And what is this one??

broadaxe · 7th January 2010, 11:53 PM

Hello all. I had a chance to examine this magnificent dagger in person. My thoughts: Russian hunting dagger, possibly a presentation piece to nobility.
Explanation: this is a kindjal, basically. The small "eared" pommel is more of russian-type shashka's, rather of yataghan-type. Blade is very thick and heavy, Turkish blades tend to be more practical in their construction, thinner & lighter. The decoration motifs, both the scrimshaw and the embossing on the sheath show strong Rococo period design. Russia of the late 18th century, under the rule of Catherine the Great, saw much influence of French art and philosophy. The period scrimshaw itself is a technique I've seen so far strictly on North American, British, French and Russian artefacts. A highly similar scrimshaw can be seen on late 18th c. guns pictured in the book Masterpieces of Russian Hunting Arms by Jurij Miller. I think the hole in the hilt is not for lanyard but for port-epee of some kind. Worksmanship and quality are superb, anyhow.

7th January 2010, 11:53 PM	#19
broadaxe Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 334	Hello all. I had a chance to examine this magnificent dagger in person. My thoughts: Russian hunting dagger, possibly a presentation piece to nobility. Explanation: this is a kindjal, basically. The small "eared" pommel is more of russian-type shashka's, rather of yataghan-type. Blade is very thick and heavy, Turkish blades tend to be more practical in their construction, thinner & lighter. The decoration motifs, both the scrimshaw and the embossing on the sheath show strong Rococo period design. Russia of the late 18th century, under the rule of Catherine the Great, saw much influence of French art and philosophy. The period scrimshaw itself is a technique I've seen so far strictly on North American, British, French and Russian artefacts. A highly similar scrimshaw can be seen on late 18th c. guns pictured in the book Masterpieces of Russian Hunting Arms by Jurij Miller. I think the hole in the hilt is not for lanyard but for port-epee of some kind. Worksmanship and quality are superb, anyhow.