Early signs of dhamentia

[RhysMichael]

Originally Posted by Mark Bowditch

Thinking about the fuller. I haven't seen too many hatchet tipped dha myself. Not that they are especially rare -- I've just not had the opportunity. I have one, but it has no fuller. I had a concave-tipped one with a fuller that ran right through the "tip," though, very much like this one. I'm pretty sure that one was Burmese, but no idea from which tribe (the consensus is Kachin, though).

I have seen and handled some of the concave tip dha with the fuller going through the tip also. Most of you have seen these already.

[Mark]

Yeah, that is exactly the type I meant. The handles are a lot shorter, though, actually.

[Andrew]

I'm willing to reconsider the possibility that Tim's sword is Laotian. The hatchet tip reminds me of a more subtle version of those seen on Montagnard swords, and the long handle is often seen on Laos swords.

I'm short on time, but I'll try to post some examples later.

[Tim Simmons]

I may be going off on a tangent but if you put aside the detail and decoration and focus on just form, the proportions shown here are a very good match. The knife at the top has the peg scabbard but the middle dha obviously the large version, has a scabbard bound with fine cord without a peg unless there is a peg under the binding. Viewed this way although chalk and cheese in terms of finery there are similarities. Tim