Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Jim McDougall · 4th April 2014, 05:03 PM

I agree, this appears to quite possibly a theatrical item, and from late 19th into the early 20th c.
I think one of the major problems in typologies and classifications in weaponry is that the degree of variations and often even subtle characteristics in elements are considerable. This is compounded by the fact that blades are often separately produced and weapons were often refurbished over their working lives.
This is powerfully the case in most ethnographic arms especially, but even with military swords, typically these end up in many other contexts as they became obsolete or lost in campaign circumstances

I think the reference offered by Timo is an outstanding benchmark from an academic point of view, and intriguing to see this kind of system considered as an approach to this challenging task. The Oakeshott classifications have long been used as a benchmark for medieval swords.

4th April 2014, 05:03 PM	#6
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,739	I agree, this appears to quite possibly a theatrical item, and from late 19th into the early 20th c. I think one of the major problems in typologies and classifications in weaponry is that the degree of variations and often even subtle characteristics in elements are considerable. This is compounded by the fact that blades are often separately produced and weapons were often refurbished over their working lives. This is powerfully the case in most ethnographic arms especially, but even with military swords, typically these end up in many other contexts as they became obsolete or lost in campaign circumstances I think the reference offered by Timo is an outstanding benchmark from an academic point of view, and intriguing to see this kind of system considered as an approach to this challenging task. The Oakeshott classifications have long been used as a benchmark for medieval swords.