what is this ?

[Ren Ren]

However, I want to wait a bit

Originally Posted by gp

I have no more details as it hasn't arrived yet..

[gp]

so it arrived today, cleaned some dirt and had a good look.
This horn handle is not as dark as the Ottoman horn you see in the Balkans or what you call present day Turkey; that looks close to more black.
This horn is more darkis brown when you look close at it,
As the seller's description was correct: the ferrule and star or flowerlike ornaments on the handle / grip are silver.
The 2 pieces of the handle / grip have a red metal in between them, ending into the ferrule: copper/bronze?

So hope this helps you forum member with your determination on its age ...

[Ren Ren]

I will cautiously assume - the first third of the 20th century.

[gp]

Originally Posted by Ren Ren

I will cautiously assume - the first third of the 20th century.

Thank you very much!
So that would place it around the transition of the Emirate / Buxoro amirligi to the Bukharan PSR or perhaps a decade later the Uzbek SSR.

[Ren Ren]

This knife shape and style of decoration took place throughout the 20th century. But silver in the USSR was used in accordance with strict rules - the state assay mark was required. Therefore, I assume that the knife was made before such rules took effect in the Uzbek SSR.

[Saracen]

Originally Posted by Ren Ren

This knife shape and style of decoration took place throughout the 20th century. But silver in the USSR was used in accordance with strict rules - the state assay mark was required. Therefore, I assume that the knife was made before such rules took effect in the Uzbek SSR.

I agree, but with one caveat
specifically this shape of the blade with a raised tip has its own name: Kayiki pchak (not sure if the transliteration is correct)

[mahratt]

Originally Posted by gp

Thank you very much!
So that would place it around the transition of the Emirate / Buxoro amirligi to the Bukharan PSR or perhaps a decade later the Uzbek SSR.

An excellent knife for the late 19th century. Here is a similar one from the collection of the Danish ethnographer Ole Olufsen from the expedition to Bukhara in the 1890s

[gp]

thank you gents! very interesting info which made me more than curious....
I found also mentioning that this type of pchak was used by not only Uzbeks but also Uigurs.
An interesting site with very very beautiful pchaks and also containing very useful info :
https://biserochek.ru/en/krasota/vid...-pchakov-nozh/

[mahratt]

Originally Posted by gp

thank you gents! very interesting info which made me more than curious....
I found also mentioning that this type of pchak was used by not only Uzbeks but also Uigurs.
An interesting site with very very beautiful pchaks and also containing very useful info :
https://biserochek.ru/en/krasota/vid...-pchakov-nozh/

The link contains modern knives that have nothing to do with the samples of knives of the late 19th - early 20th century...