Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Edster · 20th September 2019, 04:47 PM

Iain,

I concur with the Kull blade attribution, but can't agree on the notion that the guard may have been imported from Europe. Here's why.

We have only two references to imported guards; your French one and an 1871 observation by F-G Garnier that German blades and GUARDS were imported to the Suakin port from Egypt.

We don't know their design. material and appearance of these purported imports. With the exception of the copper alloy cast grips often seen on Thuluth swords (see attachment), I have never never seen a kaskara with a guard other than the traditional 4-piece forge welded design. Also, I don't know if the Thuluth guard has a slot or how the blade, guard and grip are secured together.

The kaskara's method of securing/wedging the blade, grip and guard into a unified whole seems to me to be unique; at least I'm not aware of other ethnic origin type swords secured in a similar manner.

I understand that European guards were made with a central slot that fit over the tang as shown in Oakeshott's styles. Maybe Arabic, Persian and Indian were similar as well. I just don't know.
https://myarmoury.com/feature_oakeshott4.html

The quillon flares are wide and first rate, though not as extreme and as the Ali Dinar regalia & gift swords produced apparently only in his workshops during his reign (1899-1916). I doubt that European workshops would bother to make a 4-piece forge welded design with flared quillons just as an extra export Sudanese market item when a must cheaper cast copper alloy unit may work as well. I understand the one-piece kaskara guard innovation was not developed until c.1940.

Best regards,
Ed

20th September 2019, 04:47 PM	#17
Edster Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 389	Iain, I concur with the Kull blade attribution, but can't agree on the notion that the guard may have been imported from Europe. Here's why. We have only two references to imported guards; your French one and an 1871 observation by F-G Garnier that German blades and GUARDS were imported to the Suakin port from Egypt. We don't know their design. material and appearance of these purported imports. With the exception of the copper alloy cast grips often seen on Thuluth swords (see attachment), I have never never seen a kaskara with a guard other than the traditional 4-piece forge welded design. Also, I don't know if the Thuluth guard has a slot or how the blade, guard and grip are secured together. The kaskara's method of securing/wedging the blade, grip and guard into a unified whole seems to me to be unique; at least I'm not aware of other ethnic origin type swords secured in a similar manner. I understand that European guards were made with a central slot that fit over the tang as shown in Oakeshott's styles. Maybe Arabic, Persian and Indian were similar as well. I just don't know. https://myarmoury.com/feature_oakeshott4.html The quillon flares are wide and first rate, though not as extreme and as the Ali Dinar regalia & gift swords produced apparently only in his workshops during his reign (1899-1916). I doubt that European workshops would bother to make a 4-piece forge welded design with flared quillons just as an extra export Sudanese market item when a must cheaper cast copper alloy unit may work as well. I understand the one-piece kaskara guard innovation was not developed until c.1940. Best regards, Ed Attached Images Last edited by Edster; 20th September 2019 at 04:59 PM.