Mystery knife

DaveA · 31st August 2011, 07:33 PM

Here is a small knife I recently acquired. You can see from the pictures it is around palm and half long. The blade is quite strong and sharp, thicker towards the hilt and thinning evenly towards the tip. A single fuller on both sides. After removing rust, it appears to be file steel. Ornamentation is brass and either ivory or bone interspaced with brass rings. Decorative lines (of points) and crescents impressed on largest brass piece. Hilt is missing a few pieces (suggestions for restoration?). There appears to be some very small writing on one of the hilt pieces and I've tried to show it in a photo. Overall the piece was heavily tarnished and dirty. What you see is the result after considerable clean-up.

What is it?

31st August 2011, 07:33 PM	#1
DaveA Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Wisconsin, USA Posts: 413	Mystery knife Here is a small knife I recently acquired. You can see from the pictures it is around palm and half long. The blade is quite strong and sharp, thicker towards the hilt and thinning evenly towards the tip. A single fuller on both sides. After removing rust, it appears to be file steel. Ornamentation is brass and either ivory or bone interspaced with brass rings. Decorative lines (of points) and crescents impressed on largest brass piece. Hilt is missing a few pieces (suggestions for restoration?). There appears to be some very small writing on one of the hilt pieces and I've tried to show it in a photo. Overall the piece was heavily tarnished and dirty. What you see is the result after considerable clean-up. What is it? Attached Images Last edited by DaveA; 31st August 2011 at 07:49 PM. Reason: added pictures -- oops