Austrian Hunting Dagger-Plz help with approx age.
 

Hello All!

After a long rest from collecting due to personal reasons I'm back. This is yet another "Deer Handle Knives " that I enjoy rehilting. I replace the deer foot in the pictures with the nice stag handle and German Silver pommel, what do you think? The crossguard is steel and the chape is also German Silver(The chape is origenal to the knife but the pommel is not). On the blade is written "A.W. Wadsworth &.Son Austria". The dagger is about 10 1/2" overall with a 5 3/4" blade4 1/2" handle w/ crossguard and chape. The curved crossguard is about 3" long. But what I want to know is how old is it? Is it pre-WWII(1918-1938) or post-WWII(1950's-1960's) or (1970's-1980's). I know the last one is splitting hairs but what I'm mainly concerned about is Pre or Post. Any comments are welcome, thanks!

Mark...

Hi Mark,
Welcome back! and I hope all is well.
I think its pretty hard to really date modern items, but I know that there are books that provide some good data, one that comes to mind is Levine's 1995 guide. Also "Knives and Daggers" by Faktor (cannot recall publ date). is pretty good with knives like these. I suppose mostly the manufacturer data on the blade is usually best in the manner it is stamped and wording etc.
Otherwise the knife magazines are a great resource and often a letter to the editor can offer great information.
All the best,
Jim

Well as you clearly know 40% of the knife now is from 2007, the guard & blade are clearly earlier.... ;) Its a nice blade, but the design was made over a long period....


Close ups of the blade markings would usualy help a great deal with any dating of European or American blades.

Spiral

Hello All!

All is well! I forgot to say that the stag handle and pommel were taken from a 1940's 1950's carving set! :D When I rehilt a knife I like to use "Period" parts. I will get close up's of the mark soon but all the writing is enclosed in a sort of "X" shape with 4 smaller "X"s around it but it is very worn and hard to read.

Mark...

lol ok thats a little better & certanly makes it a better more practical user knife I am sure..., but the grind on the angle at front of antler to bring the fit down to the bolster clearly shows its a modern re work. ;)

The mark sounds interesting.

But Ill say, Id replace that foot handle if it was mine as well :rolleyes:

But to me that them means its no longer a collectible, but hopefully stilll a great knife to use....

Look forward to the close ups.

Spiral

Hello Spirel!

Heres the marking, I could not get a good enough picture of it so I did the next best thing! Too bad the maker did not put a manufature date on it. I have no intention of using it, the deer hoof is just too fragile and will eventually loose all it's hair so I figure before it gets destroyed by nature I would replace it with a more durable substance. And...for some strange reason women don't find a disembodied deer hoof attractive! :D If I get 2 more knives(I also have Czechoslovak one) and rehilt them I can have an entire deer worth of hooves! I think it is still collectable to me just not as much as it would be, but then we must ask ourselves how many people collect 20th century deer hoof knives from central Europe... :o :rolleyes:

Mark...
P.S.- It did come with a "high" quality sheath, but by "high" I mean one would have to be "high" on drugs to think it was quality! Sheath was definatly not origenal.

Thanks Mark!

But realy I cant even see if I could know anything from a drawing of the mark.{maybe I would, maybe I woudnt. :shrug: }

Its more how the mark is made & the type of font used that sometimes helps the dating of things more than anything. ;)

If it was ww1 era or earlier, for native use even with a deer hoof it would be quite collectible I think? But yes otherwise as you say who would want such a deer foot handle...

As the mark is in English it must have been for export.... So I dont think you made any errors. :)

Spiral

Hello Spirel!

This dagger has the most camera shy markings I have encountered, they just won't take! :D :eek: I'll try again tommorow with natural light. I agree but the use of "Austria" would indicate post WWI, Since before it was Austro-Hungary or K.u.K. About the font it looks like a very plain text set like the type used on a rifle or pistol, almost identical to the "Courier" font on the computer. It is stamped only moderatly deep and is quite worn from use. I have seen a pistol from OWA that has "made in Austria" from 1920-1925 but was ment for both export to England and America as well as domestic sale. Personally this knife is priceless.

Mark...
P.S.- While were on WWI, You would'nt happen to know anyone who could tell the age of a German Trench Dagger would you? All the data I could find on the old internet is confusing at best and contradictory at worst!

Hi Mark,
I had one I bought new in the 60's. Yours looks a bit older, but if had much age on it I think all the hair on the deer-foot handle would have fallen or been worn off.
Nice practical blade shape though.

Richard.

Indeed your spot on there Aurangzeb! ;) pre.ww1 Austria would be unlikley! woops! :D

If I had a German Trench knife, whether issue or a private purchase knife of that era, I would post it on Bernard Levines forum at bladeforums. Theres people there who would know. Many of them have been faked.

Bernard like facts & questians not opinion though, so his best dealt with in that manner.

Large clear pix. are also essential.

If a camera wont bring up the markings a scanner might. ;) Courier font? so the letters have Serifs then?

Spiral

Hello All!

Here is the picture of the markings! Thanks Spirel, I have just joineed bladeforums! I think I will see if anyone on there can shed even more light on this knife as well as my trench knife. I tried scanning it but it did not work too well do to the curvature of the stag horn handle.