t1mpani
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2002
- Messages
- 5,515
Once again, I come to the mountain, begging the kind help of the gurus. The owner of this dagger is curious about anything that might be able to be told about it (no signature anywhere that I could find so I warned him that there might be very little info), he doesn't care about selling it so the value, if any, is not of importance. I think the guard is upside down, but I've photographed it as-received. However, and this is the kicker, I've sort of been roped into trying to create an "original-ish" handle for it, as what's currently on there looks TO ME like somebody's best 15 minute attempt, because it looks like it'd be too fat once wrapped with rayskin, compared to the examples I've found pictures of. I've looked around quite a bit, and am having trouble determining how these rayskin-and-wire handles were built. Does anyone have a picture of an original handle that does not have its wrapping on it? Looking at examples online, they look like maybe there is some sort of soft batting underneath the rayskin so that the handle puffs out in between the wire wrapping, but perhaps that's just what the leather looks like when it's wrapped with wire, or perhaps the wood itself had some sort of spiral groove running down it which the wire nestled into? Was the skin glued to the wood as well as wrapped? I actually have some appropriate-looking wire for wrapping saber handles, and can get white rayskin, and may be able to craft a good-enough second half of the brass mekugi (though making the pommel is going to be exciting), but anyway, as this is ALL very out of my comfort zone, I was looking for all the help I could get. Again, specifically, if anyone has some shots of a disassembled (but still has its original parts) dagger, that would be fantastic.
Important point--again, there is no intent for this to be sold, so even if my work WERE good enough to be passed off as original, it would not be for the purposes of tricking some prospective buyer. The owner has a modest collection of WW2 militaria and is just hoping to make this blade he inherited look a little more complete. My thanks, as always, for the time and generosity of knowledge.
Important point--again, there is no intent for this to be sold, so even if my work WERE good enough to be passed off as original, it would not be for the purposes of tricking some prospective buyer. The owner has a modest collection of WW2 militaria and is just hoping to make this blade he inherited look a little more complete. My thanks, as always, for the time and generosity of knowledge.
