One of the reasons we initiated the European forum in 2008 is because of the very fact that so many European blades are found mounted in ethnographic context, and India was profoundly one of these.
We opened that forum in order not only to discuss European arms and armor themselves but to become a cross reference to the many weapons cross diffused.
As far as I know, that quote noted from 1750 by Grose (it seems it was in Pant where it is cited) is indeed the only detrimental reference to the European or particularly English blades. Elgood notes the profusion of blades from Europe which flowed in India in the 17th and 18th c. (Hindu Arms and Ritual). The Mahrattas were pronounced traders who brought in European blades in propensity, hence the development of the basket hilt on the traditional khanda and the noted term 'firangi' loosely used in variation in a number of languages to refer to foreign blades.
While the English blades may have been less than favored in the Deccan southward and in the Malabar and Mahratta regions, in the northwest there was a distinct favor for the M1796 light cavalry blade. In the many narratives noting the horrific results of attacks with native tulwars (in Sirupates post inclusive) I recall comments from Capt. Lewis Nolan ('Charge of the Light Brigade fame who had served in India) who stated the same comments about the dreadful effectiveness of the native warriors' and their use of their tulwars.
He then described how horrified the British were when they discovered that the blades in these very tulwars were their own discarded M1796 cavalry sabre blades!
Apparantly the secret was that these warriors constantly sharpened their blades to razor sharpness then carried them constantly oiled and cared for in wooden scabbards (contrary to the dulling iron of British regulation patterns).
The British M1796 light cavalry blades remained in favor of many of the native cavalry units into the 1930s (I have seen and handled a number of these) and versions of these were produced into the 1880s and later specifically in England for these units.
I have seen many Indian tulwars with British blades of Osborn and other M1796 makers, and have an Indian tulwar with a M1788 blade (an exception to the 1796s). The later British blades were not as favored, however many of the M1853 pattern swords found use in Indian units.
Getting back to the western regions and Mahrattas as well as Malabar trade. Many blades from the 'Red Sea' trade carrying mostly German blades but naturally others which became mingled from Italy and others certainly entered these regions. That they were much favored is combined with the fact the the 'Alemani' (=German) swords were much present with the mercenary forces of Europe in the Deccan. Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sahib used these forces constantly as well as their weapons.
Tipu had an 'ANDREA FERARA' bladed sword which he much favored.
The pata shown at the top in post #2 does indeed have a Sudanese kaskara blade (I have had with similar blade for many years) and have not yet found evidence that these 'dukari' (moons) are ever placed on European blades in this parallel fashion. Therefore it seems curious to see movement of these blades OUT of the North African sphere.
Indian makers who produced blades directly in imitation of European blades often applied copying of the inscriptions and markings to represent the quality of the European blades imbued into their own.
I have never been focused on one field of study and have always followed ethnographic as well as European , and the profound connections and mystery in all combined has been constant fascination in all counts!
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