Takouba with a forte.
 

My most recent takouba, an overall quality sword. The blade looks to me like a European blade with a forte, once broken but made usable again using a forte. The blade is 775 mm long and 29 mm wide an the forte. A fuller along the entire length with faint remnants of an engraving. The blade is sandwiched between the forte and secured with three revets. There is no visible presence of a fireweld to the forte. Either a perferctly executed fireweld or the combination of the two. Full length is 945 mm. Sheath, as often occurs, is of a more recent date than the blade. The leather pieces with the brass rings look older to me,certainly the rings show wear.A nice addition to my collection. Comments welcome.


Regards
Marc

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Marc, the longitudinal fuller runs under the "forte." This suggests to me that part of the repair consisted of a carefully fitted sleeve over the original forte and adjacent blade, then riveted in place. I suspect if you were to remove the existing guard (not suggesting you do) and examine the upper end of this "forte"/sleeve, it may also be similarly riveted to the blade underneath. Under the present "forte" there could be a scarf weld to the original blade, made more stable by the sleeve bridging the two sections.


If you wiggle the blade, is there any play in it in the area of the "forte?" An underlying weld done well should result in no play there.


Nice looking sword and scabbard.

Hi Ian
Thanks for your response, since we don't know where the damage to the sword is under the forte, there are several ways to repair the damage. Yours is very possible, but as you said removing the hilt is not an option. The only way to find out is to take an x-ray shot. Will try if that is possible. Any idea what the age of the blade is and the wear on the brass rings? The blade is rock solid on the forte.
Regards
Marc

A nice example
 

It will not surprise me if you discover no break hidden under the reinforcing plates. I have seen such plates on many takouba; the forte is the strongest part of a blade, so breaks there should not be anticipated. Perhaps the intent was as a stiffener, or to change the balance or to lengthen a blade by adding an extension. In any case it is a very nice sword. The mounts are probably mid 20th century and the blade earlier.

Hi Lee
Thanks for the additional info regarding forte. I assumed a high quality blade was made usable again this way after a break. The attached photo shows a piece of the blade, 23.5mm, in the forte, otherwise no seams can be seen on the forte.
The blade at the forte is 27.4mm wide and 4.8mm thick, the forte 27.9 and 6mm thick, and at its widest 28mmen 5.2 thick.
Regards
Marc

Photo.

Perhaps another hand hold for what ever reason?. Nice and clean example.

There are indeed a lot of takouba with “sandwich” reinforcements at the forte and I doubt repairs are the main reason. I suspect it was used in cases where the tang may have been too short for it to be peened to the pommel or in some cases even decorative.

Teodor, I agree, and it seems these upper blade collars might even be some some sort of decorative or other added element as it seems one of the articles (possibly Reed 1987) even has a term for this...adabal.

It reminds me of the bolsters that descend down upper part of blade on Hindu khanda (basket hilt) and some other Indian swords.

On the blade cant see too well but remind me of the 'magical' symbols sometimes on French blades of mid-late 18th c. (Caissagnard,etc) ...possible candidate?

Nice example, more modern mounts as per normal traditional ways.

Thanks everyone for sharing their insights, learned something again.

regards
Marc

The desert swords presented.
Regards Marc

Very nice collection! You have the Sahel represented from coast to coast

Bravo Marc!

Wonderful collection :)