Knife for ID

kahnjar1 · 28th September 2019, 04:02 AM

What is this please? Bischaq? Kard? Origin?
Stu

Bob A · 28th September 2019, 07:00 AM

Registering a guess - Balkan?

Kubur · 28th September 2019, 09:00 AM

I will be more adventurous
Bosnian, Sarajevo? Ottoman very late 19th

http://vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?p=48486

kahnjar1 · 28th September 2019, 09:31 AM

Thanks for the link Kubur. Unfortunately the blade on mine is well pitted so I can not see any marks.
Stu

RobT · 1st October 2019, 03:14 AM

Hi Kahnjar1,

I just happened to pick up one of these just last week. Kubur is correct. These knives are typical of Bosnia/Sarajevo. The knives vary greatly in size. The one I just got has a 5" blade marked "Sarayevo 1889" on one side and stamped with the Sarajevo knife symbol on the other. I also have an example with an unmarked 7" blade. My biggest one has a 10" blade marked "Sarayevo 1890". I also have a knife and fork set marked "Bosnia Foca 1891" (there is a diacritical mark above the "c" in "Foca" that I can't reproduce). According to Wikipedia, Bosnia Foca is in eastern Bosnia Herzegovina on the Drina river. Both the knife and fork have the characteristic Sarajevo knife handles. The knife blade is only 4" long. I suspect that the knife and fork were originally a trousse set and the sheath has been lost.

Sincerely,
RobT

Battara · 1st October 2019, 04:35 AM

Rob is correct.

The knives from this region also come by themselves as well. Most of these forms resemble the Balkan yataghan hilt.

I believe the knives are called “bichaqs.”

RobT · 1st October 2019, 06:39 PM

Hi Battara,

Awhile ago I met a Turkish seller of arms and militaria books. He said that bichaq (or biçak) just means knife in Turkish. Google Translate appears to agree and translates "knife" in English to biçak in Turkish. Since the former Yugoslavia area was part of the Ottoman Empire, they probably picked up the word from the Turks. By the way, I didn't mean to imply that the trousse set was typically how these knives come. Over the years, I have seen a good number of these knives but only two trousse sets.

Sincerely,
RobT

28th September 2019, 04:02 AM	#1
kahnjar1 Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND Posts: 2,739	Knife for ID What is this please? Bischaq? Kard? Origin? Stu Attached Images

1st October 2019, 03:14 AM	#5
RobT Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 489	Funny Coincidence Hi Kahnjar1, I just happened to pick up one of these just last week. Kubur is correct. These knives are typical of Bosnia/Sarajevo. The knives vary greatly in size. The one I just got has a 5" blade marked "Sarayevo 1889" on one side and stamped with the Sarajevo knife symbol on the other. I also have an example with an unmarked 7" blade. My biggest one has a 10" blade marked "Sarayevo 1890". I also have a knife and fork set marked "Bosnia Foca 1891" (there is a diacritical mark above the "c" in "Foca" that I can't reproduce). According to Wikipedia, Bosnia Foca is in eastern Bosnia Herzegovina on the Drina river. Both the knife and fork have the characteristic Sarajevo knife handles. The knife blade is only 4" long. I suspect that the knife and fork were originally a trousse set and the sheath has been lost. Sincerely, RobT

1st October 2019, 06:39 PM	#7
RobT Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 489	bichaq=knife Hi Battara, Awhile ago I met a Turkish seller of arms and militaria books. He said that bichaq (or biçak) just means knife in Turkish. Google Translate appears to agree and translates "knife" in English to biçak in Turkish. Since the former Yugoslavia area was part of the Ottoman Empire, they probably picked up the word from the Turks. By the way, I didn't mean to imply that the trousse set was typically how these knives come. Over the years, I have seen a good number of these knives but only two trousse sets. Sincerely, RobT

28th September 2019, 07:00 AM	#2
Bob A Member Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 427	Registering a guess - Balkan?

28th September 2019, 09:00 AM	#3
Kubur Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 2,145	I will be more adventurous Bosnian, Sarajevo? Ottoman very late 19th http://vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?p=48486

28th September 2019, 09:31 AM	#4
kahnjar1 Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: CHRISTCHURCH NEW ZEALAND Posts: 2,739	Thanks for the link Kubur. Unfortunately the blade on mine is well pitted so I can not see any marks. Stu

1st October 2019, 04:35 AM	#6
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,220	Rob is correct. The knives from this region also come by themselves as well. Most of these forms resemble the Balkan yataghan hilt. I believe the knives are called “bichaqs.”