Pesh Kabz dagger dated 1872

[Cerjak]

Pesh Kabz dagger with long blade circa 36 cm dated 1872.
The blade show some signs of delamination
any comment on it will be welcome.

[estcrh]

Afghan? I say this as the hilt looks a bit crude for Indian standards.

[BANDOOK]

GREETINGS CERJAK,
VERY INTERESTING DAGGER,ITS SAYS NEEMUICH[ANGLASISED],WHICH IS ACTUALLY NEEMUCH OR NIMACH A TOWN IN THE MALWA REGION OF THE INDIAN STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH,CENTRAL INDIA
FORMERLY A LARGE BRITISH CANTONMENT OF GWALIOR PRINCELY STATE.
SO IT VERY MUCH A INDIAN DAGGER
REGARDS
RAJESH

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by BANDOOK

GREETINGS CERJAK,
VERY INTERESTING DAGGER,ITS SAYS NEEMUICH[ANGLASISED],WHICH IS ACTUALLY NEEMUCH OR NIMACH A TOWN IN THE MALWA REGION OF THE INDIAN STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH,CENTRAL INDIA
FORMERLY A LARGE BRITISH CANTONMENT OF GWALIOR PRINCELY STATE.
SO IT VERY MUCH A INDIAN DAGGER
REGARDS
RAJESH

An inscription can be put on at any time and place so it does not necessarily represent were it was actually produced. While it certainly could be Indian I usually see better workmanship on Indian daggers. Here is a similar hilt of an Indian karud dagger.

[ariel]

It must be wootz: the "crack" along the spine is the outcome of cutting the ingot, bending it upon itself to allow its bottom to become the exterior of the blade and hiding the "dirty" part of the ingot inside. Usually, such a crack was filled with soft metal wire.

Polish and etch it.

[Cerjak]

about the owner : He was in India( Bombay in 1865 ) and later at Kandahar

Henry Waghorn was born on 2 February 1838, and appointed Assistant Surgeon on 31 March 1865. He became Surgeon in May 1873, and Surgeon Major in May 1887. During the Afghan War of 1879-80, he was in charge of No. 1 Field Hospital at Kandahar from February to September 1880. He was present during the siege and was employed in treating the casualties brought in from Maiwand and Deh Khojah, and was in charge of a dressing station during the battle of Kandahar. He subsequently went to South Africa where he took part in the Boer War of 1881. Promoted to Surgeon Lieutenant-Colonel on 31 March 1885, he was placed on Half Pay in August 1891, and died at Newport, Monmouthshire, on 2 February 1893.

[ariel]

This man served in the hottest locations.
I do not think we can say with any degree of certainty whether this Pesh Kabz was made in India ( by whatever definition the Brits called it then) or in Afghanistan. A good chunk of Northwestern Frontier ( then India, currently Pakistan) is populated by Pushtuns. Assigning superior skills to " Indians" vs. "Afghanis" is hopeless: there were better and worse masters everywhere, independent of their ethnic origins.
I would just cautiously place it within the Northwestern Frontier and leave it there. But its authenticity and ownership are proven beyond any doubt.

Good find!

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by Cerjak

about the owner : He was in India( Bombay in 1865 ) and later at Kandahar

Henry Waghorn was born on 2 February 1838, and appointed Assistant Surgeon on 31 March 1865. He became Surgeon in May 1873, and Surgeon Major in May 1887. During the Afghan War of 1879-80, he was in charge of No. 1 Field Hospital at Kandahar from February to September 1880. He was present during the siege and was employed in treating the casualties brought in from Maiwand and Deh Khojah, and was in charge of a dressing station during the battle of Kandahar. He subsequently went to South Africa where he took part in the Boer War of 1881. Promoted to Surgeon Lieutenant-Colonel on 31 March 1885, he was placed on Half Pay in August 1891, and died at Newport, Monmouthshire, on 2 February 1893.

Good detective work!!!