A Very Big Khukuri? Pic.

[ruel]

I'm in the process of getting 'B,' which looks like a big K- with a Talwar hilt.

However, I don't think it really is a K- because it doesn't have the tell-tale notch at the base of the blade. Further, there are other stylistic features that argue for an East Indian origin.

What would you call this thing? I want to call it a Sosunpattah. While this term is normally used to describe a Talwar hilt + Yataghan blade, I think that it would be closer than calling it a K-.

 

[John Powell]

Ruel,
This is an example of an early knife made in India from the 1840s-1890s for the British 'tourist' trade. As you can see the khukuri shaped blade is crudely engraved, it is also very thin (about 1/8") and never sharpened. Any number and type of talwar handles were stuck on. These were meant purely as wallhangers only but are quite rare.

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JP

 

[ruel]

Thanks John! Yes, the blade definitely has 'display' written all over it. I've seen that engraved-circle design on a lot of talwar hilts, and I wonder if they were mass produced (or at least churned out in large numbers). I didn't realize that the tourist-weapon industry in India had such deep roots!