A Scarce Scottish Highland Dirk dating to the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion Period with the date 1741 on the blade.

To enquire about this item
please click here

Price: £8,000

Ref: 52082116

Item Description

An attractive and well proportioned Highland Scottish Dirk dating to the period of the 1745 Jacobite Rebellion. The blade is typically fashioned from a cut down sword blade and the grip is of hardwood. The dirk is of elegant proportions and in fine condition. The date “1741” is impressed onto the blade on both sides.

The hard wood grip, probably of bog oak, has a baluster shaped middle section, an inverted cone shaped pommel and raised haunches at the base. It has a rich, dark coloured patina and is deeply and skillfully carved in the early Gaelic Scottish Highland form of dirk decoration, consisting of two bands of intertwined reeded ropework in the middle, panels of the same at the haunches and a band of similar form carved onto the underside of the pommel. The main intersections are marked with small raised knops.

The mounts are of beaten brass consisting of a crescent shaped haunch mount which protects the underside of the grip into which the shoulders of the blade sit. The sides of the haunches are protected by brass strips of different widths corresponding to their alignment with either the cutting edge of the blade or the thicker back edge.  The flat pommel cap is decorated with concentric rings and the threaded tang of the blade is secured with a decorative cruciform shaped nut on top from which the tang terminal  protrudes for a short distance in the usual manner.

The sturdy tapering pointed blade has been fashioned from a German, Solingen made, back sword blade, of a type which was fashionable in the early 18th century. It has a pronounced fuller running from the hilt underneath the back edge on each side for just over half of its length after which it is double edged. The date “1741”followed by an incised Solingen running wolf mark on both sides.

The blade is 13.75 inches (35 cm) long and overall the dirk is 18.25 inches (46.5 cm).