Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Owners of takouba and kaskara

Iain · 14th December 2012, 08:51 AM

Hi Martin,

Thanks for linking your example. I agree the blade looks very high quality.

I have started to suspect almost all half moon marks I encounter though. It seems that a blade being European is no indication the stamps are.

I have seen several examples now of thuluth blades where the half moon stamps are well struck, the blades are European, but the half moons are applied after the thuluth. Unless makers like Clauberg were doing the thuluth themselves the only conclusion is that within Africa, before resale, the blades were being stamped. Even if they were European blades.

That is why I am trying to find more examples of verified European swords (not just the blades) where the two moons have the faces pointing outwards.

14th December 2012, 08:51 AM	#13
Iain Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Olomouc Posts: 1,708	Hi Martin, Thanks for linking your example. I agree the blade looks very high quality. I have started to suspect almost all half moon marks I encounter though. It seems that a blade being European is no indication the stamps are. I have seen several examples now of thuluth blades where the half moon stamps are well struck, the blades are European, but the half moons are applied after the thuluth. Unless makers like Clauberg were doing the thuluth themselves the only conclusion is that within Africa, before resale, the blades were being stamped. Even if they were European blades. That is why I am trying to find more examples of verified European swords (not just the blades) where the two moons have the faces pointing outwards.