Northwest Coast Native American (Indian) Knife?

Jeff D · 29th December 2008, 05:26 PM

Hi All,

I think it was made to be in the style of the Northwest Pacific coast. As Tim stated the blade looks like a Seme blade. It does not appear consistent with the a Pacific coast made blade, or any trade blade. I would try the hot pin test on the hilt it looks like plastic to my eye.

Hoe this helps
Jeff

trenchwarfare · 29th December 2008, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeff D

Hi All,

I think it was made to be in the style of the Northwest Pacific coast. As Tim stated the blade looks like a Seme blade. It does not appear consistent with the a Pacific coast made blade, or any trade blade. I would try the hot pin test on the hilt it looks like plastic to my eye.

Hoe this helps
Jeff

Blade does look similar to Somali style. Also any number of other daggers, pikes, or whaling inplements. Hilt is ivory, not plastic. As stated, pictures are bad. M.P.

Tim Simmons · 29th December 2008, 07:36 PM

The handle looks as if it is possibly bone. I still feel that this is an African blade. I would very much like to be wrong.

fearn · 29th December 2008, 08:26 PM

Hi Tim,

The blade could be African, but it's too short to be a seme (10", right MP?). Trouble is, leaf shaped blades are common from many places. For instance, it could also be a rebuilt spear blade, although I don't think that's likely.

So what do we have? A lanceolate blade with two edges, little or no sign of work wear, pitting consistent with rust near the top of the blade, but it has no makers marks that I see, and the rust and blade have been cleaned so that there's no patina to date it.

The hilt materials are ivory (or bone) and abalone (or MOP) eyes, and it looks like there are leather lashings. The hilt looks sort of like a raven. None of these are unique to the Pacific Northwest.

What I'm not seeing is something that unequivocally says PNW. It could be, but it could be Aleut or possibly Inuit. Or it could be someone trying to mimic the style. In any case, it looks 20th Century, and I'd guess that it was built for art rather than for war or work.
F

Tim Simmons · 29th December 2008, 08:53 PM

Well I never mentioned a "seme" I still think the blade is African. This is hard to say why convincingly through a PC. There are just subtleties to the blade like colour, form, the type of edge, that to me scream Central Africa. As I said I do hope I am wrong.

Jeff D · 29th December 2008, 09:29 PM

Hi All,

Tim seme was my suggestion, as fearn suggests 10" is too short. I mentioned it only in passing as I have never seen a "leaf blade" on any PNW weapons. The hilt is an attempt at PNW style but without the usual execution. A combo of the posted hilts below. The abalone is a commonly used west coast material. I do not think it is bone as I cannot see any pores (sites of previous blood vessels). It doesn't appear hollow as well. Impossible to tell what it is from the pictures. I suggest plastic as there appears to be a few small bubbles. What does the end where the blade attaches look like? solid? porous?

all the best
Jeff

trenchwarfare · 29th December 2008, 10:08 PM

Hilt is solid, where the blade enters it. There are growth rings visible. No open pores, or straight grain, like you see in bone. I don't know the origin of the blade. Looks like it was heavily pitted, before being fitted to the handle. PNW was just a guess, way out of my area. The hilt is however, ivory, not plastic, not bone.

29th December 2008, 09:29 PM	#6
Jeff D Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: B.C. Canada Posts: 473	Hi All, Tim seme was my suggestion, as fearn suggests 10" is too short. I mentioned it only in passing as I have never seen a "leaf blade" on any PNW weapons. The hilt is an attempt at PNW style but without the usual execution. A combo of the posted hilts below. The abalone is a commonly used west coast material. I do not think it is bone as I cannot see any pores (sites of previous blood vessels). It doesn't appear hollow as well. Impossible to tell what it is from the pictures. I suggest plastic as there appears to be a few small bubbles. What does the end where the blade attaches look like? solid? porous? all the best Jeff Attached Images

29th December 2008, 05:26 PM	#1
Jeff D Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: B.C. Canada Posts: 473	Hi All, I think it was made to be in the style of the Northwest Pacific coast. As Tim stated the blade looks like a Seme blade. It does not appear consistent with the a Pacific coast made blade, or any trade blade. I would try the hot pin test on the hilt it looks like plastic to my eye. Hoe this helps Jeff

29th December 2008, 07:36 PM	#3
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,844	The handle looks as if it is possibly bone. I still feel that this is an African blade. I would very much like to be wrong.

29th December 2008, 08:26 PM	#4
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	Hi Tim, The blade could be African, but it's too short to be a seme (10", right MP?). Trouble is, leaf shaped blades are common from many places. For instance, it could also be a rebuilt spear blade, although I don't think that's likely. So what do we have? A lanceolate blade with two edges, little or no sign of work wear, pitting consistent with rust near the top of the blade, but it has no makers marks that I see, and the rust and blade have been cleaned so that there's no patina to date it. The hilt materials are ivory (or bone) and abalone (or MOP) eyes, and it looks like there are leather lashings. The hilt looks sort of like a raven. None of these are unique to the Pacific Northwest. What I'm not seeing is something that unequivocally says PNW. It could be, but it could be Aleut or possibly Inuit. Or it could be someone trying to mimic the style. In any case, it looks 20th Century, and I'd guess that it was built for art rather than for war or work. F

29th December 2008, 08:53 PM	#5
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,844	Well I never mentioned a "seme" I still think the blade is African. This is hard to say why convincingly through a PC. There are just subtleties to the blade like colour, form, the type of edge, that to me scream Central Africa. As I said I do hope I am wrong.

29th December 2008, 10:08 PM	#7
trenchwarfare Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 385	Hilt is solid, where the blade enters it. There are growth rings visible. No open pores, or straight grain, like you see in bone. I don't know the origin of the blade. Looks like it was heavily pitted, before being fitted to the handle. PNW was just a guess, way out of my area. The hilt is however, ivory, not plastic, not bone.