tulwar identification

[weapons 27]

hi

could you identify this marking and this type of blade. dating and its source

thank you

antoine

[ericlaude]

Hi Antoine,
Can you show the photos?

[Stan S.]

Need a pic

[weapons 27]

sorry
pictures

[A.alnakkas]

Interesting tulwar. Is it sharp?

[weapons 27]

yes is very sharp
antoine

[Stan S.]

This an interesting tulwar. Serrated blades became popular in India sometime in the 17-18th century. Serrations come in a few different forms, and were thought to be more effective against chainmail. Hence is the interesting pattern on this sword - each little spike was ment to grab a ring and pry it open, while the small blade section behind it would cut the flesh underneath teh armor. However, these blades were difficult to produce and as intimidating as they looked, did not perform better than straight edge ones. Therefore, after coming in and going out of fashion a few times, these blades became obsolete. Now they are somewhat of a rarity although not impossible to find.

I really like the hilt on this sword. With its chased floral designs and a fancy knuckle guard, it is a beuty to look at. By the way, as I am sure you have noticed, langets on this sword are bent inward. You may want to consider pulling them out a bit. Or, if you wish, leave them as is - this doesn't really take away from this sword.

This tulwar is likely from the North of India (Punjab?) and dates to around mid 18th century

[weapons 27]

ok stan


thank you for information


antoine

[Multumesc]

Very beautiful sword.

[Stan S.]

By the way, the blade may be wootz. The markings don't really mean much - they are generic bladesmith stamps often found on swords from the Middle East were used as signs of quality (which at times is debatable)