Curved Flyssa in St-Petersburg museum...Ariel, Jim, Ham...somebody please explain!!!

[Emanuel]

Originally Posted by ariel

Assuming the Uzbeki attribution is correct, we can go on a very, very long limb: is it possible that the blade is the ancestor of both Laz Bicagi (Black Sea Yataghan) and Flyssa?
I can see the proverbial fan turning my way..... Duck...

Phew, good thing you said it Ariel. That's the little demon that got in my head when I saw this. The decorations are stylistically kabyle though, so at some point this sword was in Algeria (compare the second and last pics). That such decorations endured from uzbeks to be used by kabyles is a long limb indeed.

Originally Posted by katana

DOCTOR....quick....this man needs your help....

Heh, get me a couple of these beauties and I'll be instantly cured

Thanks for the comments,
Emanuel

[ariel]

Originally Posted by Manolo

Phew, good thing you said it Ariel. That's the little demon that got in my head when I saw this. The decorations are stylistically kabyle though, so at some point this sword was in Algeria (compare the second and last pics). That such decorations endured from uzbeks to be used by kabyles is a long limb indeed.


Heh, get me a couple of these beauties and I'll be instantly cured

Thanks for the comments,
Emanuel

Manolo, take a deep breath and do not get excited!
The damn BSY/Flyssa story is so incredibly complex and confusing that my trip along a very, very long limb is likely to end in a fall. Straight into something very unpleasant.
Wait until Jim reads these rantings!
He will take us to task, no doubt...

[Emanuel]

It's bloody obsessive isn't it?
I'm certainly calmer now that I've seen the type of inlay on it. I'm thinking it's just another variant of flyssa produced in Algeria to different specs. I just haven't seen a curved example so far, this may be the first. It makes it quite beautiful, even more graceful than the "usual" kind.

[ham]

Ariel, back up cautiously, mind your way-- that limb had already snapped with a mighty crunch under the weight of the St. Pete curators' description before you got (far) out on it.
Slight curvature in normally straight blades, or the reverse, need not alarm the good souls of the forum... these are simple variants which indicate the preference of the owner-- perhaps he preferred the drawcut. This particular weapon is unquestionably and entirely attributable (and as a flyssa, naught else) despite its seeming scoliosis-- no doubt imparted by the fall. Perhaps the curator landed on't.

Ham

[ariel]

Originally Posted by ham

Ariel, back up cautiously, mind your way-- that limb had already snapped with a mighty crunch under the weight of the St. Pete curators' description before you got (far) out on it.
Slight curvature in normally straight blades, or the reverse, need not alarm the good souls of the forum... these are simple variants which indicate the preference of the owner-- perhaps he preferred the drawcut. This particular weapon is unquestionably and entirely attributable (and as a flyssa, naught else) despite its seeming scoliosis-- no doubt imparted by the fall. Perhaps the curator landed on't.

Ham

Thanks for gentle warning.
My first, second and nth thought about this St. Pete's sword is that the curators goofed in attributing it to C. Asia. The curvature doesn't deter me from attributing it first and foremost to N. Africa. Up to here it is simple.
My ( imaginary) trip along the limb was, in a way, a question: does anybody know of any C. Asian sword similar to this one?
Should we ask Borat?

[katana]

I totally agree with Ham.....I...personally... would prefer to have a curved blade if I had to use a Flyssa in battle.....it gives a different dimension to its functionality. In fact, I am surprise that there are not alot more with this form of blade.....if nothing else... it gives the Flyssa a more 'graceful' look.

[Emanuel]

Thanks for the confirmation Ham. It's good to know that these variants existed. It challenges the idea of the flyssa as an estoc weapon though, it may heat up discussions again about how it was used....maybe in favour of a cavalry weapon?