SCOTTISH REGIMENTAL PIPER'S DIRK BY ROBERT MOLE & SONS 1879

This wonderful piper's dirk is a Mark II variation of the Scottish Regimental dirks. It was made in 1879 by Robert Mole & Sons in Birmingham, and so stamped on either side of the blade, which also features the Army deletion from service mark and is twice struck with the Birmingham view marks. The mark is very important, because Mole only used it between years 1875 and 1880. Being that the Mark II dirk was patterned in 1879, it means that this piece is from the very first batch of dirks ordered!!! With some elbow grease an interested collector will be able to find out which particular regiment this dirk was issued to, with a bit of luck, of course.
Hilt is made of boxwood and ebony, and topped with an iron pommel cap, crowned at the top. Blade is just shy of 12", or about 30.5 cm. Beautifully etched in thistle motifs on both sides, blade is also etched on the reverse with now faint maker's cartouche

ROBERT MOLE & SONS
MAKER
BIRMINGHAM

As proverbial as it may sound, if only this dirk could talk! Mark II dirks were not maker-marked with regimental numbers and/or regalia, and were to be transferred from one regiment to another, if the need arose. Consequently they saw some hard use [with heavy losses] , from Sudan to Transvaal to India onto the battlefields of The Great War.