Wootz Dagger, Persian?

[William Fox]

Originally Posted by motan

Hi William,
I am not an expert like Ariel and Kubur, so I can only join in with what is already said. Quality Persian Khanjar blade, re-mounted in the Kurdish style. The hilt material is horn, probably not water buffalo horn like most Kurdish daggers, but could be cow, goat or sheep-hard to say. There is no reason to think that the hilt is modern in any way. It is also hard to say whether the sheath is as old as the blade or as the hilt, but it is of good quality.
Some collectors may look down on such pieces because they are not in their original condition, but I think it has its charm, because it shows how these quality blades were valued and reused, something that is very common in swords, but less so with daggers.

Thanks Motan. So true.
I have a Japanese sword with a 15th century blade in WW2 mounts. British officers remounted Persian wootz shamshir blades in 19th regulation century cavalry hilts. Quality and prestigious blades were hilted throughout history.

I'm fascinated by the different patterns of wootz steel created in Persia. Can anyone recommend the best books on the subject that would help me identify the different styles of Persian steel?