Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Marc · 19th July 2005, 11:52 PM

In fact, maybe I can help...

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Oriental-Arms, EEWRS forum, 26/12/2003

Choora , Pesh-kabz, Karud and Khyber Sword Here are examples of the whole family:

The major Characteristic of each are as follows:

Khayber Sword : Rather a sword not a dagger. It ranges from 20 to 45 inches in length (The one shown above is 21 inch long, one of the shortest I have seen). Triangular blade with a T spine. Full tang with grip slabs and some times with long metal bolsters. It is very well distributed from North India to Central Asia, but mostly shown up (and properly so called) in Afghanistan.

Karud Primarily a Mail Piercing dagger. 10 -18 inches long (The one shown above is 18 inches). Blade abruptly narrowing at its base, with a pronounced T spine and many times with edge reinforcement rib. Massive handle, one piece or two grips on a full tang. It is well distributed in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Persia and Central Asian Countries. They all show a similar blade and differs mostly in handle materials and scabbard decoration. The one shown above is from Afghanistan, early 19 C.

Pesh-Kabz A development of the Karud, with a re-curving blade and slightly down curving handle, which perfect it to be the best mail piercing blade (my private opinion). Similar blade narrowing at its base, pronounced T spine but sometimes it reaches only half of the blade length as in this case. Reinforced edge and sometimes thickened tip. Two slabs grips. It is well distributed in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The one shown above is Mogul Indian 18 C.

Choora This is also a development of the Karud, but usually smaller, 10-12 inches long. Similar blade. It has a very typical handle with grips composed of two or three sectors of metal, ivory, horn or a combination of all, with the pommel tips extending down more than in its brothers. Its distribution is limited to the areas around the borders of todays Pakistan and Afghanistan. The one shown above is late 19 or early 20 C. It should be mentioned that later made such daggers are widely found in various antique arms fairs with a variety of grip materials ranging from wood to modern plastics.

Here is a close-up of the handles:

On purpose I selected all the items with Ivory grips. The grips material (as well as scabbard construction and decoration are the key for these items origin: Whole metal grips in India. Ivory in India, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Walrus in Persia and Central Asia, Rhino horn in Bukhara, Horn in India and Afghanistan etc. it should be however also mentioned that as with many other blades , also here one find in many occasions a combination of all the above: Khayber sword with Choora handles and the like.

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I think that trying to find some kind of (hopefully reasonably well-founded) agreement regarding these definitions may be, at least, a good exercise in analysis and discussion of the different features of each object and their significance. Intrascendent as they may be to the original makers/users/namers of the actual items, definitions are definitely useful to us...

19th July 2005, 11:52 PM	#8
Marc Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Madrid / Barcelona Posts: 256	In fact, maybe I can help... ____________________________ Oriental-Arms, EEWRS forum, 26/12/2003 Choora , Pesh-kabz, Karud and Khyber Sword Here are examples of the whole family: The major Characteristic of each are as follows: *Khayber Sword* : Rather a sword not a dagger. It ranges from 20 to 45 inches in length (The one shown above is 21 inch long, one of the shortest I have seen). Triangular blade with a T spine. Full tang with grip slabs and some times with long metal bolsters. It is very well distributed from North India to Central Asia, but mostly shown up (and properly so called) in Afghanistan. *Karud* Primarily a Mail Piercing dagger. 10 -18 inches long (The one shown above is 18 inches). Blade abruptly narrowing at its base, with a pronounced T spine and many times with edge reinforcement rib. Massive handle, one piece or two grips on a full tang. It is well distributed in India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Persia and Central Asian Countries. They all show a similar blade and differs mostly in handle materials and scabbard decoration. The one shown above is from Afghanistan, early 19 C. *Pesh-Kabz* A development of the Karud, with a re-curving blade and slightly down curving handle, which perfect it to be the best mail piercing blade (my private opinion). Similar blade narrowing at its base, pronounced T spine but sometimes it reaches only half of the blade length as in this case. Reinforced edge and sometimes thickened tip. Two slabs grips. It is well distributed in India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The one shown above is Mogul Indian 18 C. *Choora* This is also a development of the Karud, but usually smaller, 10-12 inches long. Similar blade. It has a very typical handle with grips composed of two or three sectors of metal, ivory, horn or a combination of all, with the pommel tips extending down more than in its brothers. Its distribution is limited to the areas around the borders of todays Pakistan and Afghanistan. The one shown above is late 19 or early 20 C. It should be mentioned that later made such daggers are widely found in various antique arms fairs with a variety of grip materials ranging from wood to modern plastics. Here is a close-up of the handles: On purpose I selected all the items with Ivory grips. The grips material (as well as scabbard construction and decoration are the key for these items origin: Whole metal grips in India. Ivory in India, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Walrus in Persia and Central Asia, Rhino horn in Bukhara, Horn in India and Afghanistan etc. it should be however also mentioned that as with many other blades , also here one find in many occasions a combination of all the above: Khayber sword with Choora handles and the like. ------------------------------- I think that trying to find some kind of (hopefully reasonably well-founded) agreement regarding these definitions may be, at least, a good exercise in analysis and discussion of the different features of each object and their significance. Intrascendent as they may be to the original makers/users/namers of the actual items, definitions are definitely useful to us...