[Mark]

Originally Posted by Aurangzeb

Oh onelast thing does anyone have a example I cam see of what the guard on the Thai dha looks like as opposed to the Burmese guard. and if mine is Burmese as opposed to Thai. here is a link to a piece Artzi identified as probably Thai but the handle is different than mine and one with a similer hilt from Burma but the blade is different.

http://www.oriental-arms.com/item.php?id=1988
http://www.oriental-arms.com/item.php?id=116

Mark...

Well ... ::sigh:: ... to be perfectly honest, it is really hard to tell. At least for those of us who are not Thai or Burmese. I think Artzi is right about the Burmese attribution for the second one because the decor of the handle is a very classic Burmese motif. Not long ago I would have said the first one was Burmese, too, but now I am seeing Thai examples that are very similar. My thinking at the moment is that they are used all over the area and that there is no strong stylistic distinction between a Burman, a Thai or a Shan (Tai Yuan) knife. There are clearly some styles that are particular to one group or the other, but this doesn't seem to be one them.

Lifeguard!!! I'm drowning over here .... !!!