HELP WITH A LARGE YATAGHAN!

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Dmitry

Excellent!
My pesos would be on the first Maria since blade might be inscribed [MARI]A*RAINHA, and not MARIA II*RAINHA.

I would be inclined to agree with that Dmitry, as you have well observed the montmorency cross section on the blade, which was very popular in England at the end of the 18th century. In the early Napoleonic period, it has often been discussed that British swords were being supplied to Portugal, as there was of course the considerable action on the Peninsula in Spain.

These were extremely innovative times in the development of effective cavalry swords in Europe, particularly in England, where the first officially recognized cavalry patterns were the 1796 light and heavy types. It is ironic that the cavalry officer who was instrumental in developing these forms was killed leading a cavalry charge at Salamanca.

I have seen dramatic parabolic blades on British cavalry sabres which were of shamshir form, but with pipeback design; officers sabres with distinct yelman; and even officers sabres with yataghan type blades ( Ponsonby at Waterloo).

It is not surprising that Europe was also testing new concepts in the technology of the sword in these times, and the deep bellied blades I have mentioned from these units in Balkan regions were apparantly among them.