I need some more informations over Khanda swords

[dralin23]

hi there overall in the world!!
my last brandnew sword is an khanda ore maybe patissa sword. i bought it from artzi( oriental arms). i think it is an very good sword. i would like etch it after the cleaning. now i found an small 2mm big hole at the back from the blade. at first i thought that it is an rust pitting, after i got cleaned it, i noticed that it is an drilled hole.now i rememberd me that in the book " islamic weapons" from a.c.tirri is also such an sword wit an hole in the blade. page 318 ,fig.240. where was writen that these hole was drilled as an sign that the owner from these sword killed over 100 people with these sword. now i´m intrested if some one can tell me if these story true ore it is an nightmare for bad childs?
my next question!! can tell me someone from these forum, something over the padding from khanda hilts. special i need some better informations ocver the wrapping from the hilt. is it leather ore also velvet like the padding, ore maybe an other binding. how was it fixed? with glue? i´m thankfull for all information what you can give me!!
i hope i became a lot of new informations!
stefan

[spiral]

I dont know why yours is like that one but 20 to 30 years English country pubs were full of old swords nailed to the wall. They are all in collections knowadays.

The holes look better filled with gold or brass. But how or when they were doneoriginaly? I dont know.

Spiral

[fernando]

Hi Jonathan

Originally Posted by spiral

I dont know why yours is like that one but 20 to 30 years English country pubs were full of old swords nailed to the wall. They are all in collections knowadays.

The holes look better filled with gold or brass. But how or when they were doneoriginaly? I dont know.

Spiral

Are you talking about the same hole as Stefan ?

Fernando

[spiral]

Indeed Fernando, thats a prime place to help nail them up.

I have seen [in my misspent youth} probably a couple of hundred ethnographic swords on pub walls. Today they are all in prized collections.

But usualy the holes are plugged. Or they are sold with a story saying a drilled hole in the blade means its killed a 100 men..

Reality is if you killed 80 or 120 men in battle do you realy know how many it was? personlay i doubt it.

But each to thier own.

Spiral

[Jim McDougall]

Hi Stefan,
Artzi is indeed very often the source for many of the outstanding weapons that are thankfully posted here for discussion, and yours is yet another!!!
The terminology on Indian weapons is a topic that will probably always be open for debate. It seems that the hilt form of your sword is of course regarded as that of the 'khanda'. While this has been established as an early form of sword in India, the term itself may be generally applied as simply a descriptive term for sword much as 'tulwar' or sa'if'.
When the khanda is mounted with a foreign blade it changes reference to being called a 'firangi' (loosely= foreign). The distinctly spatulated tip of the blade on yours brings the definition (according to Pant) to 'pattisa' from my understanding.

As with most weapons, there is a great deal of folklore associated with them as well as considerable religious and often talismanic applications, probably best described in Robert Elgood's "Hindu Arms and Armour". This book is the product of many years of intense scholarly research that presents the most comprehensive perspective on these Indian weapons I have seen.

Regarding the hole in the center of the blade, I am inclined to agree with the likelihood that it may have more to do with mounting and displaying the weapon than the suggested folkloric meanings. I once had a beautiful British M1788 heavy cavalry basket hilt with a huge blade, and in the exact same location on the blade was a hole drilled exactly as shown, and could only have been meant to hold a nail. Despite the intriguing suggestion, I have not really encountered any means of tallying 'kills' on sword blades any more than gunfighters really notched thier guns in the "wild west"!

All best regards,
Jim

[spiral]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

Regarding the hole in the center of the blade, I am inclined to agree with the likelihood that it may have more to do with mounting and displaying the weapon than the suggested folkloric meanings. I once had a beautiful British M1788 heavy cavalry basket hilt with a huge blade, and in the exact same location on the blade was a hole drilled exactly as shown, and could only have been meant to hold a nail. Despite the intriguing suggestion, I have not really encountered any means of tallying 'kills' on sword blades any more than gunfighters really notched thier guns in the "wild west"!

All best regards,
Jim

Well Jim , I have only seen such a suggestion in " islamic weapons" from Mr. Tirri myself.

I dismissed it having seen so many nailed up examples myself , which i presume many American collecters were unaware off when buying in auction or from dealers?

I must admit I saw a few 1796 sabres & even a few naval swords treated in same mannor as well Jim. Expect most are filled one way or another knowadays though. probablyly with steel, tin or something rather whiter than gold or brass though.

I think Artzi has both bought & sold many weapons from Mr. Tirris collection? as my eyes tell me?

Its intresting to watch some weapons do the rounds of various collectors/dealers , while others just disapear from public veiw to become keepers.

As the kukri people say , each one ends up with the person its meant to be with.

Spiral

[fernando]

Originally Posted by spiral

Well Jim , I have only seen such a suggestion in " islamic weapons" from Mr. Tirri myself.
... I think Artzi has both bought & sold many weapons from Mr. Tirris collection? as my eyes tell me?

I am learning that Mr. Tirry is a knotty boy

Originally Posted by spiral

having seen so many nailed up examples myselfSpiral

Criminals

Originally Posted by spiral

As the kukri people say , each one ends up with the person its meant to be with.
Spiral

My people say: Each one has that which he deserves

Fernando