Khyber knife

tom hyle · 3rd March 2005, 09:29 AM

The peculiar thing about the tang is that it is part length, but does not taper off to nothing part way along; it ends abruptly in a thick end. I suspect it is a full flat tang meant for a smaller hand of the past, rehilted bigger for modern times, so the tang no longer "fills" the newer, bigger hilt. I've seen this very thing on a qaddara before. This, combined with the edge decoration matching the bolster, makes me think the bolster predates the handle (of course it predates it, but I think it is from an earlier edition, if you follow); had the bolster been added at the same time as the larger scales, would not a tang-band extended to enclose the new pommel seem more likely than an intricate engraving job on the edge of the tang? Further, the engraving seems to disappear into the handle, continuing within it?

3rd March 2005, 09:29 AM	#13
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	The peculiar thing about the tang is that it is part length, but does not taper off to nothing part way along; it ends abruptly in a thick end. I suspect it is a full flat tang meant for a smaller hand of the past, rehilted bigger for modern times, so the tang no longer "fills" the newer, bigger hilt. I've seen this very thing on a qaddara before. This, combined with the edge decoration matching the bolster, makes me think the bolster predates the handle (of course it predates it, but I think it is from an earlier edition, if you follow); had the bolster been added at the same time as the larger scales, would not a tang-band extended to enclose the new pommel seem more likely than an intricate engraving job on the edge of the tang? Further, the engraving seems to disappear into the handle, continuing within it?