Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Very Old Firangi with Rapier blade in need of restoration.

Jens Nordlunde · 28th November 2007, 02:17 PM

Hi David,

Congratulations with your ’new’ khanda, or should I say firangi, as the blade most likely is a European rapier blade as Jim writes. Some would clean it so it looked like the day it was used, finding this more ‘historic’, while others would stop any active rust and let it be at that, keeping the patina as part of its history – I would say it is up to the owner to decide.

To me it looks as if the gild could be new, be course there seems to be rust under the gold – the surface looks very rough. You have the sword in your hand, so you are a better judge than I am – do you think there is rust under the gold?

Fighting, using a sword with a blade of 100 cm, would only have been for the best swordsmen to handle, just like not any swordsman could handle a pata – don’t forget that the blade is 20-30% longer than most Indian blades.

Jens

28th November 2007, 02:17 PM	#8
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,713	Hi David, Congratulations with your ’new’ khanda, or should I say firangi, as the blade most likely is a European rapier blade as Jim writes. Some would clean it so it looked like the day it was used, finding this more ‘historic’, while others would stop any active rust and let it be at that, keeping the patina as part of its history – I would say it is up to the owner to decide. To me it looks as if the gild could be new, be course there seems to be rust under the gold – the surface looks very rough. You have the sword in your hand, so you are a better judge than I am – do you think there is rust under the gold? Fighting, using a sword with a blade of 100 cm, would only have been for the best swordsmen to handle, just like not any swordsman could handle a pata – don’t forget that the blade is 20-30% longer than most Indian blades. Jens