Turkish Ribbon yataghan

Emanuel · 17th April 2011, 09:13 PM

Hello folks,

I had the good fortune to pick up this yataghan a short while ago. The seller's pics suggested the blade might have a Turkish ribbon construction and it turned out to be the case. Blade is about 29", with 4-5 twisted bars.
It is dated 1271 - 1855. Can someone translate the small cartouche?

The handle scales are missing but it won't be too hard to replace them. The yataghan of this type I have seen had simple horn slabs, nothing fancy. At first look I thought the simple ferrule was a solder replacement. A very similar example on Oriental-Arms indicated that this is a pewter-silver alloy. It looks like it's meant to imitate the full silver/copper ferrules in appearance only. The blade has an integral bolster.

Also interesting is the blade's profile and thickness. It has a T-section and is about 1cm thick at the spine, over twice as thick as the Balkan yataghan I have (see pics below).

Comments, thoughts would be most welcome.
Emanuel

Emanuel · 17th April 2011, 09:16 PM

New pics

Emanuel · 17th April 2011, 09:17 PM

Comparison to Balkan yataghan

A.alnakkas · 17th April 2011, 09:24 PM

Awesome piece, i very much like it!

I cant read the cartouche perfectly but it could be Mala'eka (angels) or Mulla "something". I cannot write in arabic at the moment due to pc lacking arabic script.

Would love to see it restored

Atlantia · 17th April 2011, 09:34 PM

Excellent catch Emanuel!
It would have taken a tremendous amount of work to produce a blade like that!!
Well worth the effort of restoring. I look forward to seeing it finsihed.
I'd hope one day to find a pattern welded Ottoman Yat and Kilıç to sit with my 'starry night' Kindjal.
Congrats
Gene

fearn · 18th April 2011, 12:29 AM

This is the same one that's in the swap forum?

Zifir · 18th April 2011, 08:13 AM

It is written "Selanik" (Salonica,Thessaloniki whichever you like) in the cartouche.

Emanuel · 18th April 2011, 01:16 PM

Thanks folks.
Interesting, that would make this a Greek yataghan not Anatolian as I thought.

Fearn, as I replied in the swap thread, I had initially posted in the wrong forum. The yataghan is certainly not for sale/swap

17th April 2011, 09:13 PM	#1
Emanuel Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,242	Turkish Ribbon yataghan Hello folks, I had the good fortune to pick up this yataghan a short while ago. The seller's pics suggested the blade might have a Turkish ribbon construction and it turned out to be the case. Blade is about 29", with 4-5 twisted bars. It is dated 1271 - 1855. Can someone translate the small cartouche? The handle scales are missing but it won't be too hard to replace them. The yataghan of this type I have seen had simple horn slabs, nothing fancy. At first look I thought the simple ferrule was a solder replacement. A very similar example on Oriental-Arms indicated that this is a pewter-silver alloy. It looks like it's meant to imitate the full silver/copper ferrules in appearance only. The blade has an integral bolster. Also interesting is the blade's profile and thickness. It has a T-section and is about 1cm thick at the spine, over twice as thick as the Balkan yataghan I have (see pics below). Comments, thoughts would be most welcome. Emanuel Attached Images

17th April 2011, 09:16 PM	#2
Emanuel Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,242	New pics New pics Attached Images

17th April 2011, 09:17 PM	#3
Emanuel Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,242	Comparison to Balkan yataghan Comparison to Balkan yataghan Attached Images

17th April 2011, 09:24 PM	#4
A.alnakkas Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Kuwait Posts: 1,338	Awesome piece, i very much like it! I cant read the cartouche perfectly but it could be Mala'eka (angels) or Mulla "something". I cannot write in arabic at the moment due to pc lacking arabic script. Would love to see it restored

17th April 2011, 09:34 PM	#5
Atlantia Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: The Sharp end Posts: 2,928	Excellent catch Emanuel! It would have taken a tremendous amount of work to produce a blade like that!! Well worth the effort of restoring. I look forward to seeing it finsihed. I'd hope one day to find a pattern welded Ottoman Yat and Kilıç to sit with my 'starry night' Kindjal. Congrats Gene

18th April 2011, 12:29 AM	#6
fearn Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,247	This is the same one that's in the swap forum?

18th April 2011, 08:13 AM	#7
Zifir Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Istanbul Posts: 228	It is written "Selanik" (Salonica,Thessaloniki whichever you like) in the cartouche.

18th April 2011, 01:16 PM	#8
Emanuel Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,242	Thanks folks. Interesting, that would make this a Greek yataghan not Anatolian as I thought. Fearn, as I replied in the swap thread, I had initially posted in the wrong forum. The yataghan is certainly not for sale/swap