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Originally Posted by katana
Your Tulwar certainly seems 'battle worthy' and interesting that your sword is 'handed'...I have several which also feel better in the right hand. I suspect that as the blades are 'fixed' with resin, it was easier to 'set' the blade in a way to suit the owner.
David
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Let me quote again the same book.
The purpose for the tulwar hilts being made in one only piece ( guard, grip and pommel ), an unusual practice in other swords, was to be practical to store them. As in these regions, invasions tumults and popular mutinies were rather frequent, the Sovereigns could store the hilts in one side and the blades in another, so that it needed some time for the swords to be mounted and used. When actual wars were about to come, the Sovereigns would know that with a determined antecipation, and the swords could be mounted in time for battle.
Talking figures, amounts like 100 thousand hilts could be kept in well locked towers, and the equivalent number of blades would be kept with a confortable distance.
For the mounting, hilts were held upsidown and pitch was poured into the hollow grip, the only material that held the blades in position.