MOD Pipers' dirk v Indian-made dirk

[OC Richard]

Many of the made-in-India dirks bear little resemblance to their Scottish originals, but the made-in-India replicas of the standard MOD Pipers' dirk are fairly close.

I recently got, on Ebay, a 1986 MOD Pipers' dirk and here it is alongside an Indian one.

Both have carved wood handles, steel blades, chrome fitments, and leather-covered wooden sheaths.

I don't know who made the MOD dirk. I don't know how to interpret the markings. If any of you can help it would be appreciated!

Here you can see the more elegant, more traditional, shape of the handle on the MOD dirk (at bottom)



closeup of the handles



the backside of the handles. You can see INDIA marked on one blade, the curious military etched markings on the other



Here are the MOD markings: the usual Broad Arrow, some mysterious numbers, 1986 (presumably the year), and the letter H in a diamond.



Each dirk has a crown at the top. Curiously, the MOD dirk, presumably made in 1986, has the pre-1953 "Kings" crown (at left)



I don't know if it shows clearly, but the MOD scabbard (at bottom) has a flat face, the Indian dirk a curved face.