Found this metal detecting. What is it?

[jwc1971]

Does anyone know anything about this old knife?

[Steve Warden]

First, welcome!
Cool find. Any markings on the blade? Overall length?

[Gunsil]

Knife is an inexpensive knife from Thailand. Note it says THAI right on the bolster. Many of these have brass blades and it looks like this one may too. They are basically "fruit" knives as the brass blades were made for cutting fruit, a cheap alternative to the sterling silver blades on European fruit knives. Knife is probably no older than the 1960s and they still make identical ones.

[jerryd6818]

Blade doesn't look like brass to me.

[1967redrider]

to AAPK! Hopefully someone will see this that has some insights into your knife. Nothing wrong with finding a knife in my book.

[ea42]

Gene (Gunsil) is absolutely right in his post above. It's an inexpensive Thai knife. Here are a couple on Ebay right now:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/291890315172

https://www.ebay.com/itm/VINTAGE-THAI-F ... 2590080105

There are a few more. Despite some of the ridiculous asking prices they generally go for between $10 and $25 in really good shape.

Eric

[Gunsil]

jwc1971, I'm and old detector user, what kind of machine do you have? Are you on T-Net? Handle looks somewhat familiar. Sorry your Thai knife isn't a valuable find but most like finding knives, I'd rather find a walking liberty half, just my druthers. Guess I've just dug more rusted out old knives than I have half dollars. That knife must have sounded really good in your headphones!!

Jerry, the whole knife and blade are brass, it just doesn't look brassy because it sat in or on the ground long enough to darken the brass but not long enough for the brass to get a green patina.

Red, metal detecting is some fun stuff if you like history. Folks lose pocket knives like crazy, I must have dug up over a hundred in fifty years of detecting. Sadly all the good antique ones with carbon steel blades just become a rusty mass. Any word on the Shenandoah show?

Thanks Eric. I found one at a flea market 25 or so years back and bought it for five buck, just thought it was "different" two years ago I was at a different flea market and a guy had at least a dozen of them for three dollars each. Knives were brand new looking both times.

[jwc1971]

Thanks guys. I am using the Nokta Makro Simplex and it sounded very good. I was excited to find it. It was covered in mud but I could tell it was different than any other knife I had seen. It was about 7 or 8 inches down. It may not be worth much, but it will still be in my collection 30 years from now. Here are a couple of better pictures and a close up of the only writing on the whole knife.

[jerryd6818]

Jerry, the whole knife and blade are brass, it just doesn't look brassy because it sat in or on the ground long enough to darken the brass but not long enough for the brass to get a green patina.

Since I've never seen one other than that picture, I'll take your word for it.

[1967redrider]

Red, metal detecting is some fun stuff if you like history. Folks lose pocket knives like crazy, I must have dug up over a hundred in fifty years of detecting. Sadly all the good antique ones with carbon steel blades just become a rusty mass. Any word on the Shenandoah show?

Just this.

[Gunsil]

Thanks Red, that really stinks!! I was hoping they would postpone it until June again. Guess I have to wait another year, my two tables were paid for last year. I have heard that some of the club officers have been suffering some severe health problems. I wish them all the best and fast recoveries.

[Reverand]

Are the handles wood, or stag? It looks like stag in the picture, but you normally don't see that on cheap knives. Anyway it does look cool!