Fine 19C, India Wootz Kard Knife

The word “Kard” is originally the Persian word for a knife. In the collectors vocabulary it is referred to large knife, with heavy blade, intend mainly for thrusting. Such thrusting knives were common in all the area from the Balkan in the west to Indo-China in the east, from the early 18 C. and on, and so is the use of the word “Kard”

From India, 19C comes this Kard knife, with tapering single-edged blade of finely watered (Wootz) steel, decorated with gold on the bolsters and around the tang including a Indian inscription in Devangri that says: Maharaj Raje Rana Shree Jalam Singh Ji Bahadur . Carved ivory grip-scales with good age color (small chip) retained by four rivets.

Blade length 10 inches long. Ttotal length 14 inches. Very good