Yataghan: a Magic Word

ALEX · 8th May 2007, 08:55 AM

Considering the form and shape of the blade, this sword can not even be considered as Yataghan to begin with (am I right?). Thus, the Yataghan shaped hilt can not be original, especially made of a plain wood:-)

ariel · 8th May 2007, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALEX

Considering the form and shape of the blade, this sword can not even be considered as Yataghan to begin with (am I right?). Thus, the Yataghan shaped hilt can not be original, especially made of a plain wood:-)

There are sabers with "eared" yataghan handles just as there are yataghan blades with "karabela" handles.
I once saw a kilij ( real Yelman-ed one!) with a tremendously long, two-handed Yataghan handle.
The combination does not surprise me; but the freshness and the crudity of the handle do. And, BTW, I rather liked the blade: I generally like locally-produced fakes of the European blades

Strange taste, I guess..

ALEX · 8th May 2007, 03:19 PM

Thanks Ariel,
I also liked the blade (but not the stamps on it). I categorized this blade based on certain standards. See, if I'll take Ford engine and will add Toyota body and Honda transmission, how do I call it? It'll be just a car, right. So I'd call it just a sword, not Yataghan:-)
Also, can Kilij blade with Yataghan hilt be an original, i.e. old sword, or is it most likely a recent composition?

ariel · 8th May 2007, 04:04 PM

Anything with a blade and a handle is a sword...
New or old?
That needs to be determined in each case, but there are many old examples incorporating different styles. The same Parang Nabur, for example, is a marriage of the native blade and European handle ( albeit, subtly changed). Bedouin swords have shashka-type handle ( borrowed from the Circassians) and a bewildering panoply of blades: European, local a la European, shamshirs , you name it. And the final concoction is locally called just Klych, no matter what components got into the final mix.
And, whether we like it or not, Bedouin Klych is a unique ethnographic weapon, no less genuine that Indian Khanda or Jawanese Kris. And what is Persian Shamshir, this purebred beauty, if not a combination of a Steppe saber with ( likely) Arabian influence on the handle.
People create weapons, and sometimes they manage to create a chimera that puzzles everybody for years to come, such as Kilij with Yataghan handle. Right now, on e-bay there is a Yataghan blade with Kilij handle( no ID, I know...), so why not the vice versa?

8th May 2007, 08:55 AM	#1
ALEX Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 936	Considering the form and shape of the blade, this sword can not even be considered as Yataghan to begin with (am I right?). Thus, the Yataghan shaped hilt can not be original, especially made of a plain wood:-)

8th May 2007, 03:19 PM	#3
ALEX Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 936	Thanks Ariel, I also liked the blade (but not the stamps on it). I categorized this blade based on certain standards. See, if I'll take Ford engine and will add Toyota body and Honda transmission, how do I call it? It'll be just a car, right. So I'd call it just a sword, not Yataghan:-) Also, can Kilij blade with Yataghan hilt be an original, i.e. old sword, or is it most likely a recent composition?

8th May 2007, 04:04 PM	#4
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Anything with a blade and a handle is a sword... New or old? That needs to be determined in each case, but there are many old examples incorporating different styles. The same Parang Nabur, for example, is a marriage of the native blade and European handle ( albeit, subtly changed). Bedouin swords have shashka-type handle ( borrowed from the Circassians) and a bewildering panoply of blades: European, local a la European, shamshirs , you name it. And the final concoction is locally called just Klych, no matter what components got into the final mix. And, whether we like it or not, Bedouin Klych is a unique ethnographic weapon, no less genuine that Indian Khanda or Jawanese Kris. And what is Persian Shamshir, this purebred beauty, if not a combination of a Steppe saber with ( likely) Arabian influence on the handle. People create weapons, and sometimes they manage to create a chimera that puzzles everybody for years to come, such as Kilij with Yataghan handle. Right now, on e-bay there is a Yataghan blade with Kilij handle( no ID, I know...), so why not the vice versa?