Tulwar scabbard
 

Finally I got around to finishing the scabbard for the "Good news/bad news' tulwar

made new wood and top fitting a while ago, and put the covering on it just a few days ago. so now it's about Done!!
Nice to finish a project once in a while!
Here are a few pics;

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...t/DSCN2985.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...t/DSCN2986.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...t/DSCN2987.jpg


Hope you like it.

Richard

Very nice work!
Steve

VERY nicely done!!


Robert

Craftmanship is Mastership.

I hope this translation of a Dutch saying is understandable.

Richard, you did very well. Very good work, and a nice colour for the scabbard:) - congratulations.

Jens

You have something to be proud of. The top fitting looks just like the rest. Fantastic work...And looks great...Congratulations.
What is the white material showing through the holes?

WOW! Magnificent Richard!!!
Thank you so much for all you have done in saving this old warrior!!
My most sincere compliments,
Jim

IMPRESSIVE! :D

Excellent Job!!!! Congrats!!!! ;)

That is very nice! is the chape the only original part? Close ups would be really nice to see, I do not think anybody is expecting miracles. Perhaps you have preformed one :cool: .

I thank you for all the kind words. Pleased you like it!

Alex,
The 'white' you see through the piercings, is actually gold foil, it just looks white with the camera flash.

Tim,
The middle and bottom fitting are original, I only made the top one, (Plus wood, as it was half missing and a bit past it.)

I'll try and get a close-up or two for you if you wish.

Thank you all again!
R.

copper would probally be a better match

Ward,
Thank you for your suggestion.
The original foil was a reddish gold colour. Very bright and shiney in the odd place, but was mostly done for, so I just used plain gold foil instead.
Think copper would be a bit too dull, though it does have a reddish look when bright.

R.

Yes that shiny dark red is often used but I am not sure if you will be able to find it. copper was also used you can put a little laquer on it to brighten it up. Gold was generally not used on afghan pieces because of religous reasons

OOOOHHH!
 

CONGRATULATIONS, IS A VERY NICE WORK!!
BEST REGARDS
CARLOS

Richard,

Having seen the old scabbard, I fully agree with all the ohhh’s and ahhhh’s. It is really remarkable what you have ended up with – I only wished we did not live so far apart.

Jens

Hi Richard,
BRAVO.....excellent work :)
What sort of adhesive did you use to fix the covering to the wooden scabbard 'core'. Any tips as to the technique of applying the material.(I've still to finish my Khanda scabbard)

Kind Regards David

Tim,
Here are some close-ups of the scabbard mounts.
The new one's the first picture, and third pic.

Richard.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...t/DSCN3019.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...t/DSCN3020.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...t/DSCN3021.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...t/DSCN3022.jpg

David,
I used contact cement to stick the jacket on the wood.
I rubbed it on the wood and velvet very thinly with a finger. (If you apply the glue in a thick, lumpy manner, it'll show through afterward) Then let it dry. Be careful you get it lined up before the two parts make contact!
When they stick, they're stuck!
I started applying the velvet down the seam, and then pulled it tightly as I wrapped it around.
It put up a bit of a fight, but serrendered in the end....

Ward,
Didn't know anything about the gold and religeon.
If it ever needs a new jacket, I'll see if I can find some reddish-gold foil!

Richard,
Splendid pictures, thank you very much.
Jens

Thanks for the close up pictures, great stuff. That is quite a restoration, very sensitive. You have almost caught the spirit of the first maker.
I never like doing work where I have to rework somebody else's hand, Not just because I cannot get the money because people think it will be cheap as some of the work is already done. How wrong! it is like trying to copy another persons hand writing, it comes from another head another life and thought.

I had previously been surprised at the fact that we cannot make arms and armour to the same level and standard as our predecessors.

However, I am happy that seeing this magnificent scabbard, it proves that it is not necessarily a lack of skill that prevents us making masterpieces but time and effort.

That old battle-tulwar had been through its wars, and has now been laid to rest with honour. In fact, if it could speak its probably now revitalised, uplifted and raring to go once again.

Thanks for the care, service and respect shown to this old veteran.

Regards
Bally

Bally,
Thank you sir for the kind words.
Time and effort are probably more important than anything else, and the respect you mention is probably the most important underlying reason for doing it.
This old tulwar belonged to smeone. It was important to him, and on occasion his life may have depended on it, or at very least, it was there to protect life if needed.
It would have been well cared for, and displayed to best advantage in a scabbard which too would have been kept well-dressed.
To demote a weapon to simply "an old, middle-of the -road sword" is losing much of what any weapon is about. it becomes clinical, dead, inert.
The wonder of an old weapon to me, is that wonderful connection it brings about, between the original owners/s and culture, and onesself.
In a way, the weapon is in part merely a gateway, or door to another world and another age, amd Much more important as such, than viewing it simply as a face -value sword.

All the best,
R.

Extremely well put Richard......and I agree 100% :)

Regards David

In Islam; silk, perfumes, and GOLD, even, what it’s golden plated, or remind gold (color) ... it’s ban for men, but allowed for women :shrug: ....
..... theoretically ;)
about perfumes, I mixed up ... sorry, I have to review my classics,
in fact it's the women they haven't the right to leave their homes, full up perfumed, to don't attract the men in the street

Anyway, splendid restoration, magnificent scabbard, fantastic work ... and great look ... congratulations :D
regards

à +

Dom

Dom,
Thank you. I will remember what you have told me.
Regarding the gold, Is this something new?
I am thinking of the swords with gold inscriptions on the blades, or Koftgari, or Gold covered hilts, even from Rhajestan and the Punjab.

Please can you clarify the position?

Thank you for your reply!

Richard.

Gold Work on Islamic Weapons
 

I believe Orthodox Muslim Men abhor Gold ornaments, however even the strictest among their rulers used Gold decoration liberally on their weapons of offense and state.

Tipu Sultan, in no respect a Non-Observant Muslim, used Gold on his swords and scabbard mounts very liberally. Check out:
http://www.stephenwoodresearch.com/port/tip01.htm

Another of Tipu's personal swords at the National Museum, Delhi dated 1790 A.D. uses Gold Hilt Damascening and again the blade is inscribed in Gold. See Page 40, Arms and Armour - E. Jaiwant Paul.

Similarly with Nadir Shah's Battle Axe in the same museum.

There are many more examples.

Nidhin Olikara

Dom is correct. The Afghans generally have followed a strict orthodox version of Islam. I own many pulwars and no outward display of gold. Not all of the forbidden items in Islam are always paid attention to. Example you can drink beer in some Muslic countries but there is a black covering over the entrance it is not served where people can see it and there is a large stigma attached to drinking. Islam is so intwined in the arabic language and the cultures of these societies that it affects most aspects of day to day life. so no gold,no pigs,no pictures of Mohammad,no depictions of human forms in decoration,etc etc. But yes some of these rules are broken at times

I thank you for your replies.
This is a very interesting subject, and appears rather complex.

I would like to know more, but am sitting here contemplating, and do not know the questions....
Until recently, I always thought of the wonderful people in Afghanistan as Afghans, ...not realizing that there are very distinct peoples living there, and adhering to somewhat different forms of Islam.
Please forgive my ignorance.
It is all so Very interesting!...and a perfect example of how an old sword can lead one into a whole new field and world!

Thank you again.

Richard.

Hi Richard

the disposition regarding gold and men is not a new fashion, it's mentionned in the Holy Koran
but, you know, there is every time the
- do what I am telling you, don't do what I am doing

and also the several allegiances of Muslims,
some (some tribes located Turkia/Syria) are officially drinking alcool,
some others are married with just one (1) wife (some tribes Egyptian Bedouins)
even, a tribe in Yemen (nearby Mokka) where women are faces veiled but breast top less.
also .. I stand on the generality :p

regards

à +

Dom

Afghans are adhering to the form of Sunnit Islam, the
- Wahhabism (Arabic: Al-Wahhābīyya الوهابية)
the Wahhabism is a conservative 18th century reform movement of Sunnit Islam founded by Muhammad ibn Abd-al-Wahhab
regards

à +

Dom

When refering to any of these groups (Afghans,Moroccans,etc) we are only giving a rough geographic,cultural identity,language dialect, and religous sect.

Dom,
Thank you for going to the trouble of explaining some of these things to me. It is very kind of you and most appreciated.
I have much to learn!

Ward, I understand what you mean re. giving a rough cultural identity etc, and this is acceptable.
The problem was my failure to be aware that within this rough cultural identity there was so much cultural diversity!

Richard.