Ethnographic Arms & Armour
 

Go Back   Ethnographic Arms & Armour > Discussion Forums > Ethnographic Weapons

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 13th August 2019, 08:25 PM   #1
Robert
EAAF Staff
 
Robert's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Centerville, Kansas
Posts: 2,196
Question Mystery Dagger ID Help Needed

I purchased this on a "Make Offer" because I found it rather interesting. With its very well made flame blade, no ricasso, hidden tang, and unusual carved wooden hilt this dagger has me completely stumped on where it might originate from. The blade style with no ricasso and hidden tang points to the Philippines, but the hilt carving is unlike anything I have ever seen being used there before. The carving looks to show what could possibly a wheat stalk on one side and a ribbon carved close to the end of the hilt. The ferrule is made of steel with a small round brass guard. Any offers of help with this would be greatly appreciated. My apologies for the poor photo quality.

Overall Length = 11-3/8 inches
Blade Length = 6 inches
Blade at Widest point = 15/16th inches
Blade at thickest point = 3/16th inches
Hilt Length = 5-3/8 inches

Best,
Robert
Attached Images
            

Last edited by Robert; 13th August 2019 at 09:48 PM.
Robert is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13th August 2019, 09:19 PM   #2
Kmaddock
Member
 
Kmaddock's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Ireland
Posts: 532
Default

Hi.
The handle material looks very like Bog oak to me.
This would suggest Scottish/Irish Origin.
I have done some wood carving with this material and it is very distinctive in texture especially when you have it in hand.
Lovely piece overall.
Regards
Ken
Kmaddock is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13th August 2019, 09:43 PM   #3
Robert
EAAF Staff
 
Robert's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Centerville, Kansas
Posts: 2,196
Default

Hello Ken and thank you for your interest and reply. The wood is an extremely hard variety and I imagine would not be very easily carved. Do you recognize the carving as being of an Irish or Scottish form? I will add a few more photos showing the carving at the end of the hilt a bit better.

Best,
Robert
Robert is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13th August 2019, 10:05 PM   #4
Rich
Member
 
Rich's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: comfortably at home, USA
Posts: 432
Default

Have you noticed that the blade back extends past the guard? To my untrained eye that is not a mark of quality workmanship.
Rich
Rich is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13th August 2019, 10:28 PM   #5
Rick
Vikingsword Staff
 
Rick's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,259
Default

Repurposed blade?
I seem to remember wavy bladed daggers from small ads in the back pages of Argosy and other similar magazines of the fifties. I think the hilts were spiral with a ball and claw pommel.
Rick is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13th August 2019, 10:58 PM   #6
Robert
EAAF Staff
 
Robert's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Centerville, Kansas
Posts: 2,196
Default

Hello Rich,
I agree that the guards fitment is not the best that I have seen either, but the quality workmanship of the blade with its inserted hardened edge I believe more than makes up for it. I have seen and owned many daggers from Southeast Asia both with and without this style of blade that originally were never fitted with a guard of any kind.

Best,
Robert

Last edited by Robert; 14th August 2019 at 12:00 AM.
Robert is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13th August 2019, 11:10 PM   #7
Robert
EAAF Staff
 
Robert's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Centerville, Kansas
Posts: 2,196
Default

Quote:
I seem to remember wavy bladed daggers from small ads in the back pages of Argosy and other similar magazines of the fifties. I think the hilts were spiral with a ball and claw pommel.
Hello Rick,
I not only remember the daggers you are talking about, but somewhere around here I still have one that I paid the grand total of $1.50 for in the late fifties. Most of these were of German manufacture (like the one I still have) but I believe some were of Japanese origin as well. I can with confidence say that the blade of this piece definitely does not come from one of those daggers.

Best,
Robert

P.S. I meant to add that if you look at the first two photos of the complete dagger above you will see one where the blade was just cleaned and one where it has received a vinegar etch. In the lower photos of the blade only you can clearly see the inserted hardened steel edge.

Last edited by Robert; 13th August 2019 at 11:41 PM.
Robert is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 09:47 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Posts are regarded as being copyrighted by their authors and the act of posting material is deemed to be a granting of an irrevocable nonexclusive license for display here.