Rare Bhutanese short sword for comment

[Justin]

The hilt {wich is damaged a little}is wrapped in silver wire and mounted with little silver 'flowers',scabbard only has one brass band left on it.
Definately looks like it has the 'hair pin folding' found in Tibetan/Bhutanese swords,I will have to clean and etch it. 19.5in oa.Let me know what you think:

[Tim Simmons]

Hello Justin, I have one of these, they are nice are they not? so why do you want to damage it with acid?Tim

[dennee]

The knife or short sword is the traditional "ban" of the Lepcha people, who principally came to live in remoter, forested valleys in Sikkim, but were found in Bhutan as well and across the Nepal border. Although it frequently appears as "Bhutanese," it is distinct (in length, blade shape and composition, scabbard and decoration) from the typical arms of the ethnically Tibetan Bhutias who migrated into the area and became the majority (at least before the influx of a great number of Nepalis to the area). I believe that Lord Egerton identifies such a piece as from Bhutan, as indeed it could have been made, used and collected there. A photographed example in his book is identified as from "Bhotan or Nepalese Frontier."

I confess that I can't make out clearly from the photos details suggesting folding or lamination. Earlier examples may have had blades more like Tibetan and Bhutanese swords--although I confess that I have not seen any documented early examples. By the late nineteenth century it seems that they were monosteel, as are all the examples I have seen. J. Claude White, in "Sikhim & Bhutan: Twenty-One Years on the North-East Frontier, 1887-1908," reported that "Very good knives are manufactured in Sikhim. They used to be made from indigenous charcoal iron, but now that steel bars can be bought so cheaply the workmen--more is the pity--have entirely abandoned the old method of extracting the iron direct from the ore."

I'd agree with Tim in that, while I have several "hairpin folded" swords from Tibet, Bhutan, and Burma, I would not etch them to try to make the contrast more pronounced. It may be conservatism, but it would certainly tend to better preserve the blade and its patination. It may be truer to the original appearance of the blade as the differences in the steel used for the blades may have become more pronounced over the years--as opposed to their appearance in a new blade--because of differential oxidation. Surely, the Tibetans, for instance, appreciated the patterns--particularly the "jelly roll" type sometimes employed on daggers or short swords--but it doesn't seem to be a characteristic meant to be as pronounced or as significant as on, say, krisses. Just my opinion, of course.

[tom hyle]

AFAIK it is nowhere on Earth as pronounced as with k(e)ris, the only exceptions being for work imitative of k(e)ris (either other Indonesian pamor work, or, for instance, current N American work with nickelous layered steel). That is not to say that it is nowhere deliberately controlled and displayed; the etching and display of patterns seems fairly common across the Earth, and seems to emerge as a facet of cultures where it was previously not noticed, with continuing study (ie. Moro). On the other hand, it is folk lore and my strong suspicion that the patterns had (largely secret) practical/magical/religious meanings/affects in many cultures, and some such affects may well in no way depend on being visibly distinguishable (This can be difficult for people to grasp; the modern/industrial/American fascination with show, display, image, often to the extent that these are the only motivations that can be understood or believed, is rather singular; people of most cultures have thought very differently from this....). Certainly I have seen old blades, ones I've etched or ones whose welds showed in the patina, that have meaningful or complex welded structure, and do not seem to have been originally etched (although, actually we can't tell; a light etch, despite various warnings you may encounter, is very little if any "damage" and rubs off quite easily over years of casual handling, let alone use. For instance, many old carbon steel kitchen knives are encountered on the secondary market in N America that are "sterile"; a collectors' term for unmarked, but I suggest that very few of them were truly not marked; the majority were maker-marked with light etches that are gone to routine handling, cleaning, and oxidation; such light etches are still done, and I have watched them fade with successive washings; I've seen others that can only be seen if you know where to look, only be recognized if you've seen them before......). Explaining this in any detail or coherent schema is a thing I cannot do at this time, and so far have yet to encounter anyone else who much can, either. I have theories about the structural advantages of the ladder pattern, and of course, macro welds; inlaid edges and stuff are fairly self explanatory, but patterned sides or core....?......made not to show....?.....does this make sense? and if so, how? Now, this particular piece is being described as lineal laminate with a looped tip, similar to what is seen on some PI work, yes? This is my understanding of the "hair pin" structure? It may have an inlaid or hardened edge, which might be the most interesting thing seen with an etch. One reason to etch old blades is that it is culturally appropriate for some of them (and we do not know the full list of which ones, by any means); another is to clean off oxidation; another, quite traditional and coming into popularity in current N America, is to make them more appropriate to the culture in which they currently exist (ie your culture); another is to see what you're working with, temper and welds-wise, in order to execute useful well-planned repairs; another is simple curiousity, and without the "damage" of what some might call excessive etchings, I and many others would not know what we know. Many many many blades that appear and are generally (by, mind you, collectors and academics, at that) assumed to be homogenously tempered "monosteel" prove otherwise on an etch. Many many many. And some of which otherwise is known, it has only become known to the Overculture, in even slight degree, in recent years. (for some reason, in its usual misapplication of "Occam's" razor, the "West" tends to think of monosteel, a high-tech industrial product, as the base-line material for traditional tribal production until/unless it is shown otherwise in each particular instance Kind of like treating "it's a fake" as the base-line assumption for something one hasn't seen before, if you ask me; not very logical, nor based on real odds/statistics; assumption of near-dogma status.)

[Justin]

Thank you all for your comments.

dennee,you just tripled what I knew about these swords, thanks very much!

Tom:The blade does seem to have a differentially hardened edge and thats a very big reason I wanted to etch it,I doubt the pattern will be great but it will stand out much more than if its not etched.

As to etching the blade,and damaging patina.I rarely leave any 'patina' or anything else on the blade,my goal being to keep my swords in as close to original condition as possible.I think the etch among other things actually helps prevent the blade from rusting and in the proccess of the etch the acidusually cleans the rust out of the pitting in the blade leaving it virtually free of all rust.Further more,Im careful when wetching to not over do it,I generally use lemon juice or very very dilute muriatic acid,like tom said if etched lightly it doesnt take much to take it off.

[tom hyle]

As long as you don't go too too deep, etching is pretty much a surface thing. So it depends, I guess, on how much you like the current surface and how comfortable you are surfacing/polishing things in general, or swords from a given culture. (just addressing the issue general, as Justin has pretty clearly stated his intent, and I for one am not at all interested in trying to argue him out of it). Pretty good point that the dark patinas many of us (including me) enjoy are not the original surface, either, and wouldn't be approved of in the original culture, in many cases; in fact "rusty junk" is a very usual dismissive charactarization by N Americans of the kind of blades I seek out. I love it though; if everyone wanted old black swords I wouldn't be able to get them, probably.

[Tim Simmons]

Personely I do not like an etched surface and only interfere with something if my handy work cannot be detected.I have to agree with Tom, I find so much treasure where others only see junk most of my collection in fact, it usally pays off in time.Tim