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Old 14th February 2016, 06:14 AM   #14
ariel
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
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There was another Russian yataghan for sale at the last year (?)Auctions Imperial.
Personally, I never liked them: they are as yataghan-ish as Chassepot bayonets.
The last one here, with gold and blueing on the blade is essentially Russian military shashka with a recurved blade. It is showy and gaudy. You just look at it and there is a feeling that .. not quite...something off. Similar to the regulation Austrian ones. There is no "smell of the Orient"
Italian Labruna ones from Naples were closer to the original, but also not the same.

It's like Mameluke regulation sabers and Persian Shamshirs, or Chinese interpretations of European sabers, or Balkan-made variants of Caucasian kindjals , or Beduin "shashkas".

Perhaps, there is something to be said about spirits of ethnically- authentic masters:-)
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