Ethnographic Arms & Armour
 

Go Back   Ethnographic Arms & Armour > Discussion Forums > Ethnographic Weapons

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 4th April 2014, 12:14 AM   #1
Montino Bourbon
Member
 
Montino Bourbon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Santa Barbara, California
Posts: 295
Default An apology and a request for information.

About a month ago I acquired a kard that I had been coveting for three years. I'm afraid that in my pride at having found something that I really liked I came across as knowing it all. The truth is, I don't. I know very little about this kard except that it's wootz, and I like it.

I need all of your expertise to find out more about it. Can you help me? Thank you. I also would like to know how far to go restoring it. The three inches toward the point has black spots that are not yet pitted.
Attached Images
  
Montino Bourbon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 4th April 2014, 12:33 AM   #2
Battara
EAAF Staff
 
Battara's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,135
Default

I wish I could help you, but I do love the wootz!

However, could those spots be taken out with more etching?
Battara is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 4th April 2014, 02:16 AM   #3
Rick
Vikingsword Staff
 
Rick's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,259
Default

I expect Philip Tom could probably polish and re-etch this piece .
He's a member here .
Rick is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 4th April 2014, 06:23 AM   #4
DaveS
Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 327
Default

Montino: The only way to really get rid of those spots is a polish and a re-etch. If the spots are only on the surface, it would a very easy polish......Dave.
DaveS is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 4th April 2014, 07:40 AM   #5
Montino Bourbon
Member
 
Montino Bourbon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Santa Barbara, California
Posts: 295
Default

Can anybody give me an estimate of age? Of origin? If anybody can tell me, it's the members of this forum; I've been coming here for years, and I have complete confidence in the combined wisdom of this place and its members.
Montino Bourbon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 4th April 2014, 07:51 AM   #6
Rich
Member
 
Rich's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: comfortably at home, USA
Posts: 432
Default

I had a kard very similar which I now am very sorry I sold. I estimated (guesstimated) it's age in the mid to late 19th C. Mine was also Wootz and
some type of ivory (mastodon?) handle slabs with gold inlay in the ferrule and around the metal blade handle back and sides.

Rich S
Rich is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 4th April 2014, 06:02 PM   #7
Montino Bourbon
Member
 
Montino Bourbon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Santa Barbara, California
Posts: 295
Default Thank you. Rich...

I'm still waiting to hear from Philip Tom. I've started to work lightly on the blade.
Montino Bourbon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 5th April 2014, 12:49 AM   #8
Battara
EAAF Staff
 
Battara's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,135
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich
I had a kard very similar which I now am very sorry I sold. I estimated (guesstimated) it's age in the mid to late 19th C. Mine was also Wootz and
some type of ivory (mastodon?) handle slabs with gold inlay in the ferrule and around the metal blade handle back and sides.

Rich S
I would agree that this is mid-late 19th century.
Battara is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 6th April 2014, 11:51 PM   #9
Montino Bourbon
Member
 
Montino Bourbon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Santa Barbara, California
Posts: 295
Default New Kard... etch #1

I worked on this quite a bit, strictly surface work; scrubbies, aluminum foil crumpled, #1500 paper. Not enough to get the spots near the point, but enough to get through the crud of centuries.

I then etched one side with phosphoric... slow etch, muddy result.

The other side I did with ferric chloride; worked fast and very well. A very nice fine wootz pattern with 'ladder' marks. Clear, no brownish cast. I'll do the other side with that after I finish cleaning up from the Phosphoric.
Attached Images
 
Montino Bourbon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 7th April 2014, 04:16 AM   #10
cicak_cobing
Member
 
cicak_cobing's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 20
Default

looks like the etch turned out good..
the wootz looks really beautiful..
cicak_cobing is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15th April 2014, 06:16 PM   #11
Ibrahiim al Balooshi
Member
 
Ibrahiim al Balooshi's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE
Posts: 4,408
Default

See page 37 (Daggers) Anthony North Islamic Arms, V. and A. Museum ... for a short but comprehensive outline of Islamic Daggers.
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.
Ibrahiim al Balooshi is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 09:42 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Posts are regarded as being copyrighted by their authors and the act of posting material is deemed to be a granting of an irrevocable nonexclusive license for display here.