Shashka mostlikely Bukharan

ariel · 30th July 2011, 03:54 PM

Sorry for not jumping into fray earlier, but most of what I wanted to say was already said by other people.

I think the "shashka" in question resembles very much the Afghani examples, and not the Uzbeki ( Bukharan) ones. The configuration of the blade is different ( Uzbeki had what I, for wont of a better word, would call triangular, with wide base and gentle narrowing toward the tip), the rivets are not the Bukharan classic 2x1x2 pattern, the incisions on the bolster are very Afghani, kind of "torn stars", the terminal fitting on the scabbard is very long, again Afghani ( see the one I recently posted).

It walks like a duck and quacks like a duck. I suspect, it is a duck. An Afghani duck:-)

That said, it is a very, very nice Afghani " pseudo-shashka" ( as per Lebedinsky), but perhaps not a primarily fighting example. Afghanis are kind of simple people, not given to artistic embellishments, and prefering their fighting weapons to be crudely and brutally functional. They fought non-stop for centuries and continued to fight long after everybody else enjoyed their yoghurt and melons. The two Afghani shashkas I have are wearing very long and massive blades, and the same is true of Gav's example. This one is more parade, ceremonial, court ( choose your definition), light, shortish etc.

So, my overall impression is that of a rich man's, ceremonial Afghani pseudo-shashka.

30th July 2011, 03:54 PM	#25
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Sorry for not jumping into fray earlier, but most of what I wanted to say was already said by other people. I think the "shashka" in question resembles very much the Afghani examples, and not the Uzbeki ( Bukharan) ones. The configuration of the blade is different ( Uzbeki had what I, for wont of a better word, would call triangular, with wide base and gentle narrowing toward the tip), the rivets are not the Bukharan classic 2x1x2 pattern, the incisions on the bolster are very Afghani, kind of "torn stars", the terminal fitting on the scabbard is very long, again Afghani ( see the one I recently posted). It walks like a duck and quacks like a duck. I suspect, it is a duck. An Afghani duck:-) That said, it is a very, very nice Afghani " pseudo-shashka" ( as per Lebedinsky), but perhaps not a primarily fighting example. Afghanis are kind of simple people, not given to artistic embellishments, and prefering their fighting weapons to be crudely and brutally functional. They fought non-stop for centuries and continued to fight long after everybody else enjoyed their yoghurt and melons. The two Afghani shashkas I have are wearing very long and massive blades, and the same is true of Gav's example. This one is more parade, ceremonial, court ( choose your definition), light, shortish etc. So, my overall impression is that of a rich man's, ceremonial Afghani pseudo-shashka.