Kaskara with latten 'running wolf'

[Iain]

Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi

Salaams Iain... Excellent find and very clearly photographed... I am not sure where to start as blades like this must be a bit scarce carrying not only the fly mark but running woolf as well and evidence of some other script perhaps to the general blade now worn off... or is that wootz?

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

Hi Ibrahiim, not wootz and no script. It's a European blade and the marks are original and 'of the period' but it's probably best not to get into an age debate here. Suffice to say it's old and rather older than most blades encountered. The blade actually has an intriguing repair on the last third. I'm typing from a phone at the moment but I'll post an image later on. The key here was the latten inlay which makes dating somewhat easier when coupled with the running wolf. I will say this is a very lively blade and compares well to one of the recent European takouba I've posted.

[Iain]

The repair mentioned above.