Beautiful 19th Century “Hybrid” Indo Persian Pesh-Kabz (Chura) Dagger with Ornately Engraved Blade and D Knuckle Guard

Here on offer is what I believe is a 19th Century “Hybrid” Indo Persian Pesh-Kabz (Chura) dagger with an ornately engraved blade and unusual D knuckle guard.

My understanding is that in Afghanistan in the late 19th and early 20 century a variety of “hybrid” daggers were made. They imported blades from neighbouring countries mounted them with typical local handles and scabbards.

This looks to be a hybrid dagger composed of an Indian Pesh Kabz blade and grip fitted with a typical Afghan D guard. It seems to be very unusual to find this style of dagger with a D guard?

The traditional Pesh-Kabz dagger, that is also known as the Chura, is used by the Mahsud clan of the Pashtun Khyber tribe, from Afghanistan.

These daggers were used as an armour piercing punch dagger. Upon striking a coat of mail, this reinforced tip spreads the chain link apart, enabling the rest of the blade to penetrate the armour. However, the wide hollow-ground blade also possesses considerable slicing performance and as such may also be used effectively with slashing or cutting strokes. Its ability to be used as either a cutting or thrusting weapon means it has been classed as a fighting dagger.

The grip on this example is made up of a central plated brass spine fitted with a beautiful polished serpentine, false Jade, hooked plated pommel and ferrell collar. The centre section is made up of sections of alternating Mother of Pearl and Onyx, contained within thin brass patterned lines set with a red “coral’ type material.

The dagger has a 9.25 “plated steel recurved blade that is etched on both sides with an ornate random “plant/leaf” pattern. On one side there is also some script in possibly a Persian dialect that I can’t translate? If anybody can read it, please let me know what it says?

The blade seems to have a silver plating to the finish which has now dulled with age and there is some loss mainly towards the tip. There are also a couple of light rust pitting marks along the spine.

It has a long fuller to both sides and it retains good cutting edge, that is now slightly blunt.

It has a thick spine bearing a "T" cross-section for strength and rigidity and as it features a recurved blade, it suggests its Persian in origin.

The dagger is broad at the hilt, but tapers progressively and radically to a needle-like tip.

There is no sheath with this example.

Some history of the Pesh-Kabz dagger.

The Pesh-Kabz originated in Safavid Persia and is believed to have been created sometime in the 17th century to overcome the mail armour worn by mounted and foot soldiers of the day. It soon spread to neighbouring Afghanistan and Central Asia before eventually being introduced to the Indian subcontinent by the Mughals. After armour ceased to be worn by modern armies, the Pesh-Kabz retained its utility as a close combat knife, and many Pashtun tribesmen, particularly the Mahsud, Afridi and Shinwari clans, continued to use the design, along with the Chura and Kard.

The blade measures 9.25” (23.5cm) and the knife itself is 13.25” (33.6cm) long.

It weighs 190g.

Please see my pictures for the details of the condition, which complement this description.

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Code: 52038