Oh deer...

Oh, this piece is SO tacky I'm hesitant to even post it. This ugly thing is an American (who else?) sheath knife in the tradition of Daniel Boone meets Open Season. While otherwise perfectly normal and well proportioned, the handle of this monstrosity is a deer's hoof. With fur.


Words fail me. It what frigging universe is a knife handle made of deer hoof and fur practical, let alone appealing? I include this here because it was a gift from an old friend, who inherited this...specimen...from her now-deceased father and who thought my collection would be a fitting repository for this...thing.

I'm flattered.

On the other hand, a three-legged deer-foot lamp is probably already available at a flea market near you. If you find it, drop me a line and we can begin the process of reassembly...

It's Fish Knife Friday #2!

Not much to tell after this post - just note all the stylistic subtleties...

THIS is an example...

Of one of the best cutting tools ever invented. Fulfilling the roles of knife, sword, and axe, the khukri (or kukri, or khukuri) of Nepal is one amazing tool/weapon. I won't bore you with the details right now - you can follow the link for all sorts of hard-to-pronounce-and-spell (for my American brain) terms. Note the two small accessory knifes in the sheath. One is sharpened and is used for utility purposes and the other is not. The unsharpened blade is used to burnish/sharpen the blade. The bit of string on the sheath is my addition for hanging in the armory...

These are carried by the famous Gurkha regiments. Read up on the history of these dudes, 'cause they definitely command respect.

The knives themselves are made by certain castes in Nepali society - an artifact of Hindu religeous practices.

I used to have a vintage WWII model khukri, but it was stolen back in college. Why I had such a knife at college is subject to some debate. The model pictured here is new Nepali standard issue, and the blade is stamped Nepal 2005 (year of manufacture). I carry this one camping and hiking sometimes - it beats a machete in the close thick stuff and it can do double duty as a light axe. I wouldn't want to fell a 22" oak with it, but it'll handily tackle a 4" limb or sapling.

I have a fancier Himalayan Imports chitlangi khukri, which I will discuss at a later date. It's of recent make, but I consider it a treasure...

I'm grappling with a problem...

This is another one that's not necessarily a weapon, although I challenge you to get hit in the chops with this without complaining a bit afterward...

This old grappling hook was given to me by by friend...well, let's call him "Mac" since that's the name he uses. Anyway, the uses for a grappling hook should be obvious to all but the most sheltered of landlubbers. This one is a hand forged one, as evidenced by the tool marks. I'm not sure how old it is or where it came from, although I've seen a number of similar hooks in antique stores on Maryland's Eastern Shore (of the Chesapeake Bay). There may be some region-specific use that I'm not aware of...

Anyway, whether antique or just provincial, no self-respecting pirate should be without a grapnel in order to board a prize!

Out of Africa...

This is a knife/dagger from Northern Africa - likely Libya or Chad. It is probably the product of the Tebu (or Toubou...spellings vary) people, or a very closely related tribe.

Instead of being worn on a belt, the leather band would wrap around a man's upper arm, thereby concealing the weapon under robes. It's not clear to me if the pointed but unsharpened iron pommel has any function, but they appear on every example of this kind if knife I've seen. The scabbard is leather (probably cowhide) and snakeskin (cobra? I dunno). This piece features a rather crudely made blade (but nevertheless strong and sharp), but outstanding workmanship on the scabbard.

I'd love to learn more about these if anyone has seen them in use.

Here's an old relic...

Much like this old blogger, this piece has seen better days. It's most likely an Allen & Thurber center hammer pistol in .30 caliber, although any factory markings have long since rusted off. It's probably the little brother of "Double Trouble", and appears in my 7th edition Flayderman directly above the double barreled variant. Like it's brother, it was made in limited quantities in various barrel lengths (a few thousand).

The reason it's so decrepit is simple - this is a dug relic. The reason the wood's intact is that is was dug up in a barn in Maryland. This kept the piece dry enough to preserve the wood grips AND the functionality of the mainspring, but small pieces (e.g. sear, trigger guard, trigger return spring, etc.) and fine details (barrel stampings) have been lost.

By the way, here's a safety tip. Old muzzleloading firearms, even dug relics, have the potential to be dangerous. An old charge and ball may remain in the barrel and be viable hundreds of years on. If you ever find, buy, or inherit an old muzzleloader, do the following before doing anything else:

First, with the muzzle pointed away from you or anything/one you value, use a wooden stick or dowel at least as long as the barrel and that fits loosely into the barrel to probe the barrel's depth.

Second, note how deep the penetration is my marking the stick at the muzzle.

Third, remove the stick and lay it alongside the barrel (it's still pointed away, right?) so that the mark you made lines up with the muzzle. If the end of the stick that you inserted reaches beyond the touch hole, you are probably safe from remnant charge. If, on the other hand, your stick cannot reach beyond the touchhole, STOP! Something's in the barrel. You're best and safest bet is to take the piece to a competent gunsmith, treating the thing the whole while as if it was loaded, cocked, and primed. Accidents of this sort are rare, but they have happened.

D.O.S.R.

Yeah...I don't know what it means either.

But it's etched on the blade of this sword...


Actually, it says "D,O,S,R". With commas.

I still don't know what that means.

Some guesses:
"Daughters of the Spanish Revolution"
"Doing Our Sacred Rites"
"Delaware Oughta Sell Rehoboth"
"Dolphins, Otters, Sharks, and Rays"

whatever...

Of course, many others could be thought of. This is probably a lodge sword, used by a fraternal organization to denote rank or merit.

The handle is bone, not plastic. You can tell by sticking a hot needle on it - plastic melts, bone doesn't. By the way, horn smells like hair when you do this...

The pommel is a knight or maybe a legionnaire (Roman).

If anyone knows a D.O.S.R., please let me know...