P.S.
I'll tell you guys a story about these particular objects:Many moons ago i frequented one of the Russian forums,kinda an analog of this here BF.
At some point,after becoming particularly friendly with one of members there,in talking with him over e-mail and other more private means i discovered that the whole time he was communicating from a medium-security prison colony,where he was serving out the last few years of a 14-year sentence for banditry...(he claimed that no one was seriously maimed in the fiasco that put him behind bars).
Our relationship centered on his being an expert craftsman,specializing in etching and precious metals electroplating.
He was so good at what he did that it was a part of the reason why he served every bit of his long sentence-the prison officials had him make those exact Things as pictured in the OP,which they sold and traded to higher brass,to be given away as gifts and bribes,the presentation dirks for the`Navy(and i'm not sure who all else in their armed services uses that crap as part of dress uniform).
They gave him only a very small part of the money they made from selling his work,but they allowed him the use of a prison forge(a pretty gnarly place,he sent me photos of it and of equipment he used).Also he could use all kinds of chemicals and reactants,and even precious metals.
Also they closed their eyes on his use of a smart-phone,illegal there technically(he had a steady supply of stolen i-pnones,mostly traded for meth that he also made quite skillfully.Ho could get almost anything from outside the prison,yet another perk,i've actually sent him stuff twice,i think-some steel and satanite,and received a package from him also)
So he was their slave,for realz.
Anyway,that dirk in the OP is Exactly something that my buddy Alexey would make.To a "T".All the hodge-podge of elements,with that "fouled anchor" front¢er lest you get confused and mistake it for something else
Mecha's advice about visiting some museums would be quite lost on him-he was following the tradition established long before(as it's also be lost on all the Russian military brass,the end-users of this...loveliness).
Alexey would make about 20-25 of these a year,depending on complexity et c.
So,just an illustration to Russia in general,and what's "legit" there,and to the whole genre.
True story.
(Alexey has been out now a few years,staying out of trouble(or so he tells me).Was very disappointed at my refusing to search out and send him some ethedrine,but got over it and forgave me,cheerful soul!
).
