Hello -

I got this knife from my grandfather's estate. I have no info about this knife, but it is an outstanding example of a true master knife-maker's art. The silver is real silver, and the dog carved in the handle has real gold. The steel is very high quality, and the blade and blood gutter are also engraved, but on the right side only. The heft and balance of the knife are excellent, and the handle fits my hand perfectly. Have you ever had a knife that felt like a natural part of your hand, with a fit and balance so good that it made you want to conduct an orchestra with it? This is one of those kind of knives.

The scabbard has a Middle Eastern style to it, (curved tip w/ ball end) but the knife fits the scabbard like one of those Fiskars fillet knives from Scandinavia. The grip is also of the same Scandinavian style. I was told by someone who seemed to know what they were talking about that the steel of the blade is very high quality. The handle seems to be made of horn, and the red stripes in the handle are a translucent material that you can see through if you hold it up to a light. The scabbard is leather, hand stitched and hand tooled. My guess is that this knife is between 100 and 200 years old. The engraving on the blade and blood gutter is faint, but looks kind of like Thai or Indonesian script.

Or Indian.

My grandpa was a Captain in the USN in WWII, traveled extensively in the Middle East, and went on buying trips with the curator of the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts. So this knife could be from anywhere.

Searching Google Images for "antique knife middle east", I came across this "Indian/Kurdish" blade that has a lot in common with mine. Same design, same red and white stripes on the handle.  

http://www.etsy.com/listing/78419778/signed-antique-knife-with-shea...

My guess is India. Any guesses from other members, educated or otherwise, will be appreciated!