Modern pira

Lee · 25th August 2020, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ian

Is it possible that yours is also WWII vintage?

It was certainly not new in the mid 1970s when I acquired it and it has not added much appearance of further aging, so it surely could be older than my guess. Perhaps, if not very likely, the black electrical tape wrapping of the scabbard replaced an original traditional wrapping more like yours.

Ian · 25th August 2020, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lee

It was certainly not new in the mid 1970s when I acquired it and it has not added much appearance of further aging, so it surely could be older than my guess. Perhaps, if not very likely, the black electrical tape wrapping of the scabbard replaced an original traditional wrapping more like yours.

Quite possible. I have another (provenanced) WWII-era piece that had the scabbard wrapped in black electrical tape.

kronckew · 26th August 2020, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ian

Quite possible. I have another (provenanced) WWII-era piece that had the scabbard wrapped in black electrical tape.

Are we talking shiny black plastic electrical insulation tape or the sticky black friction tape we wrapped baseball bat grips with?

Lee · 26th August 2020, 04:20 PM

Shiny!

Ian · 26th August 2020, 07:30 PM

Hard to say. It had been much used. Not shiny at the time it reached me.

kronckew · 26th August 2020, 08:13 PM

I've regretted using the shiny plastic tape on anything i've used it on & left it for more than a few months. it tends to get gooey, come loose and leaves yuck behind that is a PITA to get off.

Lee · 26th August 2020, 09:29 PM

At least the shiny black plastic electrical tape has held up well, but I know what you are talking about and having found it this way I have no plans to disturb it.

The pira (without scabbard) weighs about a pound (457 grams); the blade is 18.25 inches long and has a maximum breadth of 1.88 inches.

The octagonal hilt indexes very well in the hand. Note that the wood is slightly lighter where it is covered by the scabbard (in contrast to my defective memory of this as sun bleaching rather than darkening in my first post in this thread).

26th August 2020, 09:29 PM	#7
Lee EAAF Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Upstate New York, USA Posts: 938	At least the shiny black plastic electrical tape has held up well, but I know what you are talking about and having found it this way I have no plans to disturb it. The pira (without scabbard) weighs about a pound (457 grams); the blade is 18.25 inches long and has a maximum breadth of 1.88 inches. The octagonal hilt indexes very well in the hand. Note that the wood is slightly lighter where it is covered by the scabbard (in contrast to my defective memory of this as sun bleaching rather than darkening in my first post in this thread). Attached Images

26th August 2020, 04:20 PM	#4
Lee EAAF Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Upstate New York, USA Posts: 938	Shiny!

26th August 2020, 07:30 PM	#5
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,430	Hard to say. It had been much used. Not shiny at the time it reached me.

26th August 2020, 08:13 PM	#6
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,233	I've regretted using the shiny plastic tape on anything i've used it on & left it for more than a few months. it tends to get gooey, come loose and leaves yuck behind that is a PITA to get off.