19th C. stiletto?

[Kmaddock]

Hi Shayde,

I am no expert but if the handle was of some age I would expect it to have discoloured somewhat where it is butted up against the metal of the cross guard and the pommel, not sure what happens here but I generally notice discolouration where some of the components of the metal leach into the handle, be it horn or timber
Also as the peening of the tang does not seem more recent than the rest of the knife I would think all component parts are of the same age, i.e. Relatively modern

I like your comment on "when will I pay for tuition" though
I try and give constructive comments as often as I can without trying to build up my post count. I find the forum v helpful without being dismissive of newbies questions or comments. So I guess pay for tuition by sharing opinions or observations
Keep well
Ken

[corrado26]

I post some fotos of my stiletto collection, so you might be able to decide wehther your piece is an original one or not. I think it is not.
corrado26

[fernando]

Excelent pieces, corrado .

[Bob A]

If it does have some age, it would appear to have experienced little if any actual use or handling. Still, not an unattractive weapon, though possibly somewhat uncomfortable to use; the deep spiral would not seem to be particularly ergonomic, nor easy to keep in hand once it became slick with bodily fluids.

I may be wrong about my comments regarding the ergonomics. Shayde would be the one to speak to that issue.

[thinreadline]

what concerns me most about the wooden handle is that there is no trace either of the spiral grooves having ever been wrapped in wire or the wood covered in thin leather as I would have expected with this type of grip, To me it looks most likely to be a hobbyists project from the last 50 years or at best a Gothic revival piece . Nice nevertheless .

[shayde78]

Thank you, everyone, for your insights.

To respond to a couple posts:

-Corrado, your collection is magnificent! Do you see any similarities between the guard and pommel on my piece, and the second example you posted?

-Bob, the hilt is not dissimilar to the examples corrado provided. The ergonomics are quite nice, actually. When it comes to a dagger like these, I'm not sure if they would be expected to be wielded covered in gore. These were not melee weapons (as far as I know). But to your point, the sweaty palms one would likely experience in a potentially lethal situation would make a sure grip desirable. A hilt shaped like this fits that bill.

-thinreadline, would authentic daggers in this style have had wrapped hilts? Corrado's examples seem not to.

-Ken, I think my tuition is being paid as I buy questionable items of dubious quality. too bad you all don't get a cut as my professors!

Finally, is the profile of the blade a clear giveaway? No fullers, no maker's mark, no ricasso, etc.

Oh, and the fact that there is no country of origin listed, does that suggest a 19th century date?

Once again, thanks for humoring my novice musings.

[corrado26]

The main characteristic of these early stilettos is their very thin and nevertheless very stiff and strong, three angled blade what made a stiletto to a very helpful tool in emergency situations. This is demonstrated by the Fotos. The dagger in question has a totally different blade and IMHO the only maybe original parts might be the crossguard and the pommel. By the way, there have never or at least very rarely been hilts with leather etc.
corrado26