bladesmith...help me identify

[cloves]

My parents were digging around in random boxes of stuff you accumulate over the years and found a pair of..."daggers" for lack of a better term. They are in really rough shape and appear to have jade (or maybe just green resin?) and shell handles.
Do they look familiar to anybody? They look vaguely middle eastern to me.
I think we aquired them in a box lot at an auction about 20 years ago.

see pic below


forgot to mention, they are about 12 inches in length.

[Mr. MacDougall]

You might have better luck asking on Sword Forum.

[auld argonian]

Looks like you have yourself a dirk...you'll be slicing the haggis with that thing on Burn's Night?

Any hallmarks or markings on the blade?

Best

AA

[kiltimabar]

With that T-shaped blade back, it looks like a Khyber knife, from the Afghanistan/Persia area. Usually with a straight blade, the T-back was to reinforce the blade to pierce chain mail armor. A guy who really knows these things is Bernard Levine, a knife expert and appraiser. This is his site--he does charge for appraisals, but he will also give you a free preliminary opinion whether a knife is worth enough to justify the expense.


http://pweb.netcom.com/~brlevine/appr-k.htm

[pipesndrumsnun]

Whatever it is, it is pretty cool!

[cloves]

Whatever it is, it is pretty cool!

and I have two of them!

meh...like I said they are in really rough shape so I doubt they are even worth appraising. Thanks for the info everybody

[Yaish]

and I have two of them!

meh...like I said they are in really rough shape so I doubt they are even worth appraising. Thanks for the info everybody

Short of actual breakage on the blade, it's really hard to destroy the value of a knife. If the temper is still there, and the blade itself isn't bent or broken they can be brought back pretty well.

Any markings on the blades that might give some clues? Construction methods? Are those scales pinned on or is it some sort of adhesive? Full tang?

[cloves]

Short of actual breakage on the blade, it's really hard to destroy the value of a knife. If the temper is still there, and the blade itself isn't bent or broken they can be brought back pretty well.

Any markings on the blades that might give some clues? Construction methods? Are those scales pinned on or is it some sort of adhesive? Full tang?

not sure if it's full tang or not....i'm inclined to think not. the scales are all individual peices...can't tell how the shell bits are affixed, however, I can see tiny pins through the stone (resin?) parts.

[Archangel]

You've mentioned a couple of times that they look old. Don't do anything about it. Leave any restoration to experts.

You've potentially got something valuable there, or at least, real cool.

Be patient.

Respect.

[Weasel Mender]

Cloves,
AS a bladesmith among other things it is a Kard, probably from the late 1800s or early 1900s any "restoration" you do should be limited to GENTLY!!!! removing any surface rus with 0000 steel wool after the blade is drenched in MINERAL OIL not engine oil. All you want to do is protect the blade, this treatment will stop rust in its tracks, After that, ONLY IF NECESSARY just keep the blade lightly oiled, not swimming in oil, just wipe the blade with an oily rag and wipe with a clean one, also be sure to keep the sheath treated with a quality leather preservitive, I prefer, neetsfoot oil. When you store these blade or any other carbon steel blade store them together but sepratly, not blade in sheath, as the leather of the sheath can attract moisture inviting an attack from the enemy, RUST. OBTW you have a beautiful piece with a patina that only comes with age protect that patinaa and enjoy the blade

Weasel