An antique Thai enep

[Sajen]

Not long ago I purchased a very neglect enep from Thailand, this is what I think it is. Like always I could be wrong but think that I am correct.
After some intensive maintenance it turned out that it is a very nice little knife. So I think that it is worth to share it with you.
First three pictures from the seller.

All comments are welcome.

[Sajen]

Here some pictures after it was received.

[Sajen]

Here some pictures after I have given it care. Could it be that the handle is from rhino horn?

[harrywagner]

Wow. You did an amazing job of restoration. Any tips you can pass along regarding how you did it? Thanks for sharing. An interesting knife. An amazing restoration job.

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by harrywagner

Wow. You did an amazing job of restoration. Any tips you can pass along regarding how you did it? Thanks for sharing. An interesting knife. An amazing restoration job.

Thank you Harry for the kind words but I wouldn't call it restoration, I've just cleaned it up.

Since I was able to pull up over the brass bands from the scabbard I was able to clean the wooden scabbard inside since it is built from two parts of wood. The wood from outside I've polished with car polish and oiled it. The fittings I've cleaned with 000 steel wool and metal polish. The ferrule was a difficult project since I want to protect the dark patination from the iron part, so I've polished it with 2000 sandpaper and WD40. The horn was polished with car polish also and oiled with linseed oil.
The heavy corroded blade I've sanded with sandpaper, started with 120 up to 1000.

Regards,
Detlef

[kai]

Hello Detlef,

Sorry, I missed this thread a year ago.

Could it be that the handle is from rhino horn?

I don't think so; however, we need a close-up of the end grain, i. e. the tip of the pommel, to verify.

Regards,
Kai

[CharlesS]

Nice job Detlef! Nothing's more fun than bringing a worn, neglected piece back to life, and you have done it well!

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by kai

I don't think so; however, we need a close-up of the end grain, i. e. the tip of the pommel, to verify.

Hello Kai,

I am not sure as well, it's difficult stuff, every rhino horn I've handled has had a different look. A close up of the handle top isn't helpful since it's cone-shaped and glossy patinated.

Regards,
Detlef

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by CharlesS

Nice job Detlef! Nothing's more fun than bringing a worn, neglected piece back to life, and you have done it well!

Thank you Charles and I agree complete with you! A great fun is it to see that I was correct to buy this knife because I've known about the outcome.

What's crazy, the blade is worked from a very good steel, there are no deep pittings left from the hard corrosion and that the blade is still extreme sharp after the cleaning.

Regards,
Detlef

[kai]

Hello Detlef,

I am not sure as well, it's difficult stuff, every rhino horn I've handled has had a different look.

Color, translucency, feel, and surface texture vary a lot with rhino (and age and storage conditions of the pieces). Only the microstructure can be relied on.

A close up of the handle top isn't helpful since it's cone-shaped and glossy patinated.

One very rarely has a nicely orthogonal cut of the end grain; usually we can deal with it though. Just give it a try...

Regards,
Kai

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by kai

Just give it a try...

Hello Kai,

I've tried my best by the light we have at the moment in Germany!

Regards,
Detlef

[Sajen]

Nobody have an opinion about the handle material? Kai???

[kai]

Hello Detlef,

Sorry, forgot to answer!

Is this the highest magnification you can get? A vertical shot with the brass nut in the middle and focus on the end of the horn pommel would be best.

From the current pics, I'm still leaning towards water buffalo. I can't make out any features of rhino; however, I also don't see any certain signs for water buffalo yet.

Regards,
Kai

[Ian]

Hi Detlef:

Looks like water buffalo to me. The "plates" or layers of horn are evident in your most recent pics. Very nice.

Ian

[Sajen]

Hello Kai and Ian,

thank's for respond. Like said before, I am unsure as well but frankly said I never have seen such a structure (marked in the pictures, also visible in the other pic.s) by buffalo horn before. The opened "layers" I've seen by clearly identified rhino horn as well and I doubt that this would be a clear proof for buffalo horn.

Kai, will try to take a picture like requested from you but doubt that it will be from great help.

Regards,
Detlef

[Sajen]

Originally Posted by kai

A vertical shot with the brass nut in the middle and focus on the end of the horn pommel would be best.

This is the best I can do by the light we have in Germany in the moment.

[Sajen]

Here for comparison a picture from colonial pipe tamper where the corpus is made from rhino horn.

[kai]

Hello Detlef,

You're pointing to the fibrous texture of the horn. However, this is not diagnostic and also seen with many (especially aging) water buffalo horn carvings. The same goes for translucency which is also often quoted to "indicate" rhino but is definitely not: Many rhino pieces are opaque and lots of non-rhino horn (especially from albinotic individuals) can be beautifully translucent...

The only diagnostic criterion (apart from DNA sampling which is also tough for horn) is the dot motif found with rhino horn since it is basically build from "glued" hair rather than being grown in layers of keratin.

I can't prove it from the additional pics but I'm fairly confident that this is not rhino and most likely water buffalo (some layers seem to be present); one of those pieces that need to be personally examined with good magnification though.

Regards,
Kai

[CharlesS]

I tend to agree. Looks like Asian water buffalo horn to me. Beautiful, regardless!

[Sajen]

Hello Kai and Chrarles,

thank you both for your appraisal. At last it's not very important for me from which material the handle is worked, it's a very nice and old enep and I like it for its own.

Regards,
Detlef