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#1 |
EAAF Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,189
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Here is a nice puppy I got a little while back. It is a bichaq from Sarajevo with green dyed bone and inserted brass pieces. This type of coloration and inserts are usually found on the stocks of Ottoman rifles. The blade is laminated with a maker's mark in the form of a shamshir. I made the brass scabbard based on those that went with such pieces. This is my first metal wrapped scabbard I ever made. I believe this piece is mid-19th century. I have seen very few of these in green bone. Most are white bone with inserts.
Enjoy - Jose ![]() |
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#2 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Kernersville, NC, USA
Posts: 793
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Outstanding! Beautiful knife, and great work on the scabbard.
Steve |
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#3 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Santa Barbara, California
Posts: 301
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I heard that there was a study by the Swedish army on military knives, and they came up with the fact that the best all-around military knife ended up looking like... a chef's knife!
This knife is of that sort; totally useable and functional for almost any work, and if necessary even sliding through ribs. A great knife. |
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#4 |
Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: Kent
Posts: 2,653
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Very nice functional knife....I like it.
![]() Although the handle decoration suggests its .....Radioactive ![]() Double the lethalness ![]() Nice job on the scabbard, is it brass plate over wood? How did you emboss/engrave the brass? |
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#5 |
EAAF Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,189
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Thank you folks!
![]() The scabbard is brass sheet over wood. I chased and stamped the brass with tools in a similar manner as they did and in the same style. I also soldered the brass sheet to itself on the other side (which the original would also have been) with a final soft soldering of the tip. I also cleaned up the hilt - it had some kind of white hard adhesive on parts of it. |
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#6 |
EAAF Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,189
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Here are some other pictures including the maker's mark in the form of a shamsir. I see this on other Sarajevo blades of this period. Anyone know who this maker was?
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#7 | |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Posts: 5,503
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Even though stabbing has higher chance of inflicting mortal wound, slashing causes a lot of bleeding, disorientation of the opponent and, if placed right, disarming him ( think of slashing wrist tendons!). Then, one can choose the final strike. Slower, less elegant, but surer. |
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#8 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 689
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Battara, I think it is not possible at the moment to answer who this Frank Karl was. But the inscription is from the same period as the scabbard, judging from its look.
I'm not 100% sure if the blade is laminated (I will test it this weekend), but it is definitely differentially hardened! |
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#9 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Bay Area
Posts: 1,614
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Here is another one that ended on eBay today - somewhat unusual pommel, but what is really intiguing is the leather sheath instead of the typical wooden scabbard encased in brass:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA:IT&ih=010 |
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#10 | |
Member
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 699
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![]() Quote:
Junior officers and NCOs came from their own ( i.e. Bosnian) ranks but officers from the Habsburgian army; some Hungarian but most Austrian. These weapons were used as gifts, souvenirs or for display at some ceremonial tasks by officers and local dignitaries ( including the Mayor of Sarajevo) between 1882 and 1916 FYI: most of the "Bosniaks" were from Bosnia and Hercegowina ( >95%) but from all confessions; just poor boys looking for food, clothing and some kind of future; shelter / security in life away from poverty and were of Catholic ( "Croats") , Orthodox ("Serbs", "Vlachs", "Montenegrins"), Muslim descent and last but not least a few percent of Roma background belonging to each of the mention religions . So Frank Karl was either an officer (can easily be looked up in Vienna's archives and some online records) or a local dignitary or businessman from Austrian or German (Schwabendeutscher) background , which can also be found in either the Austrian or Bosnian archives Last edited by gp; 27th May 2020 at 07:20 PM. |
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#11 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 173
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Hi all,
also my one has the Battara mark. Paolo |
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#12 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 689
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Last Sunday I've got my first bichaq at the local antique market. It has a surprisingly good condition. The interesting thing about it is the inscription on the scabbard. On one side there are 2 large letters FK and on the other inscription "Frank Karl", which seems to be a maker's signature. The blade has a usual scimitar mark, which can also be read as a mirrored "f"
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#13 |
EAAF Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,189
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Paolo, did not see yours - very nice.
Tatyana, yours is also very nice with that unique variation in hilt form that I have seen. And yours is also laminated damascus steel. Paolo - I wonder if yours is also laminated..... Oh, Tatyana - isn't "Frank Karl" German? Perhaps the former owner. |
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#14 | |
Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Wisconsin, USA
Posts: 413
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Very Interesting! My bichaq from Bosnia looks very similar.
The scabbard of this bıçak has a monogram FK engraved on the front and "Franz Karl" on the back. Sorry I don’t have a closeup photo handy. - Dave A Quote:
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#15 | |
Member
Join Date: May 2020
Posts: 699
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have a look as I did provide input on FK: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showpo...9&postcount=25 http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showpo...5&postcount=16 |
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