Manipuri Chamtun

[kronckew]

The ChamTun (spear-knnife) is home.

Excellent item. Grip including the bolster is 30 cm., hair under a foot. about an inch or 2.5 cm. dia. at the ends tapering down to about 3/4, 19mm in. for about 3 in., 7.5 cm. of the centre part.

Blade is 9in./23 cm. Fullered both sides, inscription only on one side. 1 1/4in. wide at the bolster, hair over 1.5 near the tip, 3mm thick at the spine. The spine decorations are very well done. Cleaned some grime off with a plastic scrubber. It's laminated steel! Linear pattern.

'Habaki' style Bolster is steel. Looks like a fancy khukuri bolster

It has not been wound with brass wire as i thought, there are 2 decorated brass sleeves, one 2 3/8",6 cm. long just behind the bolster, another 4 cm. long at the pommel end. A 5mm brass disk is spiked to the haft end as a pommel & secures the aforementioned cylinder.

A 3mm. brass rivet about 3cm. from the bolster secures the blade to the grip through the brass sleeve. Wood haft is a dark ebony-like hardwood Very sharp little beast.