A very special 'tulwar'

[Jim McDougall]

The good thing about Tirri's book is that its a great collectors handbook, and shows examples of a wide spectrum of weapons that typically come up in sales etc. This is one of the anomalies in that book, and I cannot say I have ever seen another.

It does seem that in some limited degree there were rapier blades mounted in early European contact in Mahratta context with Hindu basket hilts, but whether they were for court wear or actual use is not clear.

The estoc was a long sword made for thrusting alone and used in various European armies in medieval to renaissance periods. Its cross section was ribbed as seen on armor piercing katars etc. and these were usually mounted on the saddle under the horsemans leg,
This is shown in Rembrandts "The Polish Rider", while the rider wears a sabre at the side as regularly known.


The Ottoman's are known to have had such a thrusting sword which I believe was called a 'mec' and are illustrated in Yucel's book on Islamic swords.


Indian swordsmanship is often hard to describe or relate to when they are adopting the weapon forms of other groups or cultures, but that this is a thrusting sword in any manner is clear. Intriguing example!