Two dao from Arunachal Pradesh

[Sajen]

The first dao is cleaned up, the scabbard will need some time more. Both dao have some age, I would guess first half of 20th century, the patina at the handles and scabbards let me think like this. Special the bone pieces at the handles show a nice smooth patination.
The blade of the cleaned dao is well worked and show after a mild etch with vinegar a hamon, not continous visible since I don't have polished the blade but good visible at the tip of the blade and in the back (you are proven wrong spiral ) . The blade has also a maker mark in front.
Here some pictures.

[Miguel]

Originally Posted by Sajen

The first dao is cleaned up, the scabbard will need some time more. Both dao have some age, I would guess first half of 20th century, the patina at the handles and scabbards let me think like this. Special the bone pieces at the handles show a nice smooth patination.
The blade of the cleaned dao is well worked and show after a mild etch with vinegar a hamon, not continous visible since I don't have polished the blade but good visible at the tip of the blade and in the back (you are proven wrong spiral ) . The blade has also a maker mark in front.
Here some pictures.

Hi Sajen,
Nice photos you have certainly done a good restoration job when you compare with the o9riginal photos. one of the first items I purchased for my collection over 40 years ago was a Kachin / Naga Dao as I really like these no nonsense multi use weapons. Here are some photos of it as it is still in my collection.
Regards
Miguel

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Miguel

Hi Sajen,
Nice photos you have certainly done a good restoration job when you compare with the o9riginal photos. one of the first items I purchased for my collection over 40 years ago was a Kachin / Naga Dao as I really like these no nonsense multi use weapons. Here are some photos of it as it is still in my collection.
Regards
Miguel

Thank you Miguel! I will provide further pictures when I finished the scabbard and cleaning the other one. They are much smaller as the heavy Kachin daos, I have one byself, sadly without scabbard.
Maybe try to clean your nice blade with steel wool and give it an etch, they have a very nice lamination.

Regards,
Detlef

[Miguel]

Originally Posted by Sajen

Thank you Miguel! I will provide further pictures when I finished the scabbard and cleaning the other one. They are much smaller as the heavy Kachin daos, I have one byself, sadly without scabbard.
Maybe try to clean your nice blade with steel wool and give it an etch, they have a very nice lamination.

Regards,
Detlef

Hi Detlef,
I tend to steer away from cleaning and etching as I am always concerned that I may do more harm than good but having seen the remarkable difference your handiwork produced I think that I may be tempted to try, if so, I will post some photos of the result if it turns out as well as yours.
Wishing you a Happy New Year
Regards
Miguel

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by Miguel

Hi Detlef,
I tend to steer away from cleaning and etching as I am always concerned that I may do more harm than good but having seen the remarkable difference your handiwork produced I think that I may be tempted to try, if so, I will post some photos of the result if it turns out as well as yours.
Wishing you a Happy New Year
Regards
Miguel

Hi Miguel,

maybe try it first with a not so expensive blade, you will be surprised how easy it is and the blades win a lot of prettiness. Your Kachin dao is a very nice sword and don't show corrosion so a polish with steel wool don't will harm the blade, nothing bad can happen to this nice sword.

I wish you and your loved ones as well a Happy New Year.

Best regards,
Detlef

[Jens Nordlunde]

Miguel,
The type of blade you show is very old, somewhere I have a picture of a stone sculpture with the same weapon.
I will try to find it, and hope I have not shown it before.

[Nathaniel]

Sajen, Thanks for sharing! Fantastic to know the providence. Nice handcraft. Very interesting to see this type of dao and how wide spread it was in the in the region of what is modern day northwestern India and Northern Burma! Thanks for sharing guys!

[Miguel]

Originally Posted by Sajen

Hi Miguel,

maybe try it first with a not so expensive blade, you will be surprised how easy it is and the blades win a lot of prettiness. Your Kachin dao is a very nice sword and don't show corrosion so a polish with steel wool don't will harm the blade, nothing bad can happen to this nice sword.

I wish you and your loved ones as well a Happy New Year.

Best regards,
Detlef

Hi Detlef,

Many thanks for the advice I will have a go and show the results, not for a while though as I am in the process of cataloging my collection and doing some very interesting but also very time consuming research. Thanks again for your advice.
Kind regards
Miguel