Jade hilted khyber knife

Marius66 · 18th September 2024, 12:26 AM

Thank you for your messages !

Yes it is fine wootz , that's what said the auctionhouse,
Said too it was not common to have a high quality blade and hilt on a ''fighting'' or ''military'' model .
Maybe made for an high rank army member...
I will post pictures when I'll receive it.

Marius66 · 27th September 2024, 11:53 AM

I finallyreceived it,
I'm going to clean it soon and see what's going on with the blade.

Interesting on the scabbard the first 7 holes with fake rubies or some kind of resin. Have any of you ever seen something like this ?

Another thing I wanted to highlight was the small size of this Khyber, 48 cm long. Could it not be a large Indian kard which would then have been mounted with an Afghan military type scabbard at the end of the 19th century?

Marius66 · 27th September 2024, 11:56 AM

A kard like this one ?

Tim Simmons · 27th September 2024, 04:37 PM

I don't think these grips are of true jade. More likely what is known as Jade Onyx.

Marius66 · 27th September 2024, 07:03 PM

The one I get oh yes,
nephritic jade, certified by the gemologist of the auction house i personnally know since a decade.

I already cleaned it and polished the blade,
Just need to receive etchant to finish the job...

Marius66 · 30th September 2024, 07:12 PM

Here some results using ferric chloride,
few time...

Not the best
but we can see on both side an
homogeneous fine grain structure.
I hope to get some Nital but there are problems with
customs 😬🙃..

Battara · 2nd October 2024, 09:06 PM

Looks like a type of crystalline wootz to me.

Similar to Turkish or India crystalline wootz.

Interested Party · 4th October 2024, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marius66

The one I get oh yes,
nephritic jade, certified by the gemologist of the auction house i personnally know since a decade.

To me the pictures look like nephrite handles. Nice polish on this pretty knife. What grit did you take it to?

Marius66 · 4th October 2024, 10:56 PM

Thank you all for your replies !

It is not made of jadeite jade ( the number one )
But yes good nephritic jade ( certiified as I wrote )

I found this ottoman dagger '' kard'' with a similar jade handle ,
Interesting wootz blade who links with the comment of Battara about Indian or Turkish crystalline wootz .( still thank you )

For the grit, I started with 400 ( they where a lot of scratches /stains , then 600, 800, 1000, 1200 and 1500,
the finest grain I have.
Then etching , ( and sure baking soda neutralisation ! ) results I think would have been better with Nital but I finished my small bottle time ago and can get it again easily 😑

27th September 2024, 11:53 AM	#2
Marius66 Member Join Date: Jun 2019 Posts: 103	I finallyreceived it, I'm going to clean it soon and see what's going on with the blade. Interesting on the scabbard the first 7 holes with fake rubies or some kind of resin. Have any of you ever seen something like this ? Another thing I wanted to highlight was the small size of this Khyber, 48 cm long. Could it not be a large Indian kard which would then have been mounted with an Afghan military type scabbard at the end of the 19th century? Attached Images

27th September 2024, 11:56 AM	#3
Marius66 Member Join Date: Jun 2019 Posts: 103	A kard like this one ? Attached Images

27th September 2024, 07:03 PM	#5
Marius66 Member Join Date: Jun 2019 Posts: 103	The one I get oh yes, nephritic jade, certified by the gemologist of the auction house i personnally know since a decade. I already cleaned it and polished the blade, Just need to receive etchant to finish the job... Attached Images

30th September 2024, 07:12 PM	#6
Marius66 Member Join Date: Jun 2019 Posts: 103	Here some results using ferric chloride, few time... Not the best but we can see on both side an homogeneous fine grain structure. I hope to get some Nital but there are problems with customs 😬🙃.. Attached Images

4th October 2024, 10:56 PM	#9
Marius66 Member Join Date: Jun 2019 Posts: 103	Thank you all for your replies ! It is not made of jadeite jade ( the number one ) But yes good nephritic jade ( certiified as I wrote ) I found this ottoman dagger '' kard'' with a similar jade handle , Interesting wootz blade who links with the comment of Battara about Indian or Turkish crystalline wootz .( still thank you ) For the grit, I started with 400 ( they where a lot of scratches /stains , then 600, 800, 1000, 1200 and 1500, the finest grain I have. Then etching , ( and sure baking soda neutralisation ! ) results I think would have been better with Nital but I finished my small bottle time ago and can get it again easily 😑 Attached Images

18th September 2024, 12:26 AM	#1
Marius66 Member Join Date: Jun 2019 Posts: 103	Thank you for your messages ! Yes it is fine wootz , that's what said the auctionhouse, Said too it was not common to have a high quality blade and hilt on a ''fighting'' or ''military'' model . Maybe made for an high rank army member... I will post pictures when I'll receive it.

27th September 2024, 04:37 PM	#4
Tim Simmons Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: What is still UK Posts: 5,807	I don't think these grips are of true jade. More likely what is known as Jade Onyx.

2nd October 2024, 09:06 PM	#7
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,225	Looks like a type of crystalline wootz to me. Similar to Turkish or India crystalline wootz.