I picked up a couple of the Atlanta cutlery dagger blades just because I like the forms and they're cheap ($15 and $17). Thinking about how to finish them, I'm looking mainly at antebellum U.S. weapons (say, 1830-1860). I don't find any examples exactly like these in that period, though. In fact, I don't find these forms anywhere I look in history! I've checked the likely sources--Fleyderman's Bowie book, Peterson, Swords & Blades of the Rev., Capwell, IMAREAL, the myArmoury albums, Hermann Historica, etc. I'm just not seeing what would seem to be a very practical design/construction. This one is the closest I see in early forms, but I have no idea what it is-- http://www.myArmoury.com/albums/photo/2472.html.
So I keep coming back to the antebellum U.S.--black wood or natural bone scales, steel pins, etc. That's fine, as that was my original plan. Still...

Do any of you spot anything else remotely historical in these forms? If so, please let me know so I can consider all of my options. Thanks!

---

 Attachment: 99.05 KB



 Attachment: 69.27 KB

Sean,
With some modification it could become a nice variant of the Shakespear / Shakespeare Knife:

http://www.swordforum.com/forums/showthread.p...hakespeare

http://www.swordforum.com/forums/showthread.p...hakespeare

http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry..../index.htm

http://wilkinsonfscollection.com/wilkinsonfsc...nives.html

All the best,
Jonathan

Hi.

In my opinion, the shape of the blade, immediately reminded me a caucasian kindjal dagger.

Regards.

The best resemblance is the caucasian kindjal or turkish/balkan handjar.

José-Manuel and Romulus expressed an idea that was rattling around in my head but not coming out. The longer of the two daggers (~12" overall) could be beautiful with some subtle Kindjal design notes--maybe large decorative pins. I don't want to copy Eric M., but he recently made a beautifully austere Kindjal that caught my eye. http://www.albion-swords.com/inhouse/ericm.htm
I might just apply similar techniques to an antebellum dagger design.

Something dudgeon-ish could work, though of course these are not full tang:

---

 Attachment: 9.35 KB

Shouldn't be that hard to file or grind down the tang to fit inside a solid or two piece hilt if going for an earlier period weapon.

I've looked at those blades myself, they are a bit short but could work for a degen or a "mock" basilard (you'd have to fake the "H" shaped cross and pommel, which are integral to the blade on originals). I know those are a bit of a leap away from the Antebellum concept, but those are what come to mind when I look at them.

-Eric

I got a few of those blades about 7 years ago and made this little fellow... Those blades are smaller than they look. for reference, those tiles are 12 inches x 12 inches.

---

 Attachment: 196.79 KB
[ Download ]

top blade with some hard core mods could be a baselard

Tod

Thanks, folks! Looks like 19th c. is confirmed as my best bet.

Got a couple of historically-inspired original designs (the in-progress guard is a different project, of course):

---

 Attachment: 216.52 KB