Tjikeroeh parang - western style

[kronckew]

Found this mark on a recent acquisition of mine that appeared to be a stirrup guarded bull nosed parang made in Tjikeroeh. The blade mark looks rather western to me, anyone have a clue what the mark is? I personally think it is not Javan & the mark looks European. Blade may be a European sabre cut down to be a hanger/cutlass.

[Ian]

Wayne, does this one have TJIKEROEH engraved on the reverse forte? When I first saw your picture, it did not strike me as being from Tjikeroeh. The foliate engraved design down the blade has some resemblance, but on Tjiker swords it is usually contained within a fuller, and I cannot recall seeing a heavily engraved border around that design on a Tjiker sword before.

The grip of the hilt seems to be finely ridged and I've also not seen that, or a stirrup guard, on a Tjiker sword before.

Unless it bears the "Tjikeroeh" mark, I think this sword is more likely from elsewhere.

Here's a blown up view of the sword...

[TVV]

This looks like a cut down Ethiopian saber to me. The Saint George mark is found on European blades imported into Abyssinia during the 2nd half of the 19th century, like the one I have on a blade reworked into a kaskara. Often there would be a Lion of Judah on the opposite side.

[Tim Simmons]

Is that grip a turn of 19th century/ww1 German sabre grip?

I now wonder if this possibly a not often seen German export , Romanian artillery officers sabre?

[TVV]

All kinds of countries used lionhead hilts, but this is an Ethiopian pattern. See a similar sword here:

http://vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=24493&highlight=ethiopian+lionhead

[kronckew]

TVV:


Can you show a photo of the whole stirrup hilted sword?

[TVV]

A quick internet search produced this image:

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You may also want to check this link:

https://www.reddit.com/r/SWORDS/comments/13zkvio/ethiopian_imperial_guard_sabres/

[kronckew]

Oops! I meant the whole sword belonging to the one in TVV's post #3 above which is more takouba-like.

[TVV]

Sure, it is a kaskara, with a blade that was reforged into a broadsword from what used to be a curved Ethiopian blade.

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