Ethnographic Arms & Armour
 

Go Back   Ethnographic Arms & Armour > Discussion Forums > Ethnographic Weapons
FAQ Calendar Today's Posts Search

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 13th December 2004, 08:54 PM   #1
Yannis
Member
 
Yannis's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Athens Greece
Posts: 479
Default Please check it...

Please, can some one with good library check the origin of this side arm.

Seller says it is spanish and he may have right, but I have one shamshir with exacth same hilt and it was always a mystery to me.


Spanish side arm in Ebay
Yannis is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 13th December 2004, 10:52 PM   #2
Battara
EAAF Staff
 
Battara's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,200
Default

Without looking at any other research, it looks like a composite to me and of recent manufacture.
Battara is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14th December 2004, 12:26 AM   #3
Marc
Member
 
Marc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Madrid / Barcelona
Posts: 256
Default

Well, it looks like a variation of the Spanish M1843 sidearm ("machete") for Infantry Pioneers (free translation of the Spanish word "gastador", a class of soldier whose function was to flatten and level the terrain for the passage of trains, carriages and cannons).
The pictures are, frankly, quite bad, but the blade fits well with the one belonging to the model (is also the same blade that featured the M1843 for gunners and soldiers of the engineer corps). The hilt in the original model is similar, but with a lion head in the pommel, an straighter grip and a diamond-shape ecusson. As I said, it seems to be a variation, wouldn't be unheard of, and my bibliography on Spanish Military models needs an actualisation...

Yannis, similar hilts, though normally more elaborated, with tiger-head pommels and tiger motifs in samshirs and talwars tend to be associated to Tipoo Sultan, known as "The tiger of Mysore", who fought the English domination. Jim Macdougall, for example, knows FAR more about this than me, let's see if he chimes in. Anyway, I STRONGLY doubt the hilt in this particular e-bay piece has anything to do with India or Tipoo Sultan by any stretch of imagination, but maybe your samshir could...
Marc is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14th December 2004, 04:36 AM   #4
Jim McDougall
Arms Historian
 
Jim McDougall's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Route 66
Posts: 9,896
Default

Hi Marc,
Thank you for the kind words!! and as always, I defer to your outstanding knowledge on Spanish weapons....which of course are well placed here and your identification I would not question
Yannis, you continue to find incredibly unusual pieces, nice work again.

Very best regards,
Jim
Jim McDougall is online now   Reply With Quote
Old 14th December 2004, 08:40 AM   #5
Yannis
Member
 
Yannis's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Athens Greece
Posts: 479
Default

Thank you all

Battara
It looks new to me too

Marc
My shamshir defently is NOT from Tipo's armoury!
Is it possible to post an image of the lion head hilt you describe?

Jim
My dear friend, looking for unusual is easy. Find the damn right answers about it, later, is the hard part

Without the help of this forum, all theese years, I wouldnt have a clue about my half collection
Yannis is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 14th December 2004, 09:27 PM   #6
Marc
Member
 
Marc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Madrid / Barcelona
Posts: 256
Default

Well, I must say that military regulation bladed weapons are really not my area of expertise, and I'm FAR from being above any questioning, in this or in many other fields...

Yannis, I'm sorry, I don't have a scanner at hand. A quick google search has turned up this not-so-great picture, that may or may not be useful...



I'm sorry for not being of more help...

Marc
Marc is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


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 03:49 PM.


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.