Splendid photos, Mefidk.
They correspond to the anecdote in
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showpo...7&postcount=13 by ariel, which is one of my favourite stories.
Here in part:
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There is a famous story about a sudden appearance of a band of mounted Khevsurs wearing chain mails, swords and shields in Tbilisi in the summer of 1915: they just heard that the Russian Tsar was at war with .. who knows whom ... and wanted to join his army. The news did not reach their mountain villages on time and the winter snows blocked the gorges. So, they came as fast as they could:-)
They had their peculiar weapons: satiteni ( fighting rings) and Dashna, short swords made of broken sword blades. Both were in active daily use as late as 1960s. Kind of, never leave home without it:-)
Splendid bastards. For Clausewitz war was yet another instrument of politics, but for Khevsurs it was a way of life.
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I gather they were really disappointed they'd missed the start of the war.
My sword was sold by a Khevsurli to the Tbilisi dealer I bought it from. I suspect it was one of those still in use in the 1960s, but the seller never mentioned its origin or age. I've been told the Khevsurli are looked down on as low class barbarians by the Georgians. Personally, I do not think it's a good idea to anger one tho.
Update: Missing video from my earlier thread:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmF8jjNGkWs
Khevsuri Knights 1915:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQbjthN5mK4