Dagger for ID ... and comments

[fernando]

Half way to a stiletto, may i say ...
Acquired in Portugal, traced as from a mannor house. A friar once lived there; could he have brought from distant places ?
... Or is it actually Portuguese ?
The blade with an atypical cross section; flat in the 'bottom' face, plain in one half ridged face and concave on the other half.
The sccabard, i am not sure if it was born for it.
Total length 28 cms. Weight 375 grams.
Whay do you guys make of this piece ?
Thnks in advance.

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[kronckew]

Cool stylette, look a bit italian/mediterranean, bit rough corrosion, may hide markings. the brass wrap on the base of the blade is interesting. It's interesting what gets found in old attics. (see my other post of today I am posting in a few minutes.)

[Richard G]

I wouldn't be surprised if it was Western Saharan or close. it doesn,t seem that far from one of those Tuareg, Mauratanian, Senegalese daggers.
Regards
Richard

[fernando]

Thank you for your comments, guys.
Richard, i can see your point; some details ... yes but, some other ... i wonder.
Let us copy this thread to the Etnho forum, to see what the members there would have to say.

[ariel]

I cannot find anything to implicate N.African Islamic tradition here. The triangular blade is perhaps the strongest argument in favor of a European one. A Misericord, perhaps, or just a stiletto?

[fernando]

Thank you Ariel.
So i made the correct start, first posting it the Euro forum.

[Kubur]

Yes
European and it's the other round for African daggers. Cabo Verde and Senegalese knives have been influenced by Spanish and Portuguese knives...

Question: your dagger looks quiete old, is it something from 17th or 18th c.?

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Kubur

... Question: your dagger looks quiete old, is it something from 17th or 18th c.?

Who can tell ... 18th the oldest ... maybe.
Given yours and Ariel's opinions here and also the conviction of the person i got if from, i will have it defined as European and will merge both threads over there.

[M ELEY]

I always have to toss in the possibility of Spanish colonial. The 'swollen' grips and ball quillon points like yours often seen on colonial Southwestern items ranging down into central Mexico (New Spain).
The grip also reminds me of those Canary Island dirks as well...

[fernando]

Originally Posted by M ELEY

I always have to toss in the possibility of Spanish colonial. The 'swollen' grips and ball quillon points like yours often seen on colonial Southwestern items ranging down into central Mexico (New Spain).
The grip also reminds me of those Canary Island dirks as well...

Thank you Mark. I wouldn't toss it towards the same direction, though. The grip work seems to be one of European Continental fashion, like in a knife of mine; and certainly not one like those Canary cuchillos.


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