Three Interesting Dha Swords...Origin ID Help Needed!

[CharlesS]

THANKS guys! The top and bottom ones were not such mysteries as to their origins, but the middle one was a mystery. Thanks again for the input. I do lean towards a Laotian or Vietnamese origin, and am glad to see that I was not far off.

Any thoughts on the pointed tip of the "spatula blade"...it seems just enough to make the sword a stabber(quite sharp!), and may not be merely ornamental. You'd be hard pressed to find a better balanced dha than that one.

....now, with dhas on the brain, I am off for some 'Larb Gai'....

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by CharlesS

THANKS guys! The top and bottom ones were not such mysteries as to their origins, but the middle one was a mystery. Thanks again for the input. I do lean towards a Laotian or Vietnamese origin, and am glad to see that I was not far off.

Any thoughts on the pointed tip of the "spatula blade"...it seems just enough to make the sword a stabber(quite sharp!), and may not be merely ornamental. You'd be hard pressed to find a better balanced dha than that one.

....now, with dhas on the brain, I am off for some 'Larb Gai'....

Charles, it's called "hua bua", and apparantly the style dates back to the Ayutthaya period. While it has some age, I don't think your sword is quite that old, however. Similar tips appear on many Thai "priest knives".

I tend to think that stabbing ability in any dha/darb is a secondary consideration. Some are better suited to it than others, but dha are not primarily stabbing weapons. The tip on that one is probably a stylistic nod to older forms.

By the way, that's my absolute favorite of the three.