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

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.

15th February 2022, 08:33 PM	#1
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	#3
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,360	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.