Dha ? info please .
 

Hi Guys ,got this sword a few years back for 80 - 100 quid ,good buy or tourist tat .I tend to think its the real deal as it is well made .Cheers Graeme .

Its often hard to tell from pictures. But from what I see I think it is authentic. Are there any markings on the blade. We see that more with contemporary dha. I know Mark, Ian and Andrew will be able to tell you more

Thanks R No markings just plain steel blade .Any reason some are double handers ?

Welcome, I'd say you got a good buy. :)

The long handle is distinctive, and this sword likely comes from Laos or Northern Thailand. For a recent discussion of long-handled swords like this (albeit a somewhat different but probably related variety), check out this thread:

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=1869

I wonder if plain or folded steel was used for the blade.

May I have a close look on the blade material?

IMHO it 's less than 100 years old. Not very old but well constructed. Does tang go through the handle? The pommel looks a little odd.

Probably N. Thai
 

Hi Graeme:

Sorry to be coming to this one a little late. I agree with much of what has been already said. The blade is of a Shan style, slightly curved and pointed, but without the sharply angled tip of the "Montagnard" syle. Nor is the handle quite as long as most Montagnard examples, where the ratio of handle to blade length can be 1:1 or greater. While talking about handle length, this would be an unusually long hilt for a Burmese dha.

So that pretty much leaves a Thai origin, probably northern Thai. Long handles have been seen on Thai dharb for more than 200 years. A type of long handled dharb were used by Thai cavalry, and one could see the advantage of a long sword when mounted. Long handled dharb were also used by foot troops, and the long handle may have been important for balancing the sword in the hand. Krabi krabong martial arts styles still use relatively long handled dharb, but they are grasped low on the hilt, close to the blade.

My best guess on age would be mid-20th C., perhaps a little earlier, based on the materials used in the hilt, and it seems that both the brass and the wood on the hilt may have been turned on a lathe.

As far as value, we don't provide evaluations here. But it is not uncommon to see well made Thai dharb, even those made recently, selling for over $200. I think you have a well made dharb, so you probably did pretty well on the price.

Regards,

Ian.