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Originally Posted by ALEX
Jim,
M.C. as for Syria as being a great place to learn, I'd say it's a great place to learn commerce, not swords. ALL dealers will "teach" into buying what they want to sell. ALL of them making swords by mixing old blades with another old or semi-old, and most frequently newly made parts, and they know how to make them look old. And the stories are even more amazing than the wootz itself. Just a few tiny shops have real nice Persian wootz blades - all are for Saudi market, or for unreasonable price. That is why I am looking for a good reference book. It'll not help anyway (those guys use them as reference as well), but I'd rather read it from someone who knows than hear it from someone who sells.
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Well that will help you in a way
its as if you are in a test, to find out which swords are fully authentic. Many western tourists dont realise that prices in eastern culture are never set in stone. I bought a newly made sword, with silver koftgari from there, its list price was about $235, I got it for about $145
Never listen to the dealers there, for a start, if you're interested in arab swords, you will probably know more than they do, and know what each sword's true value is. Many of the dealers over there cant tell if the blade was European, Persian, or local made, and that varies the price ALOT. They just recognize, if its wootz, or plain. As you said, many small shops have nice wootz blades, which are bought in Saudi Arabia, and re-fitted with Saudi fittings. However, if you get to know some dealers, some have huge warehouses which are filled with antiquities, including huge quantities of wootz bladed swords, at good prices too.
Besides, if you go there, you're not going to buy, you're going to handle and learn, so whatever the sellers brag about, just tell 'em that you're gonna take a look around, and come back