Regretfully, Osobist is correct in general, and I tried to hint at the same trend: former Soviet republics are chock full of false “Caucasian “ weapons. After all, what else are they capable of manufacturing for export except for vodka, fur coats and caviar?
Nevertheless, in this particular case the situation is not as horrible: I am almost sure that the handle is original, and the blade also has a very high chance of being contemporaneous Daghestani.
I was a bit uneasy about the mounts but their origin as per Oliver surprised me. I would never have thought about this source! That’s the difference between an amateur ( me) and a seasoned professional ( Oliver).
Scabbard aside, IMHO it is a combination of Daghestani blade and Tiflis handle.
Whether it was assembled thus 130 years or 130 days ago is a matter of debate. Somehow, I doubt that anybody will go as far as disassembling the shashka in search of epoxy glue.
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