MINT**LARGE & SUBSTANTIAL** Victorian British Officer’s Private Purchase North West Frontier Kard Fighting Knife With Tropical Hardwood Scales & Leather Covered Wood Scabbard With Retaining Strap. Sn 20771 Knives

**MINT**LARGE & SUBSTANTIAL** Victorian British Officer’s Private Purchase North West Frontier Kard Fighting Knife With Tropical Hardwood Scales & Leather Covered Wood Scabbard With Retaining Strap. Sn 20771 - 20771

A Kard (Persian: knife) is considered a type of knife found in the Persianate societies like Persia, Turkey, Armenia and all the way to India. Mostly used in the 18th century and before, they typically have a straight single edged blade and are long knives with no guard and usually the handle was bone, ivory, horn or tropical hardwood. It was mostly a stabbing weapon, and commonly the point would be reinforced to penetrate chain mail. A major characteristic of a kard is that the hilt is only partially covered by the scabbard. Campaign fighting knives were popular private purchase fighting / hunting knives for British Officer’s fighting against Afghan tribes on the North West Frontier. This is an original period Kard quality made during campaign in India no doubt commissioned by a British officer. Our Kard is a substantial weapon in near mint condition. It has finely chequered undamaged, original chequered tropical hardwood scales secured by steel pins. It has steel hilt bolsters tapered to provide a small finger guard and typically is without cross guard. The pommel has a lug, winged by the grip scales. The lug fastens to a retaining strap with eyelet on the scabbard and keeps the knife securely in the scabbard. The heavy 10 ¾” single edged steel blade is clean and sharp and tapers to a sharp point. The heavy blade is 8mm thick at the hilt, gradually tapering to 1mm thick at the tip. The blade is 1 ½” broad at the hilt and tapers to 1mm width at the tip. The Kard is a large 16 ¼” overall length. There are no maker marks on the Kard. The knife is complete with original brown leather covered wood open top scabbard. The throat has a small leather belt hanger loop and has the aforementioned leather retaining strap with eyelet which fastens correctly to the Kard’s pommel lug. The scabbard has a small copper chape. The price for this impressive Kard includes UK delivery. Sn 20771

£375.00