Mediterranean/Corsican knife for comments

Pitt1999 · 10th November 2024, 06:44 PM

I'm not sure if this belongs in the European forum or the Ethnographic forum, if it needs to be moved then so be it.

I purchased this knife from a French seller in a small lot with an old powder horn and a decorated wooden box with "Orezza" carved on it's side. It was described as a Corsican knife but it doesn't look like most of the Corsican fixed blade knives shown on this forum. Perhaps this is an older form and was meant for actual use rather than the more decorative examples with the acid etched blades.

The aspect of this knife that I find quite neat is that the scabbard and the hilt scales appear to be made of the same type of horn, which looks to me like either antler or a light colored wild goat horn. The scabbard mounts look similar to those found on other Corsican knife scabbards but I don't necessarily think that is enough to determine a specific origin. The blade is rather plain with some small nicks and signs of (possible) use visible along the edge. The integral bolster looks nicely forged and looks longer than most other examples. The seller didn't provide any dimensions but gave a vague age estimate of "19th century".

This style of knife is found in both French and Italian regions so a definitive attribution is difficult to pin on this knife. However this seller has other lots of Corsican items which leads me to believe that his attributions might be correct.

Pitt1999 · 10th November 2024, 06:46 PM

Here is a picture of the whole lot.

Interested Party · 10th November 2024, 06:58 PM

I do not know where it is from, but I like it! What are its dimensions?

Sajen · 10th November 2024, 07:28 PM

Very nice hunting dagger!

Could be Corsican but I am unsure.

Regards,
Detlef

Jim McDougall · 10th November 2024, 11:59 PM

Interesting dagger, and likely in the 'Meditteranean' spectrum, resembling these types of 'dirks' which seem to usually have upper halt in line with blade back, but Sardinian examples seem to have center haft (that I have seen). With all the variation in these kinds of knives of 18th into 19th c. it would be hard to place specifically.
Corsican is a well placed guess as it is the French island just north of the Sardinian island, both off Italy's coast.

It is notable that Meditteranean knives were the forerunners of the famed 'Bowie' in degree which remains unclear definitively.
Very nice example,!

10th November 2024, 06:44 PM	#1
Pitt1999 Member Join Date: Sep 2021 Posts: 107	Mediterranean/Corsican knife for comments I'm not sure if this belongs in the European forum or the Ethnographic forum, if it needs to be moved then so be it. I purchased this knife from a French seller in a small lot with an old powder horn and a decorated wooden box with "Orezza" carved on it's side. It was described as a Corsican knife but it doesn't look like most of the Corsican fixed blade knives shown on this forum. Perhaps this is an older form and was meant for actual use rather than the more decorative examples with the acid etched blades. The aspect of this knife that I find quite neat is that the scabbard and the hilt scales appear to be made of the same type of horn, which looks to me like either antler or a light colored wild goat horn. The scabbard mounts look similar to those found on other Corsican knife scabbards but I don't necessarily think that is enough to determine a specific origin. The blade is rather plain with some small nicks and signs of (possible) use visible along the edge. The integral bolster looks nicely forged and looks longer than most other examples. The seller didn't provide any dimensions but gave a vague age estimate of "19th century". This style of knife is found in both French and Italian regions so a definitive attribution is difficult to pin on this knife. However this seller has other lots of Corsican items which leads me to believe that his attributions might be correct. Attached Images

10th November 2024, 06:46 PM	#2
Pitt1999 Member Join Date: Sep 2021 Posts: 107	Here is a picture of the whole lot. Attached Images

10th November 2024, 06:58 PM	#3
Interested Party Member Join Date: Dec 2019 Location: Eastern Sierra Posts: 474	I do not know where it is from, but I like it! What are its dimensions?

10th November 2024, 07:28 PM	#4
Sajen Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Germany, Dortmund Posts: 8,786	Very nice hunting dagger! Could be Corsican but I am unsure. Regards, Detlef

10th November 2024, 11:59 PM	#5
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,950	Interesting dagger, and likely in the 'Meditteranean' spectrum, resembling these types of 'dirks' which seem to usually have upper halt in line with blade back, but Sardinian examples seem to have center haft (that I have seen). With all the variation in these kinds of knives of 18th into 19th c. it would be hard to place specifically. Corsican is a well placed guess as it is the French island just north of the Sardinian island, both off Italy's coast. It is notable that Meditteranean knives were the forerunners of the famed 'Bowie' in degree which remains unclear definitively. Very nice example,!