New Kilij: need help

[S.Al-Anizi]

Originally Posted by Tim Simmons

It all depends on what S.Al-Anizi means by recent. Some people would call the late 19th century recent. I would say judging by the remains of gilding on the scabbard, it is from around the turn of the 19th century. The blade is probably a lot earlier. To me the blade and handle look made to a higher standard but the scabbard has definitely been made for this sword. I know nothing of these really

By recent, I actually meant late 20th century, regarding the brass fittings on the scabbard, however, I cant, and no one can, be sure of their date, they could be very old. Im not assuring anything here, most of this is speculation.

The reason I say this is because Ive seen, and owned a couple of newly made syrian kilijs with the same kind of thin brasswork, locally called 'sabk', with the same discolouration and oxidisation as that on Ariels sword scabbard. It could be however, that this is a continuation of a tradition. The blade and hilt however, seem to be much older, and of excellent quality.

[ariel]

The small, rhomboid fittings are unquestionaby new: different color, lower quality etc.
But the large ones are old; this is supported by the wood of the scabbard: very old, very dry, very used.Tough to imagine that the supposed renovation involved brass fittings only, with quite a lot of work and the need to adjust it for the existing dimensions of the wood inserts of the scabbard, when making an entirely new scabbard was so much easier: fittings first, wood later.