Help with possible Indian tulwar sword

ariel · 1st June 2006, 05:02 PM

The style of the handguard looks South Indian, especially the pierced design.
I have a feeling that the blade is European: the fullers and, especially, the absence of the so-called Indian ricasso (blunt segment adjacent to the guard). Firanghi? Alemani? Any markings on the blade?

BTW, a question: the working part of any slashing sword is effectively limited to it's most distal third (at the most). The rest of the sword serves, in effect, like a lever. Why do all swords have a sharpened edge along the entire blade? It just invites more damage and weakens the parrying efficiency. The Indian ricasso was a very modest step in the more functional direction. Any swords that employ this principle to it's fullest? Or am I totally wrong?

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1st June 2006, 05:02 PM	#4
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	The style of the handguard looks South Indian, especially the pierced design. I have a feeling that the blade is European: the fullers and, especially, the absence of the so-called Indian ricasso (blunt segment adjacent to the guard). Firanghi? Alemani? Any markings on the blade? BTW, a question: the working part of any slashing sword is effectively limited to it's most distal third (at the most). The rest of the sword serves, in effect, like a lever. Why do all swords have a sharpened edge along the entire blade? It just invites more damage and weakens the parrying efficiency. The Indian ricasso was a very modest step in the more functional direction. Any swords that employ this principle to it's fullest? Or am I totally wrong?