Turkish shamshir ?

[ariel]

The word for Sword is "kard" in Hungarian.
Thus, Kurda is likely to be just an Arabic rendition of it. Nothing specific.
The style of this sword , with a baldric, is S.Arabian or Egyptian. I would still suggest the Syrian/Lebanese influence. The remark that it this sword is appropriate for dancing is hardly a compliment.
In general, the book on Arabian swords whence this illustration comes is, IMHO, pretty lousy: just a bunch of pretty pictures but nothing authoritatively academic. Some non-Islamic swords found its way into it, the terminology is incomprehensible (ie different jambiya blades and handles are listed with particular names without and explanation or justification )etc.
I wish Elgood's book was more detailed as to different styles.

[M.carter]

Thanks alot Jeff for that pic. As you can probably see, that sword has new fittings, but seems like its got an old Hungarian blade.




I also had many other pics of Syrian saifs with hungarian blades (they seem the most common type of non-persian trade blade), but I deleted them all.

This is another one, however its a "full" antique:

[Tim Simmons]

I am going to chip in with this trade blade, these are all so similar it is quite fascinating. This has horn grips, they do not look like buffalo to me but I would not really know and they could come from many other animals rather than rhino. Tim

[ariel]

The last one is a Bedouin sword (Sinai, Negev, Transjordan).
They used any blade they could put their hands on...
I would be careful attributing any blade to Hungary without unequivocal evidence: inscriptions.

[Andy Davis]

Seems an awful lot of speculation here. When was Hungary trading with Syria? This sort of thing can happen on an individual basis but on the scale that is being suggested would seem to indicate some major trade route or agrement, which must have a historical record.

[Jeff D]

Originally Posted by Andy Davis

Seems an awful lot of speculation here. When was Hungary trading with Syria? This sort of thing can happen on an individual basis but on the scale that is being suggested would seem to indicate some major trade route or agrement, which must have a historical record.

Hi Andy,

I am not sure why you think this is largely speculation? Burton and Elgood confirm Mark's observations of these 19th c. Hungarian blades. I think it is highly likely he is correct. Other possibilities for your blade are Solingen or Caucasian, impossible for me to tell with out marks.

Jeff

[ham]

Jeff confirms what several have said; Elgood takes up this subject in some detail, more Forumites ought to consider it.
Don't recall whether it was in Elgood or elsewhere-- bedouins referred to a particular type of blade as majjar which certainly supports the contention that they distinguished Hungarian from among other blades. The word exists in Hungarian of course, as well as Turkish and I think passed thence into Arabic.
All manner of European blades were traded through the Porte, both Eastern European, Caucasian copies thereof, and others. I am not aware of any record of their being traded in Arabia directly by Hungarians.
As for the term Kurda I would argue that rather than deriving from the Huingarian for "sword," it is a variation on Gurda which as we know refers to Caucasian-made blades specifically.

Ham

[M.carter]

Originally Posted by Jeff D

Hi Andy,

I am not sure why you think this is largely speculation? Burton and Elgood confirm Mark's observations of these 19th c. Hungarian blades. I think it is highly likely he is correct. Other possibilities for your blade are Solingen or Caucasian, impossible for me to tell with out marks.

Jeff

Off course Jeff, Im not totally assuming its a Hungarian blade, I also said it could be a local copy, or another kind of european blade. The absence of any marks makes it difficult to any possibilities.

Andy, are you sure there are no marks here or there?

[M.carter]

Originally Posted by Andy Davis

Seems an awful lot of speculation here. When was Hungary trading with Syria? This sort of thing can happen on an individual basis but on the scale that is being suggested would seem to indicate some major trade route or agrement, which must have a historical record.

Dont forget that Syria at that time was part of the Ottoman empire, which I think (correct me if im wrong) did trade with Hungary, so Hungarian blades reaching Damascus wasnt a hard job at all.