Pesh Kabz: what am I missing?

[ham]

There is an explosion of modern replicas on Middle Eastern and Asian markets, sorry to say. The collector who is familiar with form, embellishment and detail will not usually be taken in.
Specifically, the shape of the dagger is inconsistent with period examples as is the coarseness of the engraving. The armour-piercing tip is crude. Grips of cowhorn and a backedge are virtually never found in period examples, nor is a pommel cap.
One learns to spot these inconsistencies by studying as many period examples as possible. This informs the eye, and in order to sharpen it, one needs to examine the same pieces from time to time-- museums provide the best opportunity but good published photos will also do in a pinch. One of course wants to be sure that the reference work is up to par-- is the author of your chosen reference affiliated with an academic institution or museum? If not, a museum catalog is usually the safest choice.

Ham