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Old 11th June 2011, 12:38 PM   #1
buendia
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Default Knife/dagger identification problem

I don`t have any idea where this knife comes from. I thought maybe Balkans, but I didn`t find anything really similar. Can you help?
The knife is about 25cm long.
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Old 11th June 2011, 01:12 PM   #2
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Is the grip one-piece with a full length stalk tang? Is it horn?
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Old 17th June 2011, 04:16 PM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tom hyle
Is the grip one-piece with a full length stalk tang? Is it horn?
Answer to both questions is YES.

I have found very similar ornaments on the blades of Bosnian and Silesian highlanders` traditional knives (respectively).
Silesian highlanders live on the Czech - Polish border, and are the most north-western descendants of Vallachian shepherds from the Balkans (came in 15th century). The similarities are conspicuous.
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Old 18th June 2011, 11:34 AM   #4
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Such a tang seems more Persian or European than Turkish.
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Old 7th August 2011, 07:55 PM   #5
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This is a Bosnian or Croatian knife. They are called youth knives are worn by young men who were not married.
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Old 21st May 2022, 10:26 PM   #6
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the first knife is typical Balkan, comming from the Ottoman influence but found in Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia till 1945.

The other is typical for Bosnia and surrounding border area of Croatia and Serbia. Also backdating from the Ottoman times.
Typical are the circular , sometimes straighh lines, looking like a "naive"like semi sun with little stars around.
As you can see in the examples.

Used as multi use knives for fishing, hunting and such. Given to older boys but also a good companion for an adult , and ...useful if needed in a fight in those days.
They also exist with a slight longer blade.
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Old 11th June 2011, 01:41 PM   #7
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For some reason I'm also thinking Balkan/Turkish possibly Greek....

Nice piece!

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Old 12th June 2011, 03:04 AM   #8
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I agree looks Turkish.
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Old 13th June 2011, 01:02 AM   #9
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Grip is made of horn, but I didn`t have it in my hands so far. I`ll write more about it on Tuesday. What`s an English term for the punched embelishments on the blade? It was very common in the whole Carpathian region till WW1/WW2.
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Old 21st May 2022, 11:27 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by buendia View Post
Grip is made of horn, but I didn`t have it in my hands so far. I`ll write more about it on Tuesday. What`s an English term for the punched embelishments on the blade? It was very common in the whole Carpathian region till WW1/WW2.
We used to call it wigglework or wiggle work a traditional cheap and fast metal embellishment, but don't bother trying to reference it on google. All references are swamped by other irrelevant stuff now..... Ooh hang on "engraved by wiggle-work on metal" delivers this. https://robbinacekeller.wordpress.co...i-mean-wiggle/
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