Kirach (or something) for comment

[Cthulhu]

I'm calling this a kirach, because of the downward droop of the blade. It was sold as a firangi, but the blade doesn't look at all European to me. It went with no bids twice on ebay before I bought it, which makes me feel a little less confident in its value, but too late now.

I'd love to hear the opinion of the forum; kirach or something else? Decent item or unfortunate cash sink? Also, I'm curious if anyone has any opinions on the helical markings on the back spike. I've never seen that sort of pattern there.

These are the photos from the auction listing, which I assume the seller won't mind me using until the sword arrives.

[Timo Nieminen]

I'd call it a khanda. Classic khanda blade, with a common style of hilt. Khandas with a little bit of droop don't seem to be too uncommon.

[Cthulhu]

If it had a thin blade with reinforcement strips on the proximal edges, I'd definitely call it a khanda, since everything else matches. I'm a bit fuzzy on identifying khandas lacking those features. Is the tip shape alone sufficiently diagnostic to call it a khanda, and a kirach would be pointy and forward swept?

[Sossan]

Yes Khanda or Patissa type, definitely not a Kirach.

[weapons 27]

Yes it's a khanda with typical handle

[Emanuel]

Nice khanda, nifty back edge at the tip. I would have bid on it if not for the high shipping costs.

Pattern welded blade. An etch should bring it out nicely.

[Cthulhu]

Thanks for all the comments, and the clear consensus. Having now done more reading on these forums, I'm a little embarrassed to have called it a kirach rather than a khanda. But I comfort myself with the evidence from an old thread that even Jim McDougall was uncertain about the difference back in June 2010.

[Timo Nieminen]

If it had a thin blade with reinforcement strips on the proximal edges, I'd definitely call it a khanda, since everything else matches. I'm a bit fuzzy on identifying khandas lacking those features. Is the tip shape alone sufficiently diagnostic to call it a khanda, and a kirach would be pointy and forward swept?

If by tip shape, you also mean the width relative to the width of the rest of the blade, I think so. With the reservation that the sword should also be Indian or Indian-style. People appear happy to call tulwar-hilted khandas with no reinforcing strips khandas, so the khanda-hilted version should be even more a khanda.

I wonder if people would call it a khanda if it had a European-style hilt? Or a Chinese or Japanese style hilt?

A kirach is usually described as a cut and thrust sword, so should have a pointy tip. I've seen swords described as "kirach" with completely straight blades, by which criteria a lot of firangi might be classifiable as kirach (but aren't classified as such), so there seems to be more to kirach-ness.

[Emanuel]

Patissa blade with khanda hilt :)