Simple yet beautiful blade; bone (ivory?) hilt; origin unknown

Sajen · 11th February 2022, 04:15 PM

After speaking with a very good friend of mine who is an expert on mainland Southeast Asian blades about the knife in question I would agree with Ian, the ferrule and handle pin is unusual too.
And the given origin from Ian seems to be a very good one. The ivory handle could be from an English bread knife my friend assumed.
He says also that it is a rare find!

Regards,
Detlef

shayde78 · 15th February 2022, 02:44 AM

Thank you all for the brilliant insights. I had never given many thoughts to blades from the Burmese region. I love when a new acquisition leads to discovering something new, and I truly appreciate the knowledge shared so generously.

Thanks again!
-Rob

Ian · 15th February 2022, 04:47 AM

Rob,

You found a really nice knife for your first purchase from that area. Watch out--they can be addictive.

Sajen · 15th February 2022, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ian

Watch out--they can be addictive.

Indeed!

DhaDha · 15th February 2022, 08:33 PM

So... The pinned hilt and scabbard are pretty unique by Dha standards. Could this be a Yao knife from Africa?

shayde78 · 26th February 2022, 12:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DhaDha

So... The pinned hilt and scabbard are pretty unique by Dha standards. Could this be a Yao knife from Africa?

Well...you sent me down a rabbit hole! Reading thru threads on here, it seems the origin of the yao knives was never really agreed upon (despite museum designations). I see the similarities to my knife and yours is a good suggestion. However, some features that differ - the Yao knives seem to have a partial tang (my knife has a full tang and slab scales). Also, the 1/4 inch thick spine and meticulously forged blade isn't similar to anything I've ever seen come out of Africa, but I could be wrong.

I love finding items that bring a little mystery to the conversation!

Ian · 26th February 2022, 01:12 PM

Rob,

Several people here could have told you that this knife does not look much like a Yao knife. Yes, there are similarities, but not a whole lot. It's often better, however, and a good habit to get into, to check out suggestions with your own research. The information retention is much better that way, and you get to appreciate the subtleties of the items you are looking at. The conclusions that you reached from your research are correct IMHO.

Regards,

Ian.

11th February 2022, 04:15 PM	#1
Sajen Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Germany, Dortmund Posts: 9,164	After speaking with a very good friend of mine who is an expert on mainland Southeast Asian blades about the knife in question I would agree with Ian, the ferrule and handle pin is unusual too. And the given origin from Ian seems to be a very good one. The ivory handle could be from an English bread knife my friend assumed. He says also that it is a rare find! Regards, Detlef

15th February 2022, 02:44 AM	#2
shayde78 Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Posts: 445	Thank you all for the brilliant insights. I had never given many thoughts to blades from the Burmese region. I love when a new acquisition leads to discovering something new, and I truly appreciate the knowledge shared so generously. Thanks again! -Rob

15th February 2022, 04:47 AM	#3
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,361	Rob, You found a really nice knife for your first purchase from that area. Watch out--they can be addictive.

15th February 2022, 08:33 PM	#5
DhaDha Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 176	So... The pinned hilt and scabbard are pretty unique by Dha standards. Could this be a Yao knife from Africa?

26th February 2022, 01:12 PM	#7
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,361	Rob, Several people here could have told you that this knife does not look much like a Yao knife. Yes, there are similarities, but not a whole lot. It's often better, however, and a good habit to get into, to check out suggestions with your own research. The information retention is much better that way, and you get to appreciate the subtleties of the items you are looking at. The conclusions that you reached from your research are correct IMHO. Regards, Ian.