Unearth this wierd thing at a thrift Store

[not2sharp]

I found this thing at a local thrift store and figured it odd enough to make a worthwhile conversation piece. What struck me when I first saw it, that this was clearly too crude for any Western flea market. It looks more like the work of someone who put an extrodinary amount of effort into making it without the benefit of the smallest morsel of talent, or skill, or tools. None-the-less, it has some character:
1) The brass is weakly magnetic
2) it has a vaguely kastane-like handle, but with the blade curving in the wrong direction
3) What is that star and ring/sickle motife?
4) The blade apppears to have broken and repaired.

The whole is very rough throughout; there is no edge or bevel of any kind. If it were some kind of tacky wall hanging, why would there be a sheath? If intended for the performing arts it would have been a painful 2-1/2 lbs lump of metal.

Has anyone seen anything like this before?

BTW, the OAL = 32 inches

n2s

[RhysMichael]

That is a belly dancers kastane. I have seen several of them dance with it but I cannot comment on the history behind it but I have never seen a historic link between Singhalese weapons and belly dancing.

[not2sharp]

Originally Posted by RhysMichael

That is a belly dancers kastane. I have seen several of them dance with it but I cannot comment on the history behind it

That is certainly worth a picture.



How about the symbol on the blade? It looks a national emblem.

n2s

[RhysMichael]

I seem to recall in an old thread that Jim said that the term 'kastane' derives from the Portuguese term for a decorative walking stick. I hope he sees this thread so we can get his input on these

[katana]

Hi not2sharp ,
just in case you want to practice your 'moves'.....

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=PgxF08p7fi4

Previous thread....
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=5130

Kind regards David

[not2sharp]

This looks pretty close the the sword we're discussing.



http://isisexchange.com/beautiful-go...rd-p-1394.html

The star and cresent truns out to be from an Egyptian flag.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:F...th_century.svg

And just in case we wanted to know.

Link:
http://reviews.ebay.com/Choosing-and...:-1:LISTINGS:3

I quote:
"How do I choose my belly dancing sword?
Choose a curved blade sword or scimitar with a smooth blade and without an edge; the edge should be flat. Avoid swords with large "handguards" on the handle, such as fencing-style swords with handguards off to the side, as these will throw the balance off. Many misunderstand "balanced" to mean that the sword should balance in the middle of the blade. The balance of a belly dance sword refers to how straight it stands on edge and can be seen by the angle of the blade to the floor when balanced on its center of gravity.

Because the handle is heavier than the blade, the center of lengthwise balance of a belly dance sword usually closer to the handle than the middle of the blade. When balanced on your head, a well balanced sword should lay on the inner curved edge with the blade perfectly perpendicular to the floor. The blade should not be leaning toward the front or back. Sometimes a sword that is out of balance and leans to the front or back can be re-balanced by twisting the handle.

Do not use a battle sword for belly dancing. They are not balanced correctly and having an edge will be extremely difficult to dance with. Some swords are heavier than others and it will take some conditioning to get used to the weight. Dance until your scalp goes numb, then practice other moves!"

Numb ....nope not going there.

n2s

[Norman McCormick]

Hi,
Belly Dancing sword, the heavier weight is to ensure that it is less likely to fall/slip when balanced on the head etc. All enquiries as to how I know this will be sidestepped and parried.
Regards,
Norman.