Posted 11 years ago
Gamagina
(2 items)
I tried to post before but have not been successful, trying again. It belonged to my father, is nieillo but tarnished, should I polish it? Has cyrillic letters on blade and scabbard, plus 84, I know this is Russian for sterling. 9" long, blade is not sharp,
Welcome to CW!
A gentle cleaning with a silver cloth will do the job.
You can post up to 4 pics by clicking the "edit item" button.
Clearest pics of the writing and hallmarks will help :-)
Hello here we are again! Nice to see you back in good order now I believe.
Yes there is a lot of resemblance in yours and mine. On this link:
http://atkinson-swords.com/collection-by-region/caucasus-and-russia/niello-kindjal-russia.html there is almost the same as yours. I'm almost sure this kind of little daggers are used a symbol for a groom. I find a lot on Google:
https://www.google.nl/search?hl=nl&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1393&bih=641&q=russian+Silver+NIello+tiny+dagger&oq=russian+Silver+NIello+tiny+dagger&gs_l=img.12...0.0.1.93806.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0....0...1ac..64.img..13.22.1231.fXigYNsmi-Y
Yes and indeed as kyratango advises I would clean it too with a soft silver cloth. Then it is also possible to make photos from the marks (perhaps through a loupe).
It could be a letter opener cleaning is a personal choice some like to others don't I do sometimes depends on the condition. If it has gone black then I will give it a light clean so I can tell the pattern on the item
This is a "kindjal" which is the Russian word for knife. It is less than half the size of the actual Cossack weapon so it may be a ceremonial or decorative item. It could be quite valuable. It should be evaluated by an edged weapons expert.
Uncle Ron,thank you for your information. I was able to research it a bit and had an idea that it was not an actual knife, but a ceremonial piece, especially because it has a medallion and chain with which to hold the knife. I have seen old photos of Cossaks wearing similar pieces. the knife itself has come apart from the handle. it appears to be a sort of putty inside the handle. I know enough not to play around with something like this unless I consult an expert, any ideas?