Short Dha For ID

trenchwarfare · 10th March 2015, 03:39 AM

This Dha, is another ebay purchase, listed as a Vietnam bringback. Blade is approx. 16" long. Positive ID, and comments are much appreciated.

trenchwarfare · 11th March 2015, 04:33 AM

Correction: Blade is 12 1/2" long. Somebody, anybody???

Mark · 11th March 2015, 09:30 PM

Not Vietnamese. Thai, or possibly Laotian (ethnic Tai, in any event, so I guess Shan is also possible).

Ian · 11th March 2015, 11:01 PM

This one looks to have been altered a bit by its final owner. The hilt has been decorated with incised "V"s and the scabbard has some recent, heavier rattan work added to provided a belt loop or similar suspension device. If we take away these "alien" features, then we have a fairly ordinary work knife that most resembles those from Northern Thailand/Laos/Southern Yunnan--the Golden Triangle area... Just what Mark said. (Hi Mark--long time since we last spoke)

trenchwarfare · 11th March 2015, 11:52 PM

Thanks guys. So, very possibly a Vietnam War bringback.

Ian · 12th March 2015, 09:55 PM

Yes TW, quite possibly a Vietnam-era bring back. In those days quite a few GIs ended up in places they "never were"

trenchwarfare · 12th March 2015, 11:48 PM

Indeed. My wife's grandfather drove the planes, that took them to those places, they never were. Had he been killed in action, it would have been in a training exercise, in Kansas.

Mark · 20th March 2015, 02:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ian

This one looks to have been altered a bit by its final owner. The hilt has been decorated with incised "V"s and the scabbard has some recent, heavier rattan work added to provided a belt loop or similar suspension device. If we take away these "alien" features, then we have a fairly ordinary work knife that most resembles those from Northern Thailand/Laos/Southern Yunnan--the Golden Triangle area... Just what Mark said. (Hi Mark--long time since we last spoke)

Hi Ian!
It has been a while. Starting to dip my toes in after a long hiatus. Lots of catching up to do

Nathaniel · 22nd March 2015, 06:31 AM

Yes, I agree Ian, great to see Mark posting again

Trenchwarfare, thanks for sharing. Vietnam war bring backs are interesting...if accurate you would think that this would be from among the different Tai groups that live in Vietnam and Laos. It's a basic working blade that every man/ household would have as multi-purpose jungle/ bush knife/ tool. That being said...I've also seen similar from Thailand and Burma as well. Mark mentioned Shan...which reminds me of a knife from the Shan states I've seen before with the same type belt loop binding as this one...and it did have a carved/ gouged grip handle as well...but I'm not sure if this would be enough for it to be exclusive to this region.

Here are some more recent working blades I picked up...which at the time I perhaps perhaps mislabled as Karen...it was actually a temporary village set up of sellers from various ethnic groups...the blade shape I know now is considered Hmong style...and could be obviously carried by a non Hmong person...nowadays at markets you see usually just the knife or sometime just the bare blade...and the buyer then has a handle put on and scabbard made
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=5163

10th March 2015, 03:39 AM	#1
trenchwarfare Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 385	Short Dha For ID This Dha, is another ebay purchase, listed as a Vietnam bringback. Blade is approx. 16" long. Positive ID, and comments are much appreciated. Attached Images

11th March 2015, 04:33 AM	#2
trenchwarfare Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 385	Correction: Blade is 12 1/2" long. Somebody, anybody???

11th March 2015, 09:30 PM	#3
Mark Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 987	Not Vietnamese. Thai, or possibly Laotian (ethnic Tai, in any event, so I guess Shan is also possible).

11th March 2015, 11:01 PM	#4
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,333	This one looks to have been altered a bit by its final owner. The hilt has been decorated with incised "V"s and the scabbard has some recent, heavier rattan work added to provided a belt loop or similar suspension device. If we take away these "alien" features, then we have a fairly ordinary work knife that most resembles those from Northern Thailand/Laos/Southern Yunnan--the Golden Triangle area... Just what Mark said. (Hi Mark--long time since we last spoke)

11th March 2015, 11:52 PM	#5
trenchwarfare Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 385	Thanks guys. So, very possibly a Vietnam War bringback.

12th March 2015, 09:55 PM	#6
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,333	Yes TW, quite possibly a Vietnam-era bring back. In those days quite a few GIs ended up in places they "never were"

12th March 2015, 11:48 PM	#7
trenchwarfare Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 385	Indeed. My wife's grandfather drove the planes, that took them to those places, they never were. Had he been killed in action, it would have been in a training exercise, in Kansas.

22nd March 2015, 06:31 AM	#9
Nathaniel Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 865	Yes, I agree Ian, great to see Mark posting again Trenchwarfare, thanks for sharing. Vietnam war bring backs are interesting...if accurate you would think that this would be from among the different Tai groups that live in Vietnam and Laos. It's a basic working blade that every man/ household would have as multi-purpose jungle/ bush knife/ tool. That being said...I've also seen similar from Thailand and Burma as well. Mark mentioned Shan...which reminds me of a knife from the Shan states I've seen before with the same type belt loop binding as this one...and it did have a carved/ gouged grip handle as well...but I'm not sure if this would be enough for it to be exclusive to this region. Here are some more recent working blades I picked up...which at the time I perhaps perhaps mislabled as Karen...it was actually a temporary village set up of sellers from various ethnic groups...the blade shape I know now is considered Hmong style...and could be obviously carried by a non Hmong person...nowadays at markets you see usually just the knife or sometime just the bare blade...and the buyer then has a handle put on and scabbard made http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=5163