What is this?

[Tim Simmons]

I do not think it is Islamic. Is it old?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWA:IT&ih=008

[Royston]

Tim,

I had this on my watch list and was almost tempted to bid.

It's one of those items that looks almost " Too Nice " or "Too pristine ". Perhaps it's just the quality of the photographs.

It has a tactile look about it that made me want to own it.

If, as the vendor says, it is pre 1900 then it is in amazing condition.
I did not bid in the end because it LOOKS NEW.

We all want good condition weapons but when we see them we get suspicious that they may be fakes.

To answer your question - I have no idea what it is !!!!
I would still like to touch it though !! ( Does this make me wierd ? )

Royston

[Lew]

Birds eye pattern damascus it screams new to me .

Lew

[ward]

agreed the blade is brand new

[Battara]

Not just the birds-eye pattern, but the scabbard is in recent Western fashion and so is the hilt........BRAND new

[Rick]

Nifty resin handle ...

[Atlantia]

Its new for sure, the handle looks like marine ivory. (Rick) There is a definate grain but its been polished to the N-th degree, I actually think it is real ivory.
Its nice but just a modern dagger, there are a lot of sellers on ebay UK claiming modern stuff is definately antique at the moment.

[Gavin Nugent]

Looks new to me, but regarding the handle, I would go so far as saying elephant ivory, have a look at the last image presented below and in the webpage, to my eyes it clearly looks like the black nerve ending found in the centre of a tusk is present in the very end of the handle.

Gav

[Tim Simmons]

I also got the feeling that the handle is actually ivory? The scabbard pictures are poor but I thought the leather did look used to some degree. I was more taken by the strange mix of styles. It appears well made. To me the blade does look new western art/fantasy work. Perhaps it is? just well done. I am wondering about the silver ring at the top of the handle. I have seen this style before on carving knives. I hate to say an item is a construct or rehilted or what ever, but in this case I really do think this is a construction of found bits. I think the scabbard is the only real ethnographic {in our sense of the word} weapon part and has some age perhaps Balkan? I am sure one could search the archive and find the origin.

[Montino Bourbon]

and the damascus looks like totally modern Indian work.

[katana]

Saw this on eBay too, as many have said...seems new, have to agree blade is modern, probably Indian. (there is alot of this type of 'Bird's eye' patterned blades for sale from India)

Surely 19th C ivory would have alot more patina and age colouration...and the handle design is highly impractical ... smooth surfaced with a taper towards the pommel end is not conducive to a 'secure' grip, especially with a relatively heavy blade

Regards David

[Rick]

I guess I need new glasses .

[katana]

Originally Posted by Rick

I guess I need new glasses .

You and Me...both


.........I hadn't noticed the possibility of Ivory either

[Tim Simmons]

I have a feeling this is a WW2 Indian fighting knife presentation piece. I have a war time kukri just as pristine with slight wear to the scabbard. These are pics of Indian made ww2 fighting knives from "Ron Flook's British and commonwealth fighting knives" I am sure we are all familiar with presentation kukri and Fairbairn-Sykes commando knives. I think this is in that genre and as such a jolly good thing, if you like that sort of thing that is.

[Tim Simmons]

That last idea would have been fine if this piece was not over twice the size of a commando knife. It is easy to get hold of a used scabbard and ivory for that matter. I have three ivory crocs which could be used to make handles from. It is all a bit fishy and I think was best left alone. As did others .

[Battara]

No, not Balkan.....the silver work is good, but modern and so is the scabbard and blade......