French Naval Dirk Dagger

Price: $2,800.00 · Region: Europe · Type: Daggers

At a glance. France, c. 1840–1860. Iron mounts with wood-panelled grip; iron scabbard. Overall length 14 in.; blade 9.75 in. Naval officer's dirk with anchor-form quillons.

The dagger is mounted entirely in iron, with an iron scabbard that fits the blade closely. The grip is wood-panelled and iron-mounted; the quillons terminate as anchor ends, so the whole hilt reads as an anchor in the hand. Construction and design support a French naval-officer attribution in the mid-19th century (c. 1840–1860).

European navies of the period issued or expected dirks as part of an officer's dress. This example is a working study in that form: slender blade, full iron furniture, and explicitly maritime hilt iconography rather than a generic land-service dagger.

References.