Pls comment on this Yataghan
 

Hello all,
Please comment and give some information on this piece.
Thanks you.

Zifir,
You said that with a clear picture you might be able to translate the inscription on this Yataghan. Here are better photos (I hope).
Thanks a lot.
Gadi.

Nice piece. old repair on the handle and very nice silverwork on scabbard. Not my style, but still nice.

Repair, schmepear...
It is dated 1219 =1804. We should all look that good at 205 :-)

Sorry Hatumesh,
I have been looking at the inscription for some time, I could not even make a single word out of it. I saw one or two similar yatağans with the same type of engraved inscriptions, I could not read them either. :(

I believe that this is a composite piece (not old repairs). It has old a new parts. I have seen similar coming from Bulgaria last years but it can be made anywhere there are a lot pieces from old yataghans

your deception it's not complet :o
because, what "ariel" though to be a date, in fact it's
just an illegible writting, my translater is FORMAL :shrug:
I got a strong argumentation with her about that subject,
and she refuse to modify her judgement
I was sharing "areil" point of view ... :o
conclusion;
- it's not writting in Turkish
- it's not writting in Arabic

it's what ?? Farsi ?? ... Urdu ? :p (joke)

à +

Dom

Here is a yataghan with what appears to be a blade from the same workshop - notice the very similar decoration http://vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=403

Emanuel

Hi
again, it's not Arabic :shrug:

à +

Dom

I am not sure it is the same workshop: this decoration is pretty standard. If one looks in the Astvatsaturyan's book, there are at least 10-15 virtually identical examples.

The un-readable script is not necessary a minus. It could be plus. I have read that there were in ottoman era some unsuccessful tries to write balkan languages (greek, bulgarian etc) with arabic letters. There was also the opposite. Turkish words with greek letters.
It is common also to see unreadable scripts because the smith did know how to write, he was just copied another blade or a piece of paper

The round mark with a short tail has been mentioned to me as a more general mark with the meaning "Ya Ali" and can be found on both blades and apparently firearms as well. I would appreciate more background on that myself, as I have an yataghan with the mark and place the blades and arms with the ya ali as Turkish. In some further reading, the phrase meant as a plea to bravery or strength. So, apparently not the mark of one maker but more of a general statement. In pursuing mine, I had concluded it to be dated roughly 1800 and of northern Turkey in origin.

Below is my blade.

Cheers

GC

Hi "Hotspur"
frankly sorry, if what you are going to read will disappoints you
but in the circle, there's only one (1) word : ALI ... no more :shrug:

Best regards

à +

Dom

I am not definitely sure that the inscription is not Turkish, only I was unable to read it. There is still possiblity that it may be Turkish. :shrug:

Hi Dom,

I am not dissapointed at all except to maybe point out that it was mentioned me as a meaning for the mark on arms, not a literal translation of the character itself. Also mentioned here, as a good many that have been listed with this mark and have done so to inticate it as the maker of the blade and not the purpose of the mark.

Cheers

Glen C

I used the damn dictionary. The word is illegible not un-readable :o :o :o But I know I have your sympathy :)