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Just got this yesterday at the flea...... stacked-leather handle..... small brass (possibly bronze) spheres as guards, and brass (or bronze) pommel. (The disc separating the handle from the pommel appears to be leather also.)
OAL = exactly 12 inches. No markings at all. Unfortunately no sheath either. Double edge dagger blade.
Showed it to several people, and although nobody has
a clue, speculation was all over the place. India. Africa. Spain. Egypt. Philippines.
Google Lens couldn't find any sort of match.
In my admittedly limited experience, I haven’t seen the stacked-leather handle outside of North America and western Europe. In an arid climate like Egypt, the leather would dessicate; in a tropical climate, it would rot.
Also, the precise length of one foot hints at America
or UK origin. But those "ball guards" seem very strange.
I would greatly appreciate informed insights into this unusual piece! Thanks guys!
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Strange ball-guard dagger
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button_man
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Strange ball-guard dagger
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button_man
- Posts: 1205
- Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2019 2:08 pm
Re: Strange ball-guard dagger
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This is the closest match I could find for those guards.
Not exactly the same, but fairly close. The age seems reasonably close also. Late 1800s to World War I.
Possibly World War II but that seems a stretch.
Interesting that this is presented as a (possible) combat weapon, because my knife almost certainly is.
It's not constructed like an industrial knife intended for a slaughterhouse. The knife was made for killing people.
Still long on conjecture and short on hard facts.....
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This is the closest match I could find for those guards.
Not exactly the same, but fairly close. The age seems reasonably close also. Late 1800s to World War I.
Possibly World War II but that seems a stretch.
Interesting that this is presented as a (possible) combat weapon, because my knife almost certainly is.
It's not constructed like an industrial knife intended for a slaughterhouse. The knife was made for killing people.
Still long on conjecture and short on hard facts.....
.
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Re: Strange ball-guard dagger
I'll take North African Taureg Daggers for $500.00 Alex.
Nothing fancy, but a poor man's weapon. It shares some of the design elements of Taureg daggers.
Try an image search.
Nothing fancy, but a poor man's weapon. It shares some of the design elements of Taureg daggers.
Try an image search.
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button_man
- Posts: 1205
- Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2019 2:08 pm
Re: Strange ball-guard dagger
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I looked at a lot of those Taureg type daggers -- although
I occasionally saw a dagger that maybe had one element that's similar to my knife, I didn't find any that shared multiple elements. A few had wood handles wrapped in leather; but I didn't see any with stacked leather washers like mine.
Thanks for the suggestion.... but I feel that the jury is
still out on this one.....
.
I looked at a lot of those Taureg type daggers -- although
I occasionally saw a dagger that maybe had one element that's similar to my knife, I didn't find any that shared multiple elements. A few had wood handles wrapped in leather; but I didn't see any with stacked leather washers like mine.
Thanks for the suggestion.... but I feel that the jury is
still out on this one.....
.