With all the attention on graining, I thought I would bring this string back to the top and insert a photo of a correct Holler blade with a tapered tang. I also brought forward my quote from earlier in the string.
quote:
The second problem I see is the blade. It has a tapered tang. Early Holler Armies with tapered tangs are some of the best that will ever be encountered, and they all seem to have one constant characteristic. The graining in the center segment runs vertically down the blade. I cannot overstate their quality. Holler continued with this vertical center graining characteristic for a while even after the tapered tangs went away. They are truly beautiful. The graining on this dagger is crude and runs across the blade - completely wrong for a Holler of this period. Also, the blade segments look too rounded. Wrong Wrong Wrong.
Graining is another tool we can use to spot a fake. Correct Holler with tapered tang follows:
