Help identify knife-PLEASE

[seeyouthere]

Our blade doesn't look as if it has ever been sharpened, at least if so, not in a very long time.  Only the last three inches at the tip of the knife make it look like it is a double edged knife at all.  The rest is all only sharp to the top basically on one side.  Does this make it a dagger amd not a knife, or does it make it qualify as being called both, and would that qualify it as a khanjar dagger possibility?

[sapphire]

Seeyou, in that last link I posted I noticed another term.....mughal.  If you google images using that you will also see similar daggers. For example.......

[seeyouthere]

Wow, the shape of the blade on that Mughal looks very very similar in general.  It seems narrower and there are other differences but this is the first blade that has the correct shape to it that I have seen.  I am going to start looking into that one.

[waywardangler]

Texasbadger's reference includes a thread discussion of different types of peshkabz here http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=977
Your blade looks very similar to #12 and #32
        #32 Peshkabz, Indo-Afghan, Punjab or maybe Afghan.
        #12 Peshkabz, Indo-Afghan, Bhawalpur, Sind. See Egerton, plate XIV, #717.

I have pasted your knife image alongside the image of peshkabz from the vikingsword discussion.  Peshkabz blades have a T spine which yours appears to have.  Their use was to pierce mail during battle which may be why only the 3" tip is double edged.

[seeyouthere]

I tell you what...this is all so confusing to me.  Wayward, the peshkabz you show does also seem to be so similar to ours.  There seems to be so darned many possibilities as to what our knife might be.  We are not knife collectors by any means and that makes it even harder since we just plain do not have any knife knowledge background.  Heck, we are fishermen basically.  That is probably why we like your forum name so much (the angler thing).  But that is off the subject.  I going to check into the peshkabz thing now and see what I can find on that one.

[fancypants]

Nice little knife , seeyouthere .

I'm curious to know if the fuller (blood groove @ the 'back' of the blade) is on both sides of the blade ?

[seeyouthere]

Hi Fancy-yes there is the same groove on the other side of the blade.  So that is a fuller-a blood groove?

[fancypants]

Yup , seeyouthere .

The fuller is used on a variety of knives , esp with those that involve inflicting stabbing wounds .

Among other purposes , the fuller tends to allow the wielder to withdraw the knife from a deep stab , via letting air into the wound & the vaccum created by withdrawing the blade .

The pommel (derived from the Latin , "little apple") on your blade could have been used to whack somebody , and is designed to help balance your knife .... the other purpose of the pommel on your knife is to help prevent the slippage 'from the hand' , when slippery blood/body fluids accumulate on such a knife when in combat .

Sorry about the gory description .

[seeyouthere]

Fancy- Very interesting.  The gory details don't really bother me so don't worry.  Thanks for the info.
And thanks to Wanderer and everyone else for all the various pieces of info so far.  I am loving finding out any possibilities about this knife/dagger. 

[waywardangler]

That is the purpose of the "T" spine on your knife.  Makes the knife stiff and does not flex when piercing mail (armor).  If you sliced the blade and showed a cross section, it would resemble a "T".

[seeyouthere]

Sorry Wayward, I got your name wrong.  I meant to say thank you to you especially also.  And to Sapphire.

[waywardangler]

Sometimes I do wander, hence the moniker wayward. 

[KC]

I think there are several possibilities.  Perhaps the materials and a close up of the ornamentation of the handle will help narrow it down.  The S shape daggar is very appealing to many!

I do agree that it bears a great resemblance to even this Indian Khanjar whose origins were from the middle east.


At the same time....unless it is handled by a person in the know...beware.  There are so many expert knife makers out there....

Look at this currently made Merlin daggar

[seeyouthere]

KC-We are planning on taking a couple of close up shots this weekend.  Which areas of the knife/dagger would be most benificial for people to see?  And bear in mind that you would have to use laymans terms since we are not knife people.

[mariok54]

Hi Seeyouthere ... have you done n internet search of local Auction Houses that have a resident expert on either weaponry or Eastern/Indian artefacts? We haver maybe five auction houses within a 50 mile radius  but only a couple actually employ specialist valuers, and oly one has a specialist militaria valuer... but they all provide free pre auction valuations and could probably help with identifying most objects (within reason).

Good Luck with it!