Help for identifying a dagger

vasilisnik · 10th April 2015, 06:04 PM

Hi this is my first post so I'm sorry if I do something wrong. I have a dagger in my collection and I need your help to identify its origin. thank you

ariel · 11th April 2015, 01:11 PM

Hi Vasilisnik, and welcome!

What you have is a dagger from the Ottoman Empire.
It belongs to the vast group of the so-called yataghan-bichaks, and the variability of their forms was limited only by the ethnic origin and fantasy of the master.
I would date it late 19th to early 20th century and attribute it somewhere to the Balkans, Greece included. Others may lean toward Anatolia proper, but in the absense of any inscriptions the exact age/origin is murky.

It is a nice one, in a very good shape and is definitely of a "collectable" quality.
Be good!

vasilisnik · 14th April 2015, 08:46 PM

Thank you ariel. It seems like a bichaq indeed. What makes it different which confused me is that the spine is really thick and has a triangular shape. Nothing to do with the T-shape blades of the cretan knives. Furthermore the handle is made of wood instead of horn or bone that is commonly used and has an odd decoration that have never seen before (see the last picture)
The blade has no markings, or floral design or date etc something unusual bor balkan knives. The patterns on the spine are unusual too. That is the reason I am a little cautious about its origin because there are a number of significant differences between this dagger and the balkan daggers as I know them.

10th April 2015, 06:04 PM	#1
vasilisnik Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 13	Help for identifying a dagger Hi this is my first post so I'm sorry if I do something wrong. I have a dagger in my collection and I need your help to identify its origin. thank you Attached Images

11th April 2015, 01:11 PM	#2
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Hi Vasilisnik, and welcome! What you have is a dagger from the Ottoman Empire. It belongs to the vast group of the so-called yataghan-bichaks, and the variability of their forms was limited only by the ethnic origin and fantasy of the master. I would date it late 19th to early 20th century and attribute it somewhere to the Balkans, Greece included. Others may lean toward Anatolia proper, but in the absense of any inscriptions the exact age/origin is murky. It is a nice one, in a very good shape and is definitely of a "collectable" quality. Be good!

14th April 2015, 08:46 PM	#3
vasilisnik Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 13	Thank you ariel. It seems like a bichaq indeed. What makes it different which confused me is that the spine is really thick and has a triangular shape. Nothing to do with the T-shape blades of the cretan knives. Furthermore the handle is made of wood instead of horn or bone that is commonly used and has an odd decoration that have never seen before (see the last picture) The blade has no markings, or floral design or date etc something unusual bor balkan knives. The patterns on the spine are unusual too. That is the reason I am a little cautious about its origin because there are a number of significant differences between this dagger and the balkan daggers as I know them.