Newbie needs help

[LGL1963]

Hello everyone. I dug this up near Fort Richardson Jacksboro Texas and have no clue what u have! Hope I can get pics up and solve the mystery it's driving me nuts! I can tell you overall I think it's a home made dagger, shank, shive? Or something like that. Overall it's 11 1/2 inches long. The point is steel and loops into handle and the steel comes to a sharp point and is 8 1/4 inches long. The handle I will say is solid brass heavy! It's 3 1/4 length 4 sides and circumference is 3 1/4 inches. Has a lot of engraving I can't make out except a deep inlay of the number 2. The colors are warm buttery and that 2 inlay seems to be silver gold colors like jewels shining. The back of the handle cones down 4 sides to a blunt point and I can tell the brass was heated and cast around the steel shaft as it melted & cooled. It's soft metal like lead or gold and seems like its brass but dipped into something to give it a plating, or coating however so far it has passed all the test at home showing it has gold context but I can tell its not solid it's harder the deeper I go.
It's a really cool piece and I am intrigued deeply to know more ASAP.

I will post all info I can next post
A picture is worth a thousand words you know.


Thanks for all replies and questions.

LGL

[Fulmaduro]

Sounds cool. Do you find it with a metal detector? Can you post some pics?

Tony Z

[LGL1963]

Hi,
Yes it's cool. I'm finding out bits & pieces. So far best guess is an old solder iron for farrier, horse shoeing. This one however someone converted it into a dagger or just a keepsake. The engraving was by hand & someone else says there is a type of gold overlay that is soft and can fool you it's so much like real gold.
Of course nothing is for sure yet. I know a jeweler who can help me in person & we will see.
I actually bought some property and was just cleaning up and seen a shiny speck about 1/2 dime size exposed, dug it up and the mystery begins!

Lol.
Thanks, I will update later.
Lonny

Let me know if u can't view the pics !

Found it ! It's for sure an old soldering iron used by farriers. The one on the far left in this pic is what I found, although mine has been modified and has some differences, no doubt this is what it was originally .

http://m1321.photobucket.com/albumvi...l?o=0&newest=1

[LGL1963]

Hey Tony!
Actually I bought some property near Fort Richardson and I was just cleaning up the back area and seen a very small shine I couldn't pick it up but I dug it up slowly and actually tossed it aside into a metal pile. Later I decided to wash it off and the coating of clay like glue then bench grinder wire brush and hey I found a nice piece of brass to sell. Then later I seen markings, engraving, so I cleaned gently and I know metals well and my gold test passed each one and has my heart racing but info was none.
Today I know what it was originally. But this one has been changed, and taken pride in the engraving, it's just cool. It was a old soldering iron used by farriers. Found pics all over the web now that I had a name for it. This pic shows it perfectly on the far left.

http://m1321.photobucket.com/albumvi...l?o=0&newest=1

I'm having metal tested soon and I'm still in hopes it has been gold plated and if not it will be a nice mantle piece of many discussions to come. Lol

Thanks Lonny