old moorish sword ?

francantolin · 28th March 2026, 06:42 PM

Hello dear members,

What do you think of this sword,
Said to be moorish from the 13th century.
Original ?
Strange the shagreen covered hilt, later replacement ?

Reventlov · 29th March 2026, 12:05 PM

That one has been on the auction circuit for a while - the claimed origin has changed apparently. I do not think it is genuine, but it purports to be a distinctive Baltic type of hilt, from the area of Lithuania and Prussia. Several are decorated in a very particular style, as on this example in the Bargello Museum. (Note that here the Baltic hilt components have been combined with a much later blade.) The same style can be seen on a number of rare axe-heads. Vytautas Kazakevicius' book IX-XIII a. Baltų Kalavijai has more information about these swords, which he calls the Desiukiskes type, after one of the find-places.

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francantolin · 30th March 2026, 06:46 PM

Thank you for the message and informations,

I was in Florence two years ago and visit the Bargello museum but I miss it 🤦
So much to see...

Do you know if we can find/buy an english version of this book ?

Reventlov · 31st March 2026, 03:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by francantolin

Do you know if we can find/buy an english version of this book ?

I do not think so, but it does have an English summary, is one of the standard reference books for swords of that region, and was, at least formerly, available in pdf online.

francantolin · 31st March 2026, 06:44 PM

Thank you again Reventlov, I will try

Regarding handles covered in ray ( or shark ) skin swords:
We are used to seeing katanas and other Japanese swords, recent and very old,as well as Chinese ones.
Personally, I appreciate the grip in hands, which combines practicality and pleasure: aesthetics, durability, and a non-slip function.
It seems to me that the connection with Europe is through the east, with the Tatars.
I found a particularly old sword here.
Perhaps the dating is also exaggerated...
I found others dating from the 18th century.
This style wasn't very popular in Europe.
If I'm not mistaken, we have to wait until the 19th century, especially in France and England, to find models again with a handle covered in ray or shark skin.

28th March 2026, 06:42 PM	#1
francantolin Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 959	old moorish sword ? Hello dear members, What do you think of this sword, Said to be moorish from the 13th century. Original ? Strange the shagreen covered hilt, later replacement ? Attached Images

31st March 2026, 06:44 PM	#5
francantolin Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 959	Thank you again Reventlov, I will try Regarding handles covered in ray ( or shark ) skin swords: We are used to seeing katanas and other Japanese swords, recent and very old,as well as Chinese ones. Personally, I appreciate the grip in hands, which combines practicality and pleasure: aesthetics, durability, and a non-slip function. It seems to me that the connection with Europe is through the east, with the Tatars. I found a particularly old sword here. Perhaps the dating is also exaggerated... I found others dating from the 18th century. This style wasn't very popular in Europe. If I'm not mistaken, we have to wait until the 19th century, especially in France and England, to find models again with a handle covered in ray or shark skin. Attached Images

29th March 2026, 12:05 PM	#2
Reventlov Member Join Date: Mar 2016 Posts: 146	That one has been on the auction circuit for a while - the claimed origin has changed apparently. I do not think it is genuine, but it purports to be a distinctive Baltic type of hilt, from the area of Lithuania and Prussia. Several are decorated in a very particular style, as on this example in the Bargello Museum. (Note that here the Baltic hilt components have been combined with a much later blade.) The same style can be seen on a number of rare axe-heads. Vytautas Kazakevicius' book IX-XIII a. Baltų Kalavijai has more information about these swords, which he calls the Desiukiskes type, after one of the find-places.

30th March 2026, 06:46 PM	#3
francantolin Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 959	Thank you for the message and informations, I was in Florence two years ago and visit the Bargello museum but I miss it 🤦 So much to see... Do you know if we can find/buy an english version of this book ?