Taiwan Paiwan Formasa sword/dagger

[Copycat]

Hello All,

At first sight, the pictured sword looks like a typical tourist Paiwan sword.

After close inspection, the quality is quite decent. Too much effort for just a tourist piece.
- hilt is sturdy and looks peened with washers
- blade is hardened and even looks folded
- even the scabbard is sturdy and well made

Could any of you bring me back to reality and tell me this was made for tourists?

Thank you.

Kind regards,

[Rick]

I might venture to comment that the blade may be older than the dress.

[Ian]

Originally Posted by Rick

I might venture to comment that the blade may be older than the dress.

I agree with Rick. The blade is clearly laminated. Recent items are monosteel. The scabbard is not nearly as old. The knife is not a tourist piece.

[Sajen]

Yes, the blade is laminated and therefore old, unfortunately cleaned very roughly, probably by machine. Worth polishing. She also seems to have the usual cross cut.
Very interesting catch!

Regards,
Detlef

[JeffS]

I don't recall seeing an example of that blade profile on an old Formosa knife/sword. Presumably of Southern or lowland origin with the straight blade, but without the angular tip seen on most Rukai and Paiwan examples.

[Copycat]

Thank you for all the comments.

Glad to read I'm not seeing things.

@milandro: interesting thread. There are similarities and also differences.

[Ian]

Originally Posted by JeffS

I don't recall seeing an example of that blade profile on an old Formosa knife/sword. Presumably of Southern or lowland origin with the straight blade, but without the angular tip seen on most Rukai and Paiwan examples.

Good points Jeff. Perhaps this is not so much a traditional weapon as a knife for domestic chores. I like it, and I think Detlef's suggestion about polishing it is a good idea. A light etch might bring out an interesting pattern also.

It's also possible the blade profile has been modified. The pinned bamboo hilt is atypical for Taiwan native production. It reminds me of a couple of Japanese WWII-era modified knives and swords I have from Indonesia. The Japanese occupiers adapted local blades to their own purpose and in the process sometimes modified the blades as well.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by JeffS

I don't recall seeing an example of that blade profile on an old Formosa knife/sword.

Have a look here: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ghlight=paiwan
Paiwan and Rukai blades have a slightly concave/convex blade profile.

Regards,
Detlef

[milandro]

Looks nice but it also doesn't look like the ones that most people would like to call collectable.

I have a tjakit similar to this ( the sheet was certainly carved isn almost alike way) I liked it , the blade was nice.

Most would call it a tourist piece, I would call it a modernly made, not particularly refined, piece. I don't think that this is a " collectable" going with the normal way people look at this here and elsewhere.


see this thread

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=15838

[Maj-Biffy Snodgrass]

Looks very suspect to my wandering eye, the leather washers and aluminium rivets look very wrong for the region considering other more native ethno pieces I have seen are set with resin and no hilt rivets or pins, I suspect it is one of the tourists types that lost its hilt and got a replacement at some stage by a non Asian restorer but one with some skills in knife making maybe ?, it certainly looks a better job than the original tourist type hilts, for me whoever did it did the blade a favor.
A friend has one in its original form, if I remember correctly the hilt was dark wood with a small ring ferrule in thin sheet type brass, possibly had lizards carved on it to. Snody

[Ian]

Originally Posted by Maj-Biffy Snodgrass

Looks very suspect to my wandering eye, the leather washers and aluminium rivets look very wrong for the region ...

I believe the consensus is the blade is legit, the hilt a replacement. and the scabbard a modern Paiwan item. The present hilt looks like it might have been done in the original culture with the bamboo scales, but the rivets and washers are not traditional of course.

[Maj-Biffy Snodgrass]

Sorry Iain but I see no scales here just a simple through tang with washer and peened end, the spacer washers on the top and bottom of the hilt could be coconut shell, or leather as i suspect, the 2 hilt pins - rivets are certainly not looking like an Asian fix as you noted, personally I see a tourist blade and scabbard with a new western made hilt, I say this because a friend has one just like it with a wooden hilt that has carved men either side which I handled recently.
Much the same as the one here shown in a previous post by Wayne. Snody.

[Copycat]

Interesting. The discussion is still lively.

There similarities but also differences with tourists swords. A big one is lamination on the blade.

There more hints of the hilt being Asian then western.
- hilt is bamboo (Asian product)
- peening of the tang is also used in (antique) asia
- hilt pins are also not exclusive western techniques

Kind regards,

[Rick]

A search of the ethno forum using the title of this post will reveal a very long discussion on Taiwanese swords.
I'd like to link to it, but I'm using my Wife's i pad and can't seem to get it done (windows I'm familiar with) not so much with apple... Maybe a moderator can do it for me pls.

link:

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ighlight=rukai