Is this a Black Sea Yatagan?

[sfenoid13]

Please provide some insights or some info on this interesting Yatagan. It is not a classic type and I believe it must from Black Sea or Caucasus region. What do you guys think ?

[kronckew]

Looks more Balkan, a Karakulak (Black Horn) Yataghan, the black sea ones have pointy forked 'horns' on the grip and an exaggerated curve like these below. The balkan ones tend to have integral bolsters, Turkish ones usually have the sheet metal ones.

Yours is a nice one, wherever it comes from. I prefer the lean mean fighters above the ornate bejewelled ivory ones.

The cartouche might help pin it down for those who cn recognise or translate it.

[sfenoid13]

Originally Posted by kronckew

Looks more Balkan, a Karakulak (Black Horn) Yataghan, the black sea ones have pointy forked 'horns' on the grip and an exaggerated curve like these below. The balkan ones tend to have integral bolsters, Turkish ones usually have the sheet metal ones.

Yours is a nice one, wherever it comes from. I prefer the lean mean fighters above the ornate bejewelled ivory ones.

The cartouche might help pin it down for those who cn recognise or translate it.

Thank you for the input. I highly doubt it is from the Balkans. I am familiar with the Laz Yatagan and I do have some of my own. I also collect knives from the Black Sea region and this Yatagan very much reminds me of the knives from that area. Also the scabbard style is like the ones they used with Laz Yatagans. I wonder if anybody has seen a similar one of these before because I have not.
Also thank you for zooming into the cartouche. If anyone can help with that it would be great.

[ariel]

It is definitely NOT a Laz Bichaq.

I see very little if any resemblance of its scabbard to the Surmene knives or LB ones. It was also altered : see trouser belt.

The blade is very much of a generic Ottoman/Balkan configuration. I am not very supportive of a Bulgarian Karakulak : IMHO the blade profile is much too refined and elegant for a shepherd knife.

The ears are also generic, could be from anywhere but NOT of a Laz tradition.

It is a very decent run-of - the- mill Ottoman yataghan. Those were made in tens of thousands all over the Empire, but there is nothing to connect this one with several well-defined patterns: Laz, North Africa, Zejbek or Bulgaria.

Thus, my guess : Anatolia or Western Balkans.

[sfenoid13]

The resemblance comes from the leather weave on the scabbard . Also the handle is not typical of the Anatolian T shape handles. As well as the makers mark on the blade is not common on Anatolian or Balkan Yatagans. Definitely an odd piece. Ariel, do you recognize the makers mark by any chance ? Looks like something you would find on a kindjal or qaddara.

[ariel]

Re: wrapping.
I see what you are referring to: some LB scabbards have a purely decorative panel of tightly woven thin leather ribbons, often black and green ( see attached pics) . Yours has a segment of non-patterned wrapping of a single ribbon that is very loose. My guess, this was not a decoration, but just a way of binding the scabbard to strengthen it.
Re. Anatolian yataghans.
T-pommel is specific only for Zeibek yataghans from Bursa area. This is one of the few infrequent yataghan patterns that is specifically recognized as belonging to a specific group ( see my earlier post).
The rest of Anatolian yataghans had garden variety ears.

Regretfully, I cannot decipher the stamp. Moreover, I cannot recall any LB with a bladesmith's stamp. If they exist, they must be very unusual.