Ottoman Shamshir Pictures
 

For all Shamshir enthusiasts (especially Ariel and Rick :)
Not often one can find a nicely preserved and original shamshir like this one. One thing for sure: this sword WILL appreciate in price regardless of market conditions :)

It IS superb, no doubt! Wootz and all...
Enjoy it for its beauty, but do not be 100% sure about its investment value: better things lost their value during depressions....
This is not gloating or bad omen: we are all in the same boat. As long as the markets are strong and disposable incomes are high, people "invest" into antiques. When (not "if") the economic situation gets bad, collectors sell their stuff for peanuts just to buy bread. Not only antiques: jewelry, homes, land, everything. You cannot eat wootz, paintings, rare manuscripts or diamonds...
This was true in Weimar Germany, US in the early 1930s, Russia in the 1990s and all around Europe after WWII.
The appreciation in the price of antique weapons is an illusion: as long as one is not a dealer with constant turnover, one sells something only to buy another, more expensive item and keep it. We never see profits, just upward-spiraling accumulation of things that eventually may have to be sold for a song....
That is why collecting is a "noble madness"

I must agree with Alex. That is, if one is a wise buyer-- checking the market, comparing similar examples through auction catalogues, etc. before buying.

In many decades of active collecting I have had few rude surprises.
If, on the other hand, one is incautious one reaps what he sows. As for inexperience.... call it the price of tuition in the hallowed halls of this "noble madness." As Ariel notes, there is of course little accounting for political/economic upheavals, but then few collectors are so thoroughly invested in antiques alone that the possibility of overextension through a surfeit of krises, patas, etc. severe enough to result in total financial ruin seems a touch remote... much likelier such a collector would suffer loss of spouse first, which if nothing else might give him pause to reflect on his collecting habits....

Superlative sword here, complete with knot. Don't find them nicer than this.

Ham

Thanks for sharing this lovely shamshir. Quite rare to get one these days this complete.

Ariel, you obviously correct. However, in case of a terrible disaster, I'd not be worrying about my investments, I'd be worrying about my life, so - until then - I'll keep collecting :) My point is - investing in a Good quality original sword is generally better and safer than most conventional investments, i.e. banks, stocks, real estate, gambling :) At least it has been, and I do not see any reason it'll change.

Very nice sword, for sure most of us would find enough space on the wall :) even in very crowdy collections

Thanks for sharing pictures!
best
HUSAR

Really this is a fine shamshir. But it is probably not complete (I play devil’s advocate now :) ). There is a piece of metal missing from the throat. A kind of flap or lid (not sure for the English word – not sure about the name of it in my language too :rolleyes: ).

It is a long piece of metal that covers the cut of the upper side of the scabbard. Any of you that has seen it, he knows what I am talking about.

Usually you can say that is missing from 2 little rings close to the upper ring for hanging. Sometimes these little rings are cut off, after the lost of the flap. Alex, please take a look (or a picture) there. Are there any signs?

I have seen only 3 shamshirs with this flap present. I don’t remember if I have ever seen an ottoman shamshir of this quality without signs of the lost flap.

Alex, even if you find signs of missing flap, forget it. This is one of the finest shamshirs in our world. I envy it. :D

Alex, thank you for sharing this with us. I feel guilty that maybe after my last post you and probably any other owner of shamshir you are looking for signs of missing flap. I just wanted to add something to our knowledge of these beautiful weapons. :o

Yannis,
Thanks for noticing it, and no need to apologize. You're absolutely correct, many fine Ottoman shamshirs do have metal plates which cover the opening of the scabbard and click/attach to a crossguard. This sword has no signs of such a plate being there. I've seen another similar shamshirs with original scabbard, and also without any signs of that plate. The cover, by the way, is stamped with multiple Sultan tughras. Perhaps these swords are not that good to be covered/secured by any plates (or too good :)
Thanks again for your comments

I have a shamshir in which the scabbard has this "dust flap". I find it rather annoying because over the centuries it has become slightly bent and seems impractical from a functional point of view. I imagine many of these things were purposely removed because they can become so annoying. Since they are so uncommon I don't think it hinders this example as being called "complete" because many were made without this flapper. But it is a good thing to comment on because these things are not common.

NOT SO ORIGINAL !!!
 

Hey guys,
I just learned (after some careful analysis and investigation) that the top part of the scabbard is NEW !!!!!! I mean Brand New. Very well done for sure, but the fact is that it is NOT 100% original. Still, nice restoration and nice sword overall. I also met the person who restored it, and his work is impeccable, i.e. as close to original as feasibly possible. And he is an honest person, even more rare find than the ottoman shamshir:-) I'll show you his work and the swords soon, it well deserves the attention.