strange dagger

thinreadline · 21st September 2021, 05:09 PM

Not sure if this should be in this section or the European ... please move if required.
This is a well made dagger but what on earth does the handle have that 'hook' for ? Hopefully one of our members will have seen this before ?

kronckew · 22nd September 2021, 05:57 AM

Looks like a repurposed decorative finial from a racing sulky horse harness. In ancient Roman times they called it 'chariot racing' & the driver carried a small knife to cut the reins in case of accident, I wonder if modern harness racers do too...

The 'hook' is to hold the check (or bearing) rein that serves to hold the horse's head up.

thinreadline · 22nd September 2021, 08:03 AM

Wow ... looks like you have hit the nail on the head ! That clearly is what it is . Thank you so much , this has been puzzling me for ages so cant thank you enough kronckew .

kronckew · 22nd September 2021, 09:03 AM

You are welcome!

-wayne

Ian · 22nd September 2021, 09:47 PM

Great ID Wayne!

Jim McDougall · 23rd September 2021, 02:25 AM

Wow! Wayne, how the heck did ya catch this one.....the scope of your very eclectic knowledge is amazing! nicely done!

kronckew · 23rd September 2021, 07:34 AM

Thanks for y'alls kind words.

After I left the USCG, I was employed by a design & construction firm & worked for one of the VPs who'd hired me. We took the same train to work every morning and back i the evening, so he let me follow his hours, which got us to work 15 minutes late, and we had to leave 15 minutes early in the evening. A hidden perk. Anyway, talking one trip I asked him why he'd hired me. I was interviewed along with a dozen or so recently laid off aviation co. degreed engineers. I have a degree in Marine Engineering, more close to their needs at the time for chemical plant construction, but he said it wasn't the degree as much as that I knew where to look things up.

p.s.- was kidding about the 'reins knife' bit. They don't need them any more as they don't tie the reins to themselves like they did in Roman times.
People in the UK here actually still use similar decorated harness and horse drawn vehicles. There are 'How to harness your pony' videos on a popular internet video site that starts with you and ends with tube that show the 'bearing reins' and harness hook - in a more modern style.

ausjulius · 23rd September 2021, 08:40 AM

damn though you really did spot that! woudl have never picked that up .

kronckew · 23rd September 2021, 09:25 AM

I confess I had a neighbour friend who happened to have a horse harness from his younger years and had suggested horse brasses when he noticed the post I was trying to google. That led me to more specific harnesses & hook devices. Knowing where to look when you have a hint makes it easier.�� I do have a fairly broad range of interests and strange things hidden in the cob-webby nooks and crannies of my brain cells, ie. 'eclectic'. I do not seem to have an 'erase' button, tho they do slowly fade away from up front, to long term storage way in the back behind the old boxes of junk.

21st September 2021, 05:09 PM	#1
thinreadline Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Wirral Posts: 1,204	strange dagger Not sure if this should be in this section or the European ... please move if required. This is a well made dagger but what on earth does the handle have that 'hook' for ? Hopefully one of our members will have seen this before ? Attached Images

22nd September 2021, 05:57 AM	#2
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,150	Looks like a repurposed decorative finial from a racing sulky horse harness. In ancient Roman times they called it 'chariot racing' & the driver carried a small knife to cut the reins in case of accident, I wonder if modern harness racers do too... The 'hook' is to hold the check (or bearing) rein that serves to hold the horse's head up. Attached Images Last edited by kronckew; 22nd September 2021 at 06:30 AM.

23rd September 2021, 07:34 AM	#7
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,150	Thanks for y'alls kind words. After I left the USCG, I was employed by a design & construction firm & worked for one of the VPs who'd hired me. We took the same train to work every morning and back i the evening, so he let me follow his hours, which got us to work 15 minutes late, and we had to leave 15 minutes early in the evening. A hidden perk. Anyway, talking one trip I asked him why he'd hired me. I was interviewed along with a dozen or so recently laid off aviation co. degreed engineers. I have a degree in Marine Engineering, more close to their needs at the time for chemical plant construction, but he said it wasn't the degree as much as that I knew where to look things up. p.s.- was kidding about the 'reins knife' bit. They don't need them any more as they don't tie the reins to themselves like they did in Roman times. People in the UK here actually still use similar decorated harness and horse drawn vehicles. There are 'How to harness your pony' videos on a popular internet video site that starts with you and ends with tube that show the 'bearing reins' and harness hook - in a more modern style. Last edited by kronckew; 23rd September 2021 at 08:02 AM.

22nd September 2021, 08:03 AM	#3
thinreadline Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Wirral Posts: 1,204	Wow ... looks like you have hit the nail on the head ! That clearly is what it is . Thank you so much , this has been puzzling me for ages so cant thank you enough kronckew .

22nd September 2021, 09:03 AM	#4
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,150	You are welcome! -wayne

22nd September 2021, 09:47 PM	#5
Ian Vikingsword Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: The Aussie Bush Posts: 4,023	Great ID Wayne!

23rd September 2021, 02:25 AM	#6
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,738	Wow! Wayne, how the heck did ya catch this one.....the scope of your very eclectic knowledge is amazing! nicely done!

23rd September 2021, 08:40 AM	#8
ausjulius Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: musorian territory Posts: 415	damn though you really did spot that! woudl have never picked that up .

23rd September 2021, 09:25 AM	#9
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,150	I confess I had a neighbour friend who happened to have a horse harness from his younger years and had suggested horse brasses when he noticed the post I was trying to google. That led me to more specific harnesses & hook devices. Knowing where to look when you have a hint makes it easier.�� I do have a fairly broad range of interests and strange things hidden in the cob-webby nooks and crannies of my brain cells, ie. 'eclectic'. I do not seem to have an 'erase' button, tho they do slowly fade away from up front, to long term storage way in the back behind the old boxes of junk.