Help identify short sword from Nepal

ASH · 28th August 2012, 10:49 PM

Hi all,
Looking for a little info on this short sword My bother brought back from Nepal last year, He was told it was from Tibet, from around the WWII era.
The blade is 15 inches long and is just under 21 inches long overall. handle looks to be made of horn and blade and sheath smells like old Yak butter!
What do you think?

VANDOO · 29th August 2012, 01:27 AM

THE BLADE IS THE USUAL SHAPE FROM THE AREA, TIBET, CHINA AND NEPAL. THE HANDLE IS A BIT DIFFERENT FROM WHAT I HAVE USUALLY SEEN FROM CHENGDU CHINA AREA. THE DESIGN ON THE SCABBARD IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN AMONG TIBET/CHINESE EXAMPLES. I LIKE THE DESIGN A LOT. THE KNIFE APPEARS VERY WELL MADE AND IS A BIT DIFFERENT FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN THOUGH THE WORKMANSHIP SEEMS TO FOLLOW THE SAME TECKNIQUES. CONGRADULATIONS A VERY NICE KNIFE.

Battara · 29th August 2012, 02:43 AM

Barry could this be a later or more recent example of this type of piece?

VANDOO · 29th August 2012, 03:21 AM

ITS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE AGE ON THIS SORT OF WHITE METAL THIS APPEARS TO BE THE BETTER QUALITY METAL AS I SEE NO GREENISH TARNISH AND IT IS NOT DULL BUT SHINEY. THE CORD ON THE POMEL APPEARS TO SHOW SOME AGE AND USE AND THE HORN IS THE RIGHT TYPE FROM THE AREA, THE BELT LOOKS NEW. I SUSPECT THIS MAY VERY WELL BE FROM THE WW2 TIME FRAME BEFORE OR AFTER. I COULD BE WRONG BUT THAT IS MY FEELING.
THE DESIGN IS DIFFERENT THAN I HAVE SEEN AND IT DOSEN'T HAVE THE OPENWORK I SAW A LOT OF IN CHENGDU SO I SUSPECT IT IS FROM A DIFFERENT AREA OR SOURCE IN THE AREA. SOME OF THE BLADES FROM CHINA HAD THE RED STAR DESIGN IN THE BLADE WHICH INDICATES AFTER THE CHINESE REVOLUTION. WHAT WE NEED IS A FORUM MEMBER WHO COLLECTS AND STUDIES IN THIS FIELD BECAUSE MY KNOWLEGE IS ONLY THAT OF A ADVENTURER AND TRAVELER SO VERY LACKING.
ANOTHER INTERESTING THING ABOUT THIS SORT OF KNIFE THE MANY I SAW IN THE REGION DID NOT HAVE RUSTY PITTED BLADES AS OFTEN ENCOUNTERED IN MANY PARTS OF CHINA. WHICH OFTEN MADE ME WONDER IF THEY WERE NEWLY MADE OR PERHAPS ITS THE STEEL USED OR THE CLIMATE? THERE WAS USUALLY A BIT OF LEATHER OR A FITTING OF SOME SORT THAT DENOTED AGE BUT SOME PARTS DID NOT SHOW AGE WELL.

Battara · 29th August 2012, 03:48 AM

AAHHH........I see (said the blind man as he picked up his table and saw

).

trenchwarfare · 29th August 2012, 08:40 PM

Beautiful piece. Regardless of age, or material, you gotta love the metal work on that scabbard.

spiral · 29th August 2012, 11:25 PM

All looks very recent to my eye, The antique stalls in the shops amongst the foyers the best Nepali hotels stock many similar pieces.

Lovely workmanship for a modern piece, better than most without doubt though. True craftmanship..

Is the blade differentialy tempered? That would be the icieng on the cake...

Spiral

Battara · 30th August 2012, 03:26 AM

Thank you Spiral. Confirmation of my observations. I don't see any evidence of hairpin lamination or differential heating. An etch would tell us much more.

28th August 2012, 10:49 PM	#1
ASH Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 13	Help identify short sword from Nepal Hi all, Looking for a little info on this short sword My bother brought back from Nepal last year, He was told it was from Tibet, from around the WWII era. The blade is 15 inches long and is just under 21 inches long overall. handle looks to be made of horn and blade and sheath smells like old Yak butter! What do you think? Attached Images

29th August 2012, 03:21 AM	#4
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	ITS DIFFICULT TO DETERMINE AGE ON THIS SORT OF WHITE METAL THIS APPEARS TO BE THE BETTER QUALITY METAL AS I SEE NO GREENISH TARNISH AND IT IS NOT DULL BUT SHINEY. THE CORD ON THE POMEL APPEARS TO SHOW SOME AGE AND USE AND THE HORN IS THE RIGHT TYPE FROM THE AREA, THE BELT LOOKS NEW. I SUSPECT THIS MAY VERY WELL BE FROM THE WW2 TIME FRAME BEFORE OR AFTER. I COULD BE WRONG BUT THAT IS MY FEELING. THE DESIGN IS DIFFERENT THAN I HAVE SEEN AND IT DOSEN'T HAVE THE OPENWORK I SAW A LOT OF IN CHENGDU SO I SUSPECT IT IS FROM A DIFFERENT AREA OR SOURCE IN THE AREA. SOME OF THE BLADES FROM CHINA HAD THE RED STAR DESIGN IN THE BLADE WHICH INDICATES AFTER THE CHINESE REVOLUTION. WHAT WE NEED IS A FORUM MEMBER WHO COLLECTS AND STUDIES IN THIS FIELD BECAUSE MY KNOWLEGE IS ONLY THAT OF A ADVENTURER AND TRAVELER SO VERY LACKING. ANOTHER INTERESTING THING ABOUT THIS SORT OF KNIFE THE MANY I SAW IN THE REGION DID NOT HAVE RUSTY PITTED BLADES AS OFTEN ENCOUNTERED IN MANY PARTS OF CHINA. WHICH OFTEN MADE ME WONDER IF THEY WERE NEWLY MADE OR PERHAPS ITS THE STEEL USED OR THE CLIMATE? THERE WAS USUALLY A BIT OF LEATHER OR A FITTING OF SOME SORT THAT DENOTED AGE BUT SOME PARTS DID NOT SHOW AGE WELL. Last edited by VANDOO; 29th August 2012 at 03:31 AM.

29th August 2012, 01:27 AM	#2
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	THE BLADE IS THE USUAL SHAPE FROM THE AREA, TIBET, CHINA AND NEPAL. THE HANDLE IS A BIT DIFFERENT FROM WHAT I HAVE USUALLY SEEN FROM CHENGDU CHINA AREA. THE DESIGN ON THE SCABBARD IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN AMONG TIBET/CHINESE EXAMPLES. I LIKE THE DESIGN A LOT. THE KNIFE APPEARS VERY WELL MADE AND IS A BIT DIFFERENT FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN THOUGH THE WORKMANSHIP SEEMS TO FOLLOW THE SAME TECKNIQUES. CONGRADULATIONS A VERY NICE KNIFE.

29th August 2012, 02:43 AM	#3
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,139	Barry could this be a later or more recent example of this type of piece?

29th August 2012, 03:48 AM	#5
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,139	AAHHH........I see (said the blind man as he picked up his table and saw ).

29th August 2012, 08:40 PM	#6
trenchwarfare Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 385	Beautiful piece. Regardless of age, or material, you gotta love the metal work on that scabbard.

29th August 2012, 11:25 PM	#7
spiral Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,712	All looks very recent to my eye, The antique stalls in the shops amongst the foyers the best Nepali hotels stock many similar pieces. Lovely workmanship for a modern piece, better than most without doubt though. True craftmanship.. Is the blade differentialy tempered? That would be the icieng on the cake... Spiral

30th August 2012, 03:26 AM	#8
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,139	Thank you Spiral. Confirmation of my observations. I don't see any evidence of hairpin lamination or differential heating. An etch would tell us much more.