elfina
17th June 2012, 10:42 PM
Hi Everybody,
Does anyone have any idea of the possible age and use of this shamshir from my collection? It is 40 inches in length, with a blade of 34 inches (both measured in straight lines) and the width of the blade both at the hilt and the midpoint is 1 and 5/8 inches. The blade appears to be watered steel. The weight is massive; unfortunately, I don't have a scale to tell you how much it is exactly; but it seems like it would be impossible to "fence" with, compared to some much lighter, less massive shamshirs that I own. If used for fighting I would assume it would have to be used in conjunction with some kind of shield. I considered the possibility that it's an executioner's sword, but that raises my next question (possibly elementary but admittedly I know virtually nothing about these types of swords): do executioners' swords bear markings like this one does? I also seem to recall some comment in "Swords and Hilt Weapons" that "earlier" Ottoman swords tended to be more massive.
Rick
Does anyone have any idea of the possible age and use of this shamshir from my collection? It is 40 inches in length, with a blade of 34 inches (both measured in straight lines) and the width of the blade both at the hilt and the midpoint is 1 and 5/8 inches. The blade appears to be watered steel. The weight is massive; unfortunately, I don't have a scale to tell you how much it is exactly; but it seems like it would be impossible to "fence" with, compared to some much lighter, less massive shamshirs that I own. If used for fighting I would assume it would have to be used in conjunction with some kind of shield. I considered the possibility that it's an executioner's sword, but that raises my next question (possibly elementary but admittedly I know virtually nothing about these types of swords): do executioners' swords bear markings like this one does? I also seem to recall some comment in "Swords and Hilt Weapons" that "earlier" Ottoman swords tended to be more massive.
Rick