Are simple/plain kard daggers rare?

Pitt1999 · 30th June 2022, 12:33 AM

Most of the examples that I see for sale are very elaborate with mountings of ivory, jade or other luxury materials with intricately engraved blades inlayed with gold or silver. I almost never find examples with simple horn or wood handles for sale. Is this because simple renditions of this dagger were used more as work knives than a way to display one's status?

RobT · 30th June 2022, 03:29 AM

Pitt1999,

Here are two plain Jane examples from my collection. Since they are the only such examples that I have ever seen, I guess that, outside of areas where they are traditionally used, they are uncommon.
The larger of my two knives has a 6.75" (17.145cm) blade that shows signs of forging. The spine is .25" (6.35mm) at the hilt and tapers distally to the point. There is what appears to be an Indian arsenal mark dot engraved on one side of the blade. I would love a translation (but am not holding out much hope). The one piece, eared hilt appears to be made of bone (see blade close-up) and has a two piece steel ferrule. Two brass bands are set into the hilt.
The smaller of the two knives is much fancier. The birdseye damascus blade is 5-3/8" (13.6525cm) long. The spine is about 3/32" (2.38125mm) at the hilt and there is no distal taper to the point. There is a silver koftgari ricasso. The hilt scales appear to be ivory and are held to the tang by 3 brass rivets. The backstrap (actually it is just the tang) is covered with a simple silver pattern. The two piece steel ferrule is covered with a silver koftgari pattern. Given the birdseye damascus and the almost completely intact koftgari, I suspect that the blade is of fairly recent manufacture. From what I have recently seen of Tajikistan kords, I think that the knife could have been made anywhere from India to someplace in the former Soviet Union.

Sincerely,
RobT

ariel · 30th June 2022, 03:57 AM

Looks like Bikaner arsenal markings. This to me suggests some age.
Any weapon can be either sumpuous or plain and utilitarian.
Check the materiel of the handle: red-hot needle will tell youby the smell if it is plastic.
Otherwise, eminently respectable thing.

Pitt1999 · 30th June 2022, 05:06 AM

I found these examples on the old Oriental Arms site described as "Tribal" kards. Fairly simple with a bit of class in the ivory pommels, these are what I imagined in my head when I thought of a simple kard. Also these seem to be rather rare as these were the only three of this type I have found so far

Pitt1999 · 30th June 2022, 05:28 AM

Also these three above examples have very long blades for kards, ranging from 12 to 14 inches.

ariel · 30th June 2022, 07:23 AM

Kard in Farsi is jusr “knife”. They can be of any length.
“Tribalism” is determined by their decorations.

Pitt1999 · 30th June 2022, 08:19 AM

After doing some further digging, I found a thread discussing this type of kard here...

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=20828

Although their exact region of origin still seems to be undecided, this style seems to be attributed to the Turkmen.

30th June 2022, 12:33 AM	#1
Pitt1999 Member Join Date: Sep 2021 Posts: 105	Are simple/plain kard daggers rare? Most of the examples that I see for sale are very elaborate with mountings of ivory, jade or other luxury materials with intricately engraved blades inlayed with gold or silver. I almost never find examples with simple horn or wood handles for sale. Is this because simple renditions of this dagger were used more as work knives than a way to display one's status?

30th June 2022, 03:29 AM	#2
RobT Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 493	Two Examples Pitt1999, Here are two plain Jane examples from my collection. Since they are the only such examples that I have ever seen, I guess that, outside of areas where they are traditionally used, they are uncommon. The larger of my two knives has a 6.75" (17.145cm) blade that shows signs of forging. The spine is .25" (6.35mm) at the hilt and tapers distally to the point. There is what appears to be an Indian arsenal mark dot engraved on one side of the blade. I would love a translation (but am not holding out much hope). The one piece, eared hilt appears to be made of bone (see blade close-up) and has a two piece steel ferrule. Two brass bands are set into the hilt. The smaller of the two knives is much fancier. The birdseye damascus blade is 5-3/8" (13.6525cm) long. The spine is about 3/32" (2.38125mm) at the hilt and there is no distal taper to the point. There is a silver koftgari ricasso. The hilt scales appear to be ivory and are held to the tang by 3 brass rivets. The backstrap (actually it is just the tang) is covered with a simple silver pattern. The two piece steel ferrule is covered with a silver koftgari pattern. Given the birdseye damascus and the almost completely intact koftgari, I suspect that the blade is of fairly recent manufacture. From what I have recently seen of Tajikistan kords, I think that the knife could have been made anywhere from India to someplace in the former Soviet Union. Sincerely, RobT Attached Images

30th June 2022, 05:06 AM	#4
Pitt1999 Member Join Date: Sep 2021 Posts: 105	I found these examples on the old Oriental Arms site described as "Tribal" kards. Fairly simple with a bit of class in the ivory pommels, these are what I imagined in my head when I thought of a simple kard. Also these seem to be rather rare as these were the only three of this type I have found so far Attached Images

30th June 2022, 03:57 AM	#3
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Looks like Bikaner arsenal markings. This to me suggests some age. Any weapon can be either sumpuous or plain and utilitarian. Check the materiel of the handle: red-hot needle will tell youby the smell if it is plastic. Otherwise, eminently respectable thing.

30th June 2022, 05:28 AM	#5
Pitt1999 Member Join Date: Sep 2021 Posts: 105	Also these three above examples have very long blades for kards, ranging from 12 to 14 inches.

30th June 2022, 07:23 AM	#6
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Kard in Farsi is jusr “knife”. They can be of any length. “Tribalism” is determined by their decorations.

30th June 2022, 08:19 AM	#7
Pitt1999 Member Join Date: Sep 2021 Posts: 105	After doing some further digging, I found a thread discussing this type of kard here... http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=20828 Although their exact region of origin still seems to be undecided, this style seems to be attributed to the Turkmen.