Ethnographic Arms & Armour
 

Go Back   Ethnographic Arms & Armour > Discussion Forums > Ethnographic Weapons
FAQ Calendar Today's Posts Search

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 11th June 2011, 12:38 PM   #1
buendia
Member
 
buendia's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Silesia, Poland
Posts: 41
Default Knife/dagger identification problem

I don`t have any idea where this knife comes from. I thought maybe Balkans, but I didn`t find anything really similar. Can you help?
The knife is about 25cm long.
Attached Images
 
buendia is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11th June 2011, 01:12 PM   #2
tom hyle
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Houston, TX, USA
Posts: 1,254
Default

Is the grip one-piece with a full length stalk tang? Is it horn?
tom hyle is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 17th June 2011, 04:16 PM   #3
buendia
Member
 
buendia's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Silesia, Poland
Posts: 41
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by tom hyle
Is the grip one-piece with a full length stalk tang? Is it horn?
Answer to both questions is YES.

I have found very similar ornaments on the blades of Bosnian and Silesian highlanders` traditional knives (respectively).
Silesian highlanders live on the Czech - Polish border, and are the most north-western descendants of Vallachian shepherds from the Balkans (came in 15th century). The similarities are conspicuous.
Attached Images
  
buendia is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 18th June 2011, 11:34 AM   #4
tom hyle
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Houston, TX, USA
Posts: 1,254
Default

Such a tang seems more Persian or European than Turkish.
tom hyle is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 7th August 2011, 07:55 PM   #5
sisi_d
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Bulgaria
Posts: 6
Default

This is a Bosnian or Croatian knife. They are called youth knives are worn by young men who were not married.
sisi_d is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21st May 2022, 10:26 PM   #6
gp
Member
 
gp's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 717
Default

the first knife is typical Balkan, comming from the Ottoman influence but found in Croatia, Serbia and Bosnia till 1945.

The other is typical for Bosnia and surrounding border area of Croatia and Serbia. Also backdating from the Ottoman times.
Typical are the circular , sometimes straighh lines, looking like a "naive"like semi sun with little stars around.
As you can see in the examples.

Used as multi use knives for fishing, hunting and such. Given to older boys but also a good companion for an adult , and ...useful if needed in a fight in those days.
They also exist with a slight longer blade.
Attached Images
     

Last edited by gp; 22nd May 2022 at 01:23 AM.
gp is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11th June 2011, 01:41 PM   #7
Atlantia
Member
 
Atlantia's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: The Sharp end
Posts: 2,928
Default

For some reason I'm also thinking Balkan/Turkish possibly Greek....

Nice piece!

Last edited by Atlantia; 11th June 2011 at 02:00 PM.
Atlantia is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12th June 2011, 03:04 AM   #8
Lew
(deceased)
 
Lew's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: East Coast USA
Posts: 3,191
Default

I agree looks Turkish.
Lew is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13th June 2011, 01:02 AM   #9
buendia
Member
 
buendia's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Silesia, Poland
Posts: 41
Default

Grip is made of horn, but I didn`t have it in my hands so far. I`ll write more about it on Tuesday. What`s an English term for the punched embelishments on the blade? It was very common in the whole Carpathian region till WW1/WW2.
buendia is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 21st May 2022, 11:27 PM   #10
David R
Member
 
David R's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 1,079
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by buendia View Post
Grip is made of horn, but I didn`t have it in my hands so far. I`ll write more about it on Tuesday. What`s an English term for the punched embelishments on the blade? It was very common in the whole Carpathian region till WW1/WW2.
We used to call it wigglework or wiggle work a traditional cheap and fast metal embellishment, but don't bother trying to reference it on google. All references are swamped by other irrelevant stuff now..... Ooh hang on "engraved by wiggle-work on metal" delivers this. https://robbinacekeller.wordpress.co...i-mean-wiggle/
David R is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 12:10 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Posts are regarded as being copyrighted by their authors and the act of posting material is deemed to be a granting of an irrevocable nonexclusive license for display here.