Dear Jim McDougall,
Ugh, you make me feel bad. Not so long ago a khevsurian acquitance of mine said that he can sell a very nice gurda khevsurian palash for 1600$, for which I (ignorant of prices as always) said "vai, how expensive".
I do believe that the prices on shashkas are outrageous, and I place all the blame personally on Pushkin and Lermontov, especially when it comes to the famed gurda
.
I don't know but why good 19th century sabre should cost way more than quality 17th century broadsword ?
I'm sorry if I'm not getting something.
Sincerely yours,
K.Rivkin