Small Knife For ID

Robert · 18th December 2008, 10:31 PM

Here is a small knife that I've had for a year or two that I've never been able to identify.The hilt is horn and the V shaped blade is still sharp enough to shave with.

Any help in identifying where this knife is from and its possible age would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for any and all help on this. Robert

Total length is 8-1/2"
Blade length is 5-3/4"
Blade at widest is 5/8"
Blade at thickest is 7/32"

Battara · 19th December 2008, 04:37 PM

Could it be for betel nut?

VANDOO · 19th December 2008, 07:03 PM

ALL I CAN DO IS OFFER CONJECTURE ON THIS ONE. I WOULD SUSPECT A INDONESIAN OR MALAYSIAN ORIGIN. THE BLADE DOES HAVE A FORM SIMULAR TO THE PHILIPPINE TALIBION BUT DUE TO ITS SIZE AND AS IT IS V SHAPED BLADE AND NOT FLAT ON ONE SIDE THAT CAUSES ME TO ELIMINATE IT AS OF PHILIPPINE ORIGINS. THE HANDLE DOSEN'T LOOK PHILIPPINE TO ME EITHER. DUE TO ITS SIZE BLADE SHAPE AND SHARPNESS IT IS PROBABLY A SMALL KNIFE USED FOR VARIOUS CHORES. CARVEING ,GROOMING AND PERHAPS EVEN TO CUT UP FOOD OR BEETLE NUT COMES TO MIND, SOMETIMES REFERED TO IN THE WEST AS A UTILITY KNIFE.
OFTEN SUCH A KNIFE WILL HAVE BEEN SHARPENED FREQUENTLY AND AS THE STEEL USED IS OFTEN SOFTER TO TAKE A SHARPER EDGE EASILY IT SHOULD SHOW SOME WEAR TO THE BLADE. THE HANDLE SHOULD ALSO SHOW QUITE A NICE POLISH OR WEAR AS THIS TYPE OF KNIFE WOULD HAVE ALWAYS BEEN CARRIED AND USED OFTEN. GOOD LUCK ON PINNING IT DOWN FURTHER

Robert · 20th December 2008, 06:59 AM

Jose and Vandoo,
Thank you both for your help in trying to identify this knife and its use. One thing I would like to say though is that the blade on this is just the opposite of soft. In fact the entire blade is made of extremely hard steel. The horn hilt does show a high polish and wear from being handled quite often. If you hold this like you would a straight razor with your thumb placed in the curved part of the blade (lower edge right in front of the grip) you can actually shave with it. Could it have possibly been used for this or maybe for cutting hair?

Thank you both again.

Robert

Henk · 21st December 2008, 08:55 AM

I think it is a Rawit, Sumatra, Batak. According to Van Zonneveld your knife is answering the description. It is found in many blade shapes and also the hilt has many variations.

Lew · 21st December 2008, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Henk

I think it is a Rawit, Sumatra, Batak. According to Van Zonneveld your knife is answering the description. It is found in many blade shapes and also the hilt has many variations.

Could be a rawit here is a similar small knife and the other photo has a larger version of a rawit with the tiger stripe wood hilt left side third from the top.

Lew

Nagawarrior · 21st December 2008, 01:38 PM

Here is a picture of a similar knife and a link to an archived discussion.

http://www.vikingsword.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/002254.html

VVV · 21st December 2008, 04:01 PM

A rawit is a very good guess of Henk.
The only thing confusing is that a resembling knife was posted here 2 years ago but in a non-rawit scabbard.

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=3685

Michael

Robert · 22nd December 2008, 08:00 PM

Again let me thank you all for your help identifying this knife. The last example in the link posted by Michael is by far the closest in blade and hilt shape to the one that I posted. The only real difference that I can see between the last example and mine is that it as well as the other one shown by Nagawarrior both have a ferrel or other metal adornments on the hilt where my example has none.

Robert

Lew · 22nd December 2008, 09:28 PM

Rob

Here is another form of rawit.

Lew

18th December 2008, 10:31 PM	#1
Robert EAAF Staff Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Centerville, Kansas Posts: 2,196	Small Knife For ID Here is a small knife that I've had for a year or two that I've never been able to identify.The hilt is horn and the V shaped blade is still sharp enough to shave with. Any help in identifying where this knife is from and its possible age would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for any and all help on this. Robert Total length is 8-1/2" Blade length is 5-3/4" Blade at widest is 5/8" Blade at thickest is 7/32" Attached Images

22nd December 2008, 09:28 PM	#10
Lew (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: East Coast USA Posts: 3,191	Rob Here is another form of rawit. Lew Attached Images

19th December 2008, 04:37 PM	#2
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,219	Could it be for betel nut?

19th December 2008, 07:03 PM	#3
VANDOO (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: OKLAHOMA, USA Posts: 3,138	ALL I CAN DO IS OFFER CONJECTURE ON THIS ONE. I WOULD SUSPECT A INDONESIAN OR MALAYSIAN ORIGIN. THE BLADE DOES HAVE A FORM SIMULAR TO THE PHILIPPINE TALIBION BUT DUE TO ITS SIZE AND AS IT IS V SHAPED BLADE AND NOT FLAT ON ONE SIDE THAT CAUSES ME TO ELIMINATE IT AS OF PHILIPPINE ORIGINS. THE HANDLE DOSEN'T LOOK PHILIPPINE TO ME EITHER. DUE TO ITS SIZE BLADE SHAPE AND SHARPNESS IT IS PROBABLY A SMALL KNIFE USED FOR VARIOUS CHORES. CARVEING ,GROOMING AND PERHAPS EVEN TO CUT UP FOOD OR BEETLE NUT COMES TO MIND, SOMETIMES REFERED TO IN THE WEST AS A UTILITY KNIFE. OFTEN SUCH A KNIFE WILL HAVE BEEN SHARPENED FREQUENTLY AND AS THE STEEL USED IS OFTEN SOFTER TO TAKE A SHARPER EDGE EASILY IT SHOULD SHOW SOME WEAR TO THE BLADE. THE HANDLE SHOULD ALSO SHOW QUITE A NICE POLISH OR WEAR AS THIS TYPE OF KNIFE WOULD HAVE ALWAYS BEEN CARRIED AND USED OFTEN. GOOD LUCK ON PINNING IT DOWN FURTHER

20th December 2008, 06:59 AM	#4
Robert EAAF Staff Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Centerville, Kansas Posts: 2,196	Jose and Vandoo, Thank you both for your help in trying to identify this knife and its use. One thing I would like to say though is that the blade on this is just the opposite of soft. In fact the entire blade is made of extremely hard steel. The horn hilt does show a high polish and wear from being handled quite often. If you hold this like you would a straight razor with your thumb placed in the curved part of the blade (lower edge right in front of the grip) you can actually shave with it. Could it have possibly been used for this or maybe for cutting hair? Thank you both again. Robert

21st December 2008, 08:55 AM	#5
Henk Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 1,209	I think it is a Rawit, Sumatra, Batak. According to Van Zonneveld your knife is answering the description. It is found in many blade shapes and also the hilt has many variations.

21st December 2008, 01:38 PM	#7
Nagawarrior Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Inland Empire, Southern California USA Posts: 160	Here is a picture of a similar knife and a link to an archived discussion. http://www.vikingsword.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/002254.html

21st December 2008, 04:01 PM	#8
VVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Sweden Posts: 1,637	A rawit is a very good guess of Henk. The only thing confusing is that a resembling knife was posted here 2 years ago but in a non-rawit scabbard. http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=3685 Michael

22nd December 2008, 08:00 PM	#9
Robert EAAF Staff Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Centerville, Kansas Posts: 2,196	Again let me thank you all for your help identifying this knife. The last example in the link posted by Michael is by far the closest in blade and hilt shape to the one that I posted. The only real difference that I can see between the last example and mine is that it as well as the other one shown by Nagawarrior both have a ferrel or other metal adornments on the hilt where my example has none. Robert