experienced than I. I do recall, however, that different types of ivory will age differently. Best, Andrew