All About Pocket Knives

Hello ... I recently posted a thread about a knife which was speculated to be Persian ... this thread I'm posting here is about a DIFFERENT knife that I thought was Persian as well lol. Not to get the two confused.

This one here:




I recently sold it. It originally came from the estate of a gentlemen who served in Persia before the Revolution. He had many such items from that area .... Isfahan brass and art, for example. I thought the peacock design on the knife was self-evident that it was Persian or at least Middle Eastern. But the gentleman who bought it, said he thinks it's Greek, or perhaps Bosnian or one of the Baltic countries. As a reference, he has the following knife, from this site:

http://www.valiantco.com/world.html




Now I'm assuming the knives he's referencing are newer, where as mine was much older ... perhaps early 1900's to 1960's, somewhere in there. But the handle bird design is almost a dead ringer. So is this typical of Bosnian knives ? Or is it a copy of an older style ?

Any input would be appreciated ... if I misidentified the origin of the knife, it was an honest mistake ... but I'd still like to know more definitively where this knife is indicative of : /

Thanks in advance to any input

Certain styles and motifs span numerous countries. Particular in that part of the world where 2000 years of constant warfare and conquering have moved so many people around and inflicted their cultures on others. The current Bosnians aren't above selling imported items like that either. I bought some there 12 years ago. Some they were actually making themselves.

Iron Hoarder wrote:Certain styles and motifs span numerous countries. Particular in that part of the world where 2000 years of constant warfare and conquering have moved so many people around and inflicted their cultures on others. The current Bosnians aren't above selling imported items like that either. I bought some there 12 years ago. Some they were actually making themselves.

I figured someone was borrowing or being influenced by the other ... hmm ... I'd still like to nail down the origin of my knife more definitively though, assuming it's peacock motif is the tell-tale, and assuming this "Bosnian knife" is the result of copying or being influenced by outside cultures.

Peacocks are native to India. They have been spread around the world for centuries by the wealthy. Particularly the Romans if I am not mistaken. I'm sure that they were in Bosnia with the Romans so anything is possible. It is not unheard of for such a popular creature to be incorporated into art work simultaneously by several cultures. Without an inscription of some other make the style and shape of that knife is just too common place for the general area to pin it down.

The knife and fork set was made in Lebanon. Here is a very similar handled knife with sheath.

Iron Hoarder wrote:Peacocks are native to India. They have been spread around the world for centuries by the wealthy. Particularly the Romans if I am not mistaken. I'm sure that they were in Bosnia with the Romans so anything is possible. It is not unheard of for such a popular creature to be incorporated into art work simultaneously by several cultures. Without an inscription of some other make the style and shape of that knife is just too common place for the general area to pin it down.

Hmm, good insight

Mason wrote:The knife and fork set was made in Lebanon. Here is a very similar handled knife with sheath.

Nice pic and reference ... the style of peacock on that handle is right on ^_^ I think this is getting more definitive lol Many thanks.

And of course it also ties into what Iron Hoarder was saying about possible Roman influence helping to spread themes (Lebanon for example).

Mason wrote:The knife and fork set was made in Lebanon. Here is a very similar handled knife with sheath.

Just to follow up on this, I just now followed the Lebanese origin direction, and found an interesting thread here:

http://www.myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=27308

Where they are called Jezzine, i.e. Jezzine, Lebanon, a town known for making cutlery and knives, etc. If you Google "Jezzine bird knife" it pops up everywhere

Awesome ! Thank you all for your help ! I think this nailed it down

twdroppoint wrote:Where they are called Jezzine, i.e. Jezzine, Lebanon, a town known for making cutlery and knives, etc. If you Google "Jezzine bird knife" it pops up everywhere

Yes, they are from Lebanon.

See this old thread where I have shown a folding pocket knife:

http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... 8&start=60

Miller Bro`s wrote:

twdroppoint wrote:Where they are called Jezzine, i.e. Jezzine, Lebanon, a town known for making cutlery and knives, etc. If you Google "Jezzine bird knife" it pops up everywhere

Yes, they are from Lebanon.

See this old thread where I have shown a folding pocket knife:

http://www.allaboutpocketknives.com/kni ... 8&start=60

Haha those little copper legs on that bird haha

I wonder at what point they started making the "bird knives" ? Do you know what the oldest known knife with that style is ?

Just acquired this Jezzerine bird knife. The seller thought it was mid 19th century. Fat chance. Can anyone identify or translate the makings on photo 3?

Maybe it's arabic. The shape of the knife it's balcanic.