Help needed to identify ethnic blade

Atlantia · 20th June 2008, 02:35 PM

Hi everyone, been lurking for a while now, mostly because its taken an age to sort out registration (I think all BBs hate AOL users).
Anyway, here now with a big HI to all of you... and my first post is going to be a plea for help identifying a blade:

Lew · 20th June 2008, 09:36 PM

Welcome Atlantia to the forum

Your blade could Nepalese in origin or Indian but I can't be sure. Can you take a closer pic of the decorations on the blade it may help.

Lew

Atlantia · 20th June 2008, 10:52 PM

Hi Lew,
Thanks for having a look for me.
The blade is heavy like a Kukri, with small inset pieces of brass in the spine and simp[le incised decoration on the blade. Its about 600g and has hammer strike marks on the spine so has been used as a tool at some stage.
I havent cleaned it up or anything yet, it's as I bought it about 5 years ago.
Any ideas appreciated. I thought it was Indian and was going to stick a Tulwar hilt on it.

Thanks
Gene

Lew · 21st June 2008, 02:11 AM

Gene

Brass inserts very interesting? I am leaning now towards Assam and Burma ot even Thai? I have seen those brass inlays in some older Dhas before. It may be some form of dha the tang is straight or slightly upward in angle similar to the dha pictured. Mark what do you think?

Lew

kronckew · 21st June 2008, 06:32 AM

kinda reminds me of this style thai utility knife

Atlantia · 21st June 2008, 01:31 PM

Wow thanks guys! :-)

Lew,
I've been so hung up on the bolo blade shape that I'd never noticed how 'dha' like the back end of the blade was.
I've had a few Dha's over the years, but never seen one with the handle off.

kronckew, do you know what those knives are called? It certainly looks like its somewhere between one of them and a dha....

here's the back end compared with Lew's brass inserts.

kronckew · 21st June 2008, 02:38 PM

as far as i know, they are just kind of a generic kitchen/utility knife common in thailand. here are some more being used as throwing knives, meed eneb? meed maw or mawr

and here is a decorated temple version with 'magic' powers,

the site is HERE <-linky, called a meed mor. (herb knife? - bit big for that tho) meed=knife, saw another one for sale on ebay as a meed mong, another as a thai kukri

see also post 14 HERE

Tim Simmons · 21st June 2008, 04:14 PM

Here is a more recent example with interesting scabbard decoration. Teak, aluminium amd epoxy type resin? handle.

Atlantia · 21st June 2008, 04:28 PM

This is great!
I can make a handle like that fairly easily.
Notice the similarities in decoration style with the new one Tim?

I like the 'temple' one kronckew. I think the blade I have has considerable age.
The site you link to talks about larger ones! Hmmm, interesting ;-)
Certainly worth carving a nice handle for I'd say!!
Hopefully the blade will clean up nicely.

Andrew · 21st June 2008, 11:41 PM

I agree: Thai. Very interesting blade. Where did you come by this, Atlantia? Any provenance?

Welcome to the forum, by the way.

Atlantia · 22nd June 2008, 12:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andrew

I agree: Thai. Very interesting blade. Where did you come by this, Atlantia? Any provenance?

Welcome to the forum, by the way.

Hi Andrew,
Thanks :-)

I bought it at a car boot sale about 5 years ago from a trader who I see regularly who sells stuff that looks like its come out of derelict barns and sheds. Always dirty, always old rusty stuff, sometimes architectural, doors, locks, normally bigger stuff. Sometimes he has boxes of bits and this was just in amongst some bits he had once.
Didn't cost much, I wouldn't have paid more than about £5 for it.

I've had some great car boot sale finds over the years!

Like this Pesh-Kabz:
£23.00

Jim McDougall · 24th June 2008, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim Simmons

Here is a more recent example with interesting scabbard decoration.

82nd Airborne, hoooahhh!

Lew · 24th June 2008, 06:40 PM

Another mystery solved thanks to the guys at Vikingsword CSI

Lew

20th June 2008, 02:35 PM	#1
Atlantia Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: The Sharp end Posts: 2,928	Help needed to identify ethnic blade Hi everyone, been lurking for a while now, mostly because its taken an age to sort out registration (I think all BBs hate AOL users). Anyway, here now with a big HI to all of you... and my first post is going to be a plea for help identifying a blade:

21st June 2008, 02:11 AM	#4
Lew (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Coast USA Posts: 3,191	Gene Brass inserts very interesting? I am leaning now towards Assam and Burma ot even Thai? I have seen those brass inlays in some older Dhas before. It may be some form of dha the tang is straight or slightly upward in angle similar to the dha pictured. Mark what do you think? Lew Attached Images Last edited by LOUIEBLADES; 21st June 2008 at 02:47 AM.

21st June 2008, 02:38 PM	#7
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,181	as far as i know, they are just kind of a generic kitchen/utility knife common in thailand. here are some more being used as throwing knives, meed eneb? meed maw or mawr and here is a decorated temple version with 'magic' powers, the site is HERE <-linky, called a meed mor. (herb knife? - bit big for that tho) meed=knife, saw another one for sale on ebay as a meed mong, another as a thai kukri see also post 14 HERE Last edited by kronckew; 21st June 2008 at 03:11 PM.

21st June 2008, 04:14 PM	#8
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,806	Here is a more recent example with interesting scabbard decoration. Teak, aluminium amd epoxy type resin? handle. Attached Images

20th June 2008, 09:36 PM	#2
Lew (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Coast USA Posts: 3,191	Welcome Atlantia to the forum Your blade could Nepalese in origin or Indian but I can't be sure. Can you take a closer pic of the decorations on the blade it may help. Lew

20th June 2008, 10:52 PM	#3
Atlantia Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: The Sharp end Posts: 2,928	Hi Lew, Thanks for having a look for me. The blade is heavy like a Kukri, with small inset pieces of brass in the spine and simp[le incised decoration on the blade. Its about 600g and has hammer strike marks on the spine so has been used as a tool at some stage. I havent cleaned it up or anything yet, it's as I bought it about 5 years ago. Any ideas appreciated. I thought it was Indian and was going to stick a Tulwar hilt on it. Thanks Gene

21st June 2008, 06:32 AM	#5
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,181	kinda reminds me of this style thai utility knife

21st June 2008, 01:31 PM	#6
Atlantia Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: The Sharp end Posts: 2,928	Wow thanks guys! :-) Lew, I've been so hung up on the bolo blade shape that I'd never noticed how 'dha' like the back end of the blade was. I've had a few Dha's over the years, but never seen one with the handle off. kronckew, do you know what those knives are called? It certainly looks like its somewhere between one of them and a dha.... here's the back end compared with Lew's brass inserts.

21st June 2008, 04:28 PM	#9
Atlantia Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: The Sharp end Posts: 2,928	This is great! I can make a handle like that fairly easily. Notice the similarities in decoration style with the new one Tim? I like the 'temple' one kronckew. I think the blade I have has considerable age. The site you link to talks about larger ones! Hmmm, interesting ;-) Certainly worth carving a nice handle for I'd say!! Hopefully the blade will clean up nicely.

21st June 2008, 11:41 PM	#10
Andrew Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: USA Posts: 1,725	I agree: Thai. Very interesting blade. Where did you come by this, Atlantia? Any provenance? Welcome to the forum, by the way.

24th June 2008, 06:40 PM	#13
Lew (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Coast USA Posts: 3,191	Another mystery solved thanks to the guys at Vikingsword CSI Lew