New Kaskara, repair baldric???
 

I got this today, one of those things you see when you cannot really afford but the price is too good to not have it :o . I am confident that this is from the Mahdist period however it is not without some damage. I have some matching leather I could use to fashion a repair a "field repair" :rolleyes: so to speak. Is that a really silly thought? There is also small nail holes in the chunky leather bits on the scabbard where some dickhead has had it nailed to the wall :eek:

The sword is fine and has a nice heavy European blade. The holes in the scabbard are only a little annoying, I really like the big metal rings shame about the baldric, repair or wait for further deterioration and remove it? :o

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...ppy/NEW023.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...ppy/NEW027.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...ppy/NEW032.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...ppy/NEW033.jpg

Tim , are there any missing pieces where the strap has parted ?
I also think I see where one of the twisted leather pieces has broken ; is this so ?

As for the nails are they like these ?
As you can see I have them on my scabbard too ; maybe they are functional to the original dress .

For repairs might I suggest the discreet use of rubber contact cement as a first try .

Hello Tim and Rick, also on my kaskara scabbard there are some nails and i think that they are original in all the three kaskara here posted. Tim, a very nice piece!!!!

I cant think of any way of restoring this sword, but I must say its a beautiful piece, especially the blade. Congratulations! ;)

Well that's interesting. The nail holes are indeed very similar. Looking at the again the hole on the other side is really tiny any nail could not have go into a wall.

One of the twisted strap dangle things has broken. I could sew them into a tube of the same type of leather and sew small leather patches either side of the tears in the baldric. You must have seen the "field repair" to ww1 sword scabbards I am thinking of. I think that would look better than glue, even better if I can find some old thread. What do you think, leave well alone or fiddle?

Very nice Kaskara, Tim. Not too ornate with a great blade, the credentials (IMHO) of an excellent piece :cool:

Since this is a piece for display rather than for toting around and playing Fuzzy Wuzzy with :D I'd suggest Tim that you try the contact cement route first . Usually the leather is pretty dried out and brittle on these scabbards .

I repaired one of the twisted leather cords on my scabbard with a *very small* amount of contact cement and matched the broken ends; the repair is virtually invisible ; of course it will not stand up to anything more than gentle handling but then again if you are like me the sword will spend most of its time on display . :)

The baldric was originally made in two pieces sewn together. It would be very easy to make a sensitive repair or would I be a vandal that's what I need help with. As I say I have the materials.

Rick, I like the repair to the twisty bit. I think you are right on that bit. I shall do that. I could do the same with leather patches on the underside of the baldric strap. However the original stitching would not be difficult to imitate and who knows it could have been repaired in the past.

When I used to shingle roofs and sidewalls in my 'yout' my Boss's watchword was "think like a rain drop" . :D

In this case I'd offer 'think like a conservator.'

Ah , we're overlapping . :D
If you were to put a patch on the underside I'd still consider backing it up with some flexible adhesive between as the strap looks very dry and brittle .

Rick, thanks for the help you have helped me see a way of going this in an acceptable manner. I am just not sure whether leather or layers of brown paper and PVA might be the best and most honest approach?

I'd suggest leather ; fairly thin stuff ; maybe fold over the edges apply to the back of the strap with a thin coating of rubber cement or contact cement .

It's your call in the end ; the less invasive the better .

Stage 1 of the humpty dumpty method and finished repair, this is the easier tear.

Why do you think it is an European blade?
On my screen it looks a bit on a thin side and not "diamond shaped" with a central ridge (real or obscured by a deep wide fuller), the thin fullers are quite uneven, and the "man-in-the-moon" mark also does not look very European to me. Native Kaskaras usually have 2 such markings on each side: an overkill of course, but it sure as hell "convinced" the Sudanese that the blade was as good as a real European one.
Just to think that with swords like that they manage to break the "British Line", something that eluded Napoleon, multiple Indian Rajas and the Russians.

The man in the moon stamp is on both sides of the blade. I know the Sudanese were more than capable of making these swords. I only said European as people I know always say these man in the moon blades are German. I am always happy to question unsupported accepted wisdom.

Repair / Restoration
 

Looking good Tim . :)

The impossible looking tear. It is not humpty, it is Jack and Jill method. Still some setting to do but the pegs are off. Latter I shall rub in some olive oil. It is not perfect but retains the character of the whole piece. The leather is extremely dry and will always be delicate. The last one I had of these I very stupidly swapped. It cost more and I do not think it was 19th centuty so I am quite pleased with this one.

Taking the full weight of the sword. No worse than in pieces. It is conservation rather than a repair, at least it will remain part of the sword for some time now. It did look a hopeless prospect. Just the twisted chord to do.