Help with Afghan knife ID

[Ibrahiim al Balooshi]

Originally Posted by theMarmotGuy

Robert, your photo enhancements were welcomed, but most especially, thanks to all of your members who responded.

It makes sense that this is a modern "knock-off" for the tourist market, but I remain amazed that a) there IS such a market, and b) that an old-leaf-spring or automotive piece could be hammered and worked so beautifully.

Have I interpreted your comments correctly? That it was all "cold-hammered, chiseled and filed" with NO heat applied? Really? Wow. The time involved in hand-producing this just boggles the mind.

Last question: Would such steel take or hold an edge? Should I adopt it as a useful blackberry-whacking tool? It IS hefty. Or is it best left on the shelf?

Salaams theMarmotGuy, The souk in central Kabul (Chicken Street) is fairly stuffed with such items. They occasionally get a container of work through to the other regional souks such as Sharjah or in lesser volumes either by road and ship or air...as I say in lesser volumes. It is almost totally knocked up in some workshop though there are workshops in Afghanistan that can produce excellent work ...mostly stuff like this is just churned out and not collectible though most people get taken in occasionally~ which is part of the game. With the various withdrawals of foreigners from the area there are much fewer Europeans in the market place and Chicken Street is having a difficult time ... The foreign tourism market collapsed years ago and foreigners are dwindling all the time thus dealers are trying to get their stuff abroad..

Leave it on the shelf...

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.