Spanish Dirk?

shayde78 · 2nd July 2020, 12:15 AM

Hi everyone,

I'm hoping some of you will weigh in on a recent acquisition. I believe it is a Spanish dagger, made in a style consistent with Albacete (although not entirely the same as other examples on this forum). I found a very similar piece in one of my references (see last picture) in which it is described a a possible naval dirk (Mark - that's your cue!). However, Capwell's book has a number of errors, and even so, the description states it isn't certainly a naval dirk, but one for maritime use. Regardless, it is a substantial knife, seemingly intended for proper use. I'm guessing late 19th century? The ricasso seems a unique detail I've not seen elsewhere. It is sharpened in those scallops [edited 7/2/20 1:34am - these scallops are UNsharpened], and the edge begins just past them.

Any comments welcome!

Specifications:
Total length - 16" (41cm)
Blade length - 12" (30cm)
Hilt length - 4" (10.5cm)
Blade width - 1" (2.5cm) at the guard
Blade thickness - 0.20" (5.1mm) at 4.5 inches from the guard (the thickest part of the blade)
Missing some of the ribbing on the hilt - example indicated by arrows in 7th picture.

2nd July 2020, 12:15 AM	#1
shayde78 Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Posts: 445	Spanish Dirk? Hi everyone, I'm hoping some of you will weigh in on a recent acquisition. I believe it is a Spanish dagger, made in a style consistent with Albacete (although not entirely the same as other examples on this forum). I found a very similar piece in one of my references (see last picture) in which it is described a a possible naval dirk (Mark - that's your cue!). However, Capwell's book has a number of errors, and even so, the description states it isn't certainly a naval dirk, but one for maritime use. Regardless, it is a substantial knife, seemingly intended for proper use. I'm guessing late 19th century? The ricasso seems a unique detail I've not seen elsewhere. It is sharpened in those scallops [edited 7/2/20 1:34am - these scallops are UNsharpened], and the edge begins just past them. Any comments welcome! Specifications: Total length - 16" (41cm) Blade length - 12" (30cm) Hilt length - 4" (10.5cm) Blade width - 1" (2.5cm) at the guard Blade thickness - 0.20" (5.1mm) at 4.5 inches from the guard (the thickest part of the blade) Missing some of the ribbing on the hilt - example indicated by arrows in 7th picture. Attached Images Last edited by shayde78; 2nd July 2020 at 03:34 AM.