Please help me ID a blade from estate

Raiderbeater · 26th August 2019, 02:51 PM

I’m not very familiar and get blades from estate/property sales. Any idea what I have whether a real piece or novelty item? The blade appears to be real layered Damascus. I’ve seen real and replica Damascus before.

thinreadline · 30th August 2019, 10:19 AM

looks Indian to me .

Ian · 30th August 2019, 10:37 AM

A recently made Indian or Pakistani piece, perhaps from Rajastan or Lahor where a lot of this modern industry seems to reside.

Some of these modern pieces are quite well made, and many have elaborate silver koftgari work. These are made in sweat shops and the craftsmen/women get very little compensation. Some appear on eBay at exorbitant asking prices, as if they were 300 year-old antiques. Closely related to the modern manufactured ones is the dressing up of old blades with new decorations and fancy hilts (old or new). These marriages are also quite expensive for what they are.

The blade shown here is laminated ("watered") steel. It is not wootz (crucible) steel.

Battara · 30th August 2019, 06:57 PM

Ian summed it up completely. I see these a lot for sale. No comparison to the originals.

sfenoid13 · 30th August 2019, 10:34 PM

A tourist piece from India or Pakistan. Not worth much.

Jens Nordlunde · 30th August 2019, 10:52 PM

But please stop the rust anyway - as it seems to be active.

ariel · 1st September 2019, 05:21 AM

Personally, I think this thingie can rust away without any loss to the world heritage.

26th August 2019, 02:51 PM	#1
Raiderbeater Member Join Date: Jul 2019 Posts: 5	Please help me ID a blade from estate I’m not very familiar and get blades from estate/property sales. Any idea what I have whether a real piece or novelty item? The blade appears to be real layered Damascus. I’ve seen real and replica Damascus before. Attached Images

30th August 2019, 10:37 AM	#3
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,522	A recently made Indian or Pakistani piece, perhaps from Rajastan or Lahor where a lot of this modern industry seems to reside. Some of these modern pieces are quite well made, and many have elaborate silver koftgari work. These are made in sweat shops and the craftsmen/women get very little compensation. Some appear on eBay at exorbitant asking prices, as if they were 300 year-old antiques. Closely related to the modern manufactured ones is the dressing up of old blades with new decorations and fancy hilts (old or new). These marriages are also quite expensive for what they are. The blade shown here is laminated ("watered") steel. It is not wootz (crucible) steel. Last edited by Ian; 30th August 2019 at 10:49 AM.

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30th August 2019, 10:19 AM	#2
thinreadline Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Wirral Posts: 1,204	looks Indian to me .

30th August 2019, 06:57 PM	#4
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,345	Ian summed it up completely. I see these a lot for sale. No comparison to the originals.

30th August 2019, 10:34 PM	#5
sfenoid13 Member Join Date: Jun 2014 Posts: 134	A tourist piece from India or Pakistan. Not worth much.

30th August 2019, 10:52 PM	#6
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	But please stop the rust anyway - as it seems to be active.

1st September 2019, 05:21 AM	#7
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Personally, I think this thingie can rust away without any loss to the world heritage.