Ethnographic Arms & Armour
 

Go Back   Ethnographic Arms & Armour > Discussion Forums > Ethnographic Weapons

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 15th August 2021, 12:22 AM   #1
kronckew
Member
 
kronckew's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Room 101, Glos. UK
Posts: 4,190
Default Afghani Salawar yataghan? Or?

picked up this yataghan last week. 22.5 in. long sharp blade, unmarked, 1.25 in. wide at the all steel grip, t-spine, 3/16 in. thick at the grip, Four inch sheet steel scale grip, held on by three rivets, lenticular shaped steel butt plate held by peening to the tang. May be some sort of filler inside. 250grams in weight. No scabbard. 'Bolster' at oval grip/blade junction is very much like a Khyber knife, as is the t-spine. Un-fullered blade section is Khyber-like in section, though not the tapered wedge of those knives. Looks like a cross between a Turkish and Afghani design. Grip looks like it may have had a wrapping of some sort. Blade is comfortable in the hand with the thumb and forefinger pinching the 'guard. Remaining 3 fingers on the grip and the but fits right in the palm. ready for a chop, slice or thrust.


ANy comments appreciated. Could this be a transitional shape? Would the grip be wrapped, if so what with? Anyone have a similar knife? Age?
Attached Images
    

Last edited by kronckew; 15th August 2021 at 12:48 AM.
kronckew is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15th August 2021, 12:41 AM   #2
kronckew
Member
 
kronckew's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Room 101, Glos. UK
Posts: 4,190
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick View Post
Picture = 1,000 words.
Yup, you caught me while I was editing to optimize them. Fixed now.
kronckew is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 15th August 2021, 12:53 AM   #3
Rick
Vikingsword Staff
 
Rick's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,301
Default

Sorry mate.
Rick is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16th August 2021, 08:57 AM   #4
ariel
Member
 
ariel's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 5,503
Default

Afghani “ khyber knives” ( realistically, “selava”) come with various blades: straight, curved one way or another and recurved.
Their handles are also different: simple “ bird head” or karabela-like pommels, without a pommel altogether, with multiple tiny nails, solid metal etc.
We usually attribute them by their handles: ivory and metal we call Indian.
Regretfully, there is no systematic study of their designs, although it is almost certain that they carry important information about multiple tribal fashions.
Also, the genealogy of that weapon had never been discussed, although short swords of same or similar blades are spread from Central Asia ( suleba) to Deccan ( sajlaba) hinting at their Turkic origin.

We really need an academically competent person with knowledge of several local languages, who can go to Afghanistan and spend several years in field research and archives. Realistically, we know more about weapons of any other neighbouring country than those coming from Afghanistan. It still is “ The undiscovered country”, with no new information since Egerton.
ariel is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16th August 2021, 09:35 AM   #5
mariusgmioc
Member
 
mariusgmioc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Austria
Posts: 1,906
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by ariel View Post
We really need an academically competent person with knowledge of several local languages, who can go to Afghanistan and spend several years in field research and archives. Realistically, we know more about weapons of any other neighbouring country than those coming from Afghanistan. It still is “ The undiscovered country”, with no new information since Egerton.
Indeed!

But good luck doing any research in Afghanistan now... and in the coming decades too!
mariusgmioc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 16th August 2021, 10:26 AM   #6
kronckew
Member
 
kronckew's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Room 101, Glos. UK
Posts: 4,190
Default

Afghanistan is on my do not travel there list at the moment, even though most of them are wearing face masks in an friendly extended COVID-19 compliance attempt. They do seem eager to discuss historic ethnic arms, including edged ones


Thanks for the comments.


Kabul Tourist Board's new Welcoming Committee:
Attached Images
 

Last edited by kronckew; 16th August 2021 at 10:46 AM.
kronckew is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 07:52 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Posts are regarded as being copyrighted by their authors and the act of posting material is deemed to be a granting of an irrevocable nonexclusive license for display here.