[Teisani]

Swords of Stephen III the Great/Ştefan al III-lea cel Mare of Moldova (born 1438-39, ruled 1457–1504).

A nice article by Radu Oltean can be found here: http://art-historia.blogspot.com/202...-istanbul.html

About the sword of Stephen in Istanbul

Some thoughts about the swords of "Stephen the Great" from Istanbul, after browsing the book by Mr. Andrei Adrian Rusu, "Stephan the Great and the Moldavians of his time". But also some personal opinions, settled over time.
The weapons used by Moldovans in the 15th century were overwhelmingly imported. The vast majority from the Saxon cities, Brașov, Sibiu, Bistrița. For these cities, the export of weapons to Moldova was one of the main sources of income. However, certain more special weapons were brought even further, from Germany or Italy. And not just weapons. The study of archaeological findings suggests that all the knives or razors discovered in archaeological excavations in Moldova are imported. It is estimated that over 50% of weaponry of any kind was imported, especially high-performance weapons involving special technology or steels. Also, much of the bows and arrows were imported from the Saxon cities. The few craftsmen from Moldova that we know about were all foreigners, such as the bow maker from Suceava, a Saxon (his tombstone was preserved).

But not only the weapons but also most of the tools were all brought from Transylvania: awls, saws, axes, beards, then locks, keys, hinges, etc. Moldova had no iron. Who would have made high-performance weapons in Moldova? Crossbows, swords of good steel...Not to mention chain mail. Moldova did not have cities like those in Transylvania or Poland where there were guilds producing metal objects, a metallurgical industry that required high technological knowledge. And guilds to qualify craftsmen to high standards.

Another important source of weapons was wars. Many other weapons were obtained as spoils from battles, kept in the lord's arsenal and later given to the "braves". However, it is very likely that there were numerous repair workshops in Moldova.

Swords were weapons that not everyone had access to. They were expensive weapons and (although apparently simple) difficult to produce. The steel had to be of good quality. The rarity of swords and swords from medieval Moldova is supported by both sources and archaeological discoveries. And all the few discovered are from before the era of Ștefan, these are swords from the end of the 14th century, the beginning of the 15th.

The swords of Istanbul are of German origin. There is an Ottoman inventory of the swords looted from Suceava by Suleiman the Magnificent which names them very clearly: "German swords, narrow swords, with a sharp point" (approximate translation from Turkish). Western specialists, emotionally and patriotically uninvolved (such as the British military historian David Nicolle) have opined that all the Istanbul swords come from the same source (as production) and are of a characteristic German type and only the knobs of two of them, one being the one with inscription, are local products, added in Moldova. David Nicolle is the first to suggest that the guns could have been imported in pieces (separate blade, separate guard, etc.) and assembled in a local workshop. The silver thread on the sword hilt with the inscribed button was also added locally.

All the Istanbul swords (there are 3) are the same length, suggesting that they belonged to the same person. A prince did not have "one sword" but most likely a group of identical weapons. When you ordered, you didn't order one, but 10. The three swords were, as a model, an outdated one for Stephen's era. It is true that on the button with Slavonic inscription a Ștefan, the "gospodar" (ruler) of Moldova is mentioned". But before Stephen the Great, there were two "masters" with the name Stephen, who could rather be the ones referred to by the inscription on the button.
Stephen I (1394-1399) and Stephen II (1433-1435/1442-1447). Stephen the Great is Stephen III. The swords were looted together with the entire royal treasury from Suceava Citadel by Suleiman the Magnificent during the campaign to punish Petru Rareș (1538).

Adrian Andrei Rusu suggests that the sources that mention "Moldovan" or "Wallachian" weapons refer to the hand of the one who used the weapon, not to the craftsman who made it.

In short. Swords were not made in Moldova. There could be workshops to adapt, complete, repair them. Specialized craftsmen who came to Moldova to "sharpen" weapons are attested from Brașov. So even the blade sharpeners were "imported". The swords in Istambul are produced in a German workshop sometime in the early 15th century. They most likely belonged to one of the two Ștefan lords who preceded "the Great".