Khukuri type knife scabard and small knives

[Gavin Nugent]

These are very nice...some what lacking in condition but given the rarity of the knives, hilt material and the design of the sheath, I think they could be late 18th century.

The hilts are shell, however, they are not tridacna.
Tridacna are giant clam shells, these clearly have the spiralling rings of a conch shell.

Gavin

[kai]

Gavin, you're spot on with the smaller hilt - apparently crafted from the center of a large marine conch shell (as you know, these did got traded into the Himalayas). The larger hilt seems quite massive - a close-up of the tip may help...

Regards,
Kai

[Gavin Nugent]

Originally Posted by kai

Gavin, you're spot on with the smaller hilt - apparently crafted from the center of a large marine conch shell (as you know, these did got traded into the Himalayas). The larger hilt seems quite massive - a close-up of the tip may help...

Regards,
Kai

Thanks Kai,

throw your eye over the first post, third image...clear spiral to me.

Gavin

[kronckew]

just for interest, here is a modern khukuri from a nepali mfg. based on the older ones before they had a proper cho (aka kaudi or kauri). and an older quite ornate khukuri with similar tools.

normally the two tools are a karda, a small sharpened utility knife and the other an unsharpened but similar sized and shaped one, the chakma(k) with a thick hardened edge used to 'steel' a dinged edge back to shape or with a flint, to start a fire.

[kai]

Hello Gavin,

throw your eye over the first post, third image...clear spiral to me

Yes, it seems so but the 4th pic (close-up) is less convincing. The top partly visible in the 3rd pic does indeed suggest the same structure though...

Regards,
Kai