Sino-Vietnamese dagger
This item has been sold.
Overall length

Sheathed 36 cm

Dagger 34.9 cm

Blade length

23.2 cm

Blade thickness

Base 9.5 mm

Middle 7.5 mm

5 cm from tip 4.2 mm

Blade width

Base 35 mm

Middle 32 mm

5 cm from tip 18 mm

Weight

402 grams

Point of balance

2 cm from guard

Materials

Iron, steel, brass, buffalo horn, plant fiber thread, pig leather

Origin

North Vietnam or Yunnan

Dating

Late 19th century

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Introduction

Several variations of fighting knives like this with pigskin scabbards were in use all over southern China. Some of the most famous types among collectors and martial artists are the húdiédāo (蝴蝶刀) that still remain in use in Southern martial arts.

Among antiques, we also frequently encounter a smaller type dagger, usually carried along in its scabbard although double variations of this knife are also known. Many of these knives turn up in France, some with provenance to French troops serving in Indochina in the late 19th century. Some were said to be taken from the Black Flags after battles like the Siege of Tuyên Quang in 1884-1885. The Black flags were mostly composed of people from the Zhuang ethnic minority.

 

This example

A rather nice example with a very thick and wide single-edged blade that suddenly tapers to a very sharp point in the last section of the blade. 

It has a small hexagonal guard with filed and drilled decoration of lines and circles, and two ferrules with ornamental facetted bands. The grip is made of polished water buffalo horn with longitudinal grooves for extra grip. The pommel has each facet decorated with engraved stripes and circles.

In many ways, this seems like a typical example of a Chinese fighting knife. But subtleties in its manufacturing point towards northern Vietnam instead. It is mainly in the profile of the blade that reminds strongly of Vietnamese and Khmer pole-arms. Also, the type of decoration done on guard and pommel is more typical for Yunnanese ethnic minorities and people of Vietnam than they are for Chinese work.

The blade was polished by Philip Tom, who also made an extra wooden resting scabbard for safe long-term storage. The polish shows a fine forge folded pattern and a prominent inserted high-carbon edge.

 

Sino-Vietnamese dagger scabbardSino-Vietnamese dagger polished blade

 

 

Heavy Sino-Vietnamese dagger
Heavy Sino-Vietnamese dagger
Heavy Sino-Vietnamese dagger
Heavy Sino-Vietnamese dagger
Heavy Sino-Vietnamese dagger
Heavy Sino-Vietnamese dagger
Heavy Sino-Vietnamese dagger
Heavy Sino-Vietnamese dagger
Heavy Sino-Vietnamese dagger
Heavy Sino-Vietnamese dagger

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