a new member in my khanda family

Tatyana Dianova · 17th August 2008, 10:07 PM

Hi Stefan,
Congratulations on the very nice Khanda and very good restoration job! Your family of Khandas (by the way, how many do you have already? 10? 20?

) has some very interesting and unusual members.
This Khanda is not simply a beautiful piece, on which both the hilt and the blade are very good preserved; it has also some interesting features. You've mentioned already the blade and the tip shape (here I cannot help much), but what strikes me is its hilt, which is almost identical to the hilt on the tulwar I have:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=5022
It seems that my tulwar was made somewhere around first half of 19th century. I think because of the similar hilt your Khanda was made in the same period of time.
Another question: how common is this type of a hilt on Khandas? I've seen such hilts on tulwars but never on Khanda

Do you have a Khanda in your family with this type of hilt? Can you post a picture?

clockwork · 17th August 2008, 11:22 PM

That is a very impresive sword thanks for the pics

Jim McDougall · 18th August 2008, 01:52 AM

Tatyana, the Rajputs used both tulwars and khandas, though the tulwar hilt was not typically mounted on the bolstered straight blade of the khanda. The khanda typically carried the 'Hindu baskethilt' and was well known not only by the Mahrattas, with whom these swords originated, but by Rajputs and Sikhs in the northern regions.
Extremely nice tulwar of yours in the link BTW!!!
Best regards,
Jim

dralin23 · 18th August 2008, 11:12 AM

thank you jim, tatjana
only short first answer. hat the web site from akaal arms you can find also an other khanda sword with an tulwar hilt . here are the link.http://www.akaalarms.com/largeEdged/...khandB.html.in the description he said these sword is from the late 18.ct. the hilt should be older. i don´t know. what is your opinion??
regards, stefan

Tatyana Dianova · 18th August 2008, 01:36 PM

Stefan, if I only knew... I'm just like you - not a specialist, just a person who looks for the information in books, on the web, on this forum. So, tulwar hilt appears occasionally on the Khanda blade - never knew about it

Maybe there were two different styles and schools of Khanda fencing?
The hilt on the Akaal's Khanda (the correct link is http://www.akaalarms.com/largeEdged/.../ewkhandB.html ) is definitely older than our hilts are. I remember reading (in Rawson?) that later hilts and swords are more extensively decorated than older ones, which were simpler. I personally think that both our swords were made in the end of 18th – beginning of the 19th century. But let’s wait what specialists like Jens, Rand or Ward will tell...

Jim McDougall · 18th August 2008, 05:40 PM

Tatyana is right, lets see what the specialists say.

dralin23 · 18th August 2008, 09:19 PM

hi jim and tatjana,
it is intresting to read your opinions, so i can learn more over my swords.
i wrote in my past posts that over these kinds of swords is no one realy good reference book is available ,so is these forum an good platform to discuse my ore yours weapons. so, tajana

you think that these hilt is from the 19.th ct., please look in the book "on damascus steel" from leo figiel page 83. there are an shamshir from the moghul time late 17.th.ct. with also such an hilt like my. the only different is that these hilt is gold damascent. ore look in the page 93 there are also an tulwar with an silver plated hilt with an flower pattern. these sword is also dated to the 17. th. ct.( moghul)
i think my sword is from the moghul time. i never see before an rajasthan khanda with such an tulwar hilt and also the blade is not rajasthan for me.

17th August 2008, 10:07 PM	#1
Tatyana Dianova Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 744	Hi Stefan, Congratulations on the very nice Khanda and very good restoration job! Your family of Khandas (by the way, how many do you have already? 10? 20? ) has some very interesting and unusual members. This Khanda is not simply a beautiful piece, on which both the hilt and the blade are very good preserved; it has also some interesting features. You've mentioned already the blade and the tip shape (here I cannot help much), but what strikes me is its hilt, which is almost identical to the hilt on the tulwar I have: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=5022 It seems that my tulwar was made somewhere around first half of 19th century. I think because of the similar hilt your Khanda was made in the same period of time. Another question: how common is this type of a hilt on Khandas? I've seen such hilts on tulwars but never on Khanda Do you have a Khanda in your family with this type of hilt? Can you post a picture?

17th August 2008, 11:22 PM	#2
clockwork Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 96	That is a very impresive sword thanks for the pics

18th August 2008, 01:52 AM	#3
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,670	Tatyana, the Rajputs used both tulwars and khandas, though the tulwar hilt was not typically mounted on the bolstered straight blade of the khanda. The khanda typically carried the 'Hindu baskethilt' and was well known not only by the Mahrattas, with whom these swords originated, but by Rajputs and Sikhs in the northern regions. Extremely nice tulwar of yours in the link BTW!!! Best regards, Jim

18th August 2008, 11:12 AM	#4
dralin23 Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 214	thank you jim, tatjana only short first answer. hat the web site from akaal arms you can find also an other khanda sword with an tulwar hilt . here are the link.http://www.akaalarms.com/largeEdged/...khandB.html.in the description he said these sword is from the late 18.ct. the hilt should be older. i don´t know. what is your opinion?? regards, stefan

18th August 2008, 01:36 PM	#5
Tatyana Dianova Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 744	Stefan, if I only knew... I'm just like you - not a specialist, just a person who looks for the information in books, on the web, on this forum. So, tulwar hilt appears occasionally on the Khanda blade - never knew about it Maybe there were two different styles and schools of Khanda fencing? The hilt on the Akaal's Khanda (the correct link is http://www.akaalarms.com/largeEdged/.../ewkhandB.html ) is definitely older than our hilts are. I remember reading (in Rawson?) that later hilts and swords are more extensively decorated than older ones, which were simpler. I personally think that both our swords were made in the end of 18th – beginning of the 19th century. But let’s wait what specialists like Jens, Rand or Ward will tell...

18th August 2008, 05:40 PM	#6
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,670	Tatyana is right, lets see what the specialists say.

18th August 2008, 09:19 PM	#7
dralin23 Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 214	hi jim and tatjana, it is intresting to read your opinions, so i can learn more over my swords. i wrote in my past posts that over these kinds of swords is no one realy good reference book is available ,so is these forum an good platform to discuse my ore yours weapons. so, tajana you think that these hilt is from the 19.th ct., please look in the book "on damascus steel" from leo figiel page 83. there are an shamshir from the moghul time late 17.th.ct. with also such an hilt like my. the only different is that these hilt is gold damascent. ore look in the page 93 there are also an tulwar with an silver plated hilt with an flower pattern. these sword is also dated to the 17. th. ct.( moghul) i think my sword is from the moghul time. i never see before an rajasthan khanda with such an tulwar hilt and also the blade is not rajasthan for me.