Piper's, NCO or Sergent Major's dirk to the 79th Regiment, The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders.
 
Very rare and unique dirk. Brightly etched against a dull grey ground along one side thistles, the regimental bade Queens Own Cameron Highlanders with 79, Sphinx superscribed Egypt cypher and maker's name Henry/Wilkinson/Pall Mall/London.
 
The other side of the blade etched with with 16 battle honours: Egmont-op-zee, Egypt, Fuentes d'Onor, Salamanca, Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nive, Toulouse, Peninsula, Waterloo, Alma, Sevastapol, Lucknow, Egypt 1882, Tel-ek-Bebir, Nile 1884-85.
 
Wood baluster grip carved with basketweave set with studs and with crossed swords and bonnet at the back. Mounts embossed and chased with thistles, in original wood-lined black patent leather scabbard with mounts embossed and chased with thistles and lilies, the top mount knife locket with '79'. The battle honours on this dirk end with that of Nile 1884-85. The next regimental battle honour is Atbara which took place in 1889 - hence the estimated date of the dirk, making this a dirk of the original (1st) battalion as the 2nd battalion was raised in 1897.