Odd hunt whip?

[little_critter]

My father in law fancies himself as an antiques dealer (read he does car boot sales!) and he bought a hunting whip because he liked the look if it. When he got it home he found a slim stilletto type blade that unscrewed out of the handle.
Any ideas what this is?

 

[dorsethunter]

I am not Sure. But is he still interested in selling it?

 

[Alec Swan]

Perhaps it would be a whip carried by a Huntsman, or some other field staff, to administer the coup de grace to a fallen stag.

Are there any inscriptions, anywhere? Is it silver mounted, and are the hall marks English? Is it a full sized whip, and could you post a pic?

Alec.

 

[Isbister]

This sounds interesting. The coup de grace theory sounds plausible, although other possibilities tantalise the imagination.

 

[Countryman]

Could have been used in the past by the huntsman to take trophies from the carcass of the quarry, taking a fox's brush and pads for instance?

On a more mundane level, I suppose it could be an archaic equivalent of the modern day baler twine and pen knife carried by a Gate-Shutter.