Help me identify this sword

[efreedma]

I picked this up at a knife show in a giveaway. There are no markings on it anywhere. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[horseclover]

Looks like a late 18th/early 19th century naval dirk replica made in India. Cold Steel used to (or may still) sell a similar item. Probably not too badly made but plastic grips for even the pricier imitations have kind of spoilt a lot of interest. Period cushion/pillow pommel swords and dirks had a little more contour to the fittings.

Cheers

GC

http://www.weaponedgeindia.com/product.php?Category_Id=3&a10a13e4406093aa73898feba7e15fe4

http://www.universalswords.com/daggers#prettyPhoto


note: there are at least two shops in India producing similar wares

 

[efreedma]

Wow! Thank you for the info! I figured it was a replica. Figures those sites do not have prices. I will probably just use it in the yard lol.

 

[Triton]

Wow! Thank you for the info! I figured it was a replica. Figures those sites do not have prices. I will probably just use it in the yard lol.

I wouldn't. Cheap construction can lead to significant accidents. Hang it on a wall someplace.

 

[horseclover]

What is amusing to me is that the bottom and top pictures are of the same dirk Rotated then flipped. Anyway, a family that broke up after the senior clansman died.

Aside from the grips, the construction is easily revealed if unscrewing the threaded nut.

One might be surprised in how slight the builds were for swords and dirks of this type. The tangs quite slender and the ivory, horn and bone grips not much stronger than wood.
http://www.gundersonmilitaria.com/sworddirklonggood.jpg

I would say it is more that an improper use of an item that can be hazardous than the light build itself. A little bit of common sense can go a long way.

Cheers

GC

http://dealerscorner.coldsteel.com/Products/88ND/

 

[efreedma]

I took it apart and the construction is shoddy at best. I did see what I thought to say cold steel on the tang of the blade, but it was worn so I cannot be sure. It's going in the gun safe.

 

[horseclover]

I am curious if it is buffalo horn for the grip and if it had a second nut under the pommel. Any pictures?

You can see in the following pictures how narrow a lot of tangs were and also how a backstrap was often incorporated on slashing type swords.

I am quite sure this dirk would handle duties meant for a dirk.

Cheers

GC

 

[efreedma]

It did have a second nut under the handle, what does that mean? I will get some closeups of the handle material for you.

 

[horseclover]

I am curious about the grip material because previous Cold Steel ad copy listed it as horn. As to the internal nut, it was mentioned in old threads discussing the Cold Steel item. The additional nut also found on some other modern made items such as the following cutlass that had a peen but as well as a nut holding the grip (also completely unmarked).

There were some period British sabres that had nuts covered by the backstrap and pommel, that also pins through the grip and tang.

Cheers

GC

 

[efreedma]

So if it has that nut then it is a real cold steel dirk?

 

[horseclover]

It does appear to have been from the same sources supplying Cold Steel.

Cheers

GC

 

[efreedma]

Well that's good news then! The grain on the handle material does not appear to be wood. I think you might be right that it is some sort of bone. I will see if I can get some pictures of the grain.