Sword to Identify -- myArmoury.com

Luke Adams · Posted: Sun 01 Feb, 2015 11:00 am Post subject: Sword to Identify

Hello all,

Would any of you happen to know what this sword is and where in the world it might've came from? My knowledge is pretty limited to East Asian weaponry, so I really have no idea what it could be. It has an nice engraved sheathe and an "S"- shaped guard. My guess is that it's from somewhere in Central, South, or Southeast Asia, but I could be completely wrong.

Much thanks to those who help me solve this mystery! Happy

Pieter B. · Posted: Sun 01 Feb, 2015 11:29 am Post subject:

The wooden scabbard with floral pattern suggests Indonesia/Philippines but that it just a wild guess on my part. I'll monitor this thread because I want to know it now.

Peter Rieder · Posted: Sun 01 Feb, 2015 11:59 am Post subject:

It´s a Thai dhab or daab. i have seen countless of those on auction sites, they´re a common tourist item, probably not of high quality.

Timo Nieminen · Posted: Sun 01 Feb, 2015 2:07 pm Post subject:

As above, very tourist. AFAIK, this particular style only exists as tourist swords. There are traditionally-styled tourist dha/daarb, and modern-made tourist ones both of good quality and junky quality. I've not played with a blade from a fancy carved tourist one like this, but I wouldn't be surprised if the blade is unhardened.

For a range of old specimens, http://www.arscives.com/historysteel/continentalsea.swordlist.htm

Luke Adams · Posted: Sun 01 Feb, 2015 2:32 pm Post subject:

Ah, thanks guys. I suppose they're just Indo-Chinese swords styled after the Chinese dao then.

Would you happen to know if it's likely for the scabbards on the tourist versions of these knives to be made from wood indigenous to the area they were made? Also, from what you all said, I'm going to further assume that the blade is made from some sort of cheap pot-metal, but I guess I'm going to have to look at the blade to figure that out for sure.

Nat Lamb · Posted: Sun 01 Feb, 2015 5:19 pm Post subject:

I used to own a pair of these, so close in appearance I would think it was this same set, if I hadn't taken them apart for projects 8 years ago. If the construction is similar to the ones I owned, then they are purely decoration, the tang was so thin and short that just swinging it around slowly would cause the blade to detach from the hilt.

Timo Nieminen · Posted: Sun 01 Feb, 2015 5:24 pm Post subject:

The wood is probably local. I don't know what species they usually use.

The guard looks like aluminium (which is usual for the carved ones); the blades are usually steel, but might be mild steel, and whatever steel is used, is likely to be not heat-treated.

The name "dha" is related to the Chinese "dao", but the sword itself may owe more to Indian/Himalayan swords. It's an old design.

Christopher Gregg · Posted: Sun 01 Feb, 2015 5:40 pm Post subject:

I've had one of these for almost 40 years. It was my first sword, given to me by a police officer neighbor who had recently returned from a tour of duty in Vietnam. Aluminum guard, carved wood handle and scabbard, tempered steel blade with a bit of brass inlay, decently sharp and capable of cutting light targets. It's what got me into sword collecting, albeit this didn't really get started seriously until I discovered MRL around 1992.