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#1 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Chania Crete Greece
Posts: 506
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Dear friends,
I have this sword for some time, i believe is an arabian saif, it has silver scabbard with typical handmade engravings but also stamped parts, and a blade that while does not look particulary old, does not look comletely new either. Towards the end of the blade the blade line is not straight like someone has sharpened many times the edge in this point. In the place the blade meets the hilt there are remains of dirt like the sword has been cleaned and polished. There is also a number in a part of the scabbard that i guess it was used for assempling the parts. I have seen recent tourist pieces and they do not have this quality and not this blade. Could this been an old tourist piece? ANy help or suggestions about its age? Many thanks! |
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#2 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: What is still UK
Posts: 5,780
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Hi , I do not think the stampings are modern machine made,I must go I should be working.Tim
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#3 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 215
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Hi Tim,
Definitely some new elements. I've seen nearly identical scabbards made recently in Iran, and very similar from Yemen as well. The The guard looks old to me. The blade I don't know. It is sharp? It looks like an old trade blade, but it's really bright. BTW, I knew an antique dealer in the UAE that regularly got a lot of "refurbished" swords from Iran. Often the blade would be old and there were old parts mixed in with repairs. The work was really good, but it was new. I still have some pics archived on CD somewhere..... -d |
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#4 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Houston, TX, USA
Posts: 1,254
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The white adhesive is not something I've seen on old pieces, though European cutlers' pitch is often a pale cream colour. The grips don't seem old to me, and I suspect this sword has had a fairly recent rehilting/refurbishing. The blade looks like an old one that has been cleaned by recent soft-buffing (notice the pits; notice also that it has been cleaned under the lagnets, which is nearly impossible while the sword is assembled.). I have come to doubt the usual diagnosis of these multifullered thinnish blades as European, especially when the grooves run off the base of the blade; I think it's an Islamic blade; it closely resembles N African blades I've seen. The only part of the scabbard that stands out as a stamping, rather than hand-embossed and graven is the narrow reinforcing band you show a close-up of. It seems to be a modern repair on an old sheath. There is another that looks similar (2 such bands total), but there's no close-up of it. I can't see the tang-band well enough to tell if it is stamped or hand-decorated. The guard appears to be old. I'm utterly baffled as to any idea of this as a tourist sword. My guess concerning the wave near the tip is that it is not so much the result of longterm repeated sharpening, but a single incident of sharpening out a damage.
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#5 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Chania Crete Greece
Posts: 506
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Dear friends,
Thanks for your comments. I attach some more photos! I think the parts near the opening of the scabbard (i attach photos) are also stamped, arent they? |
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#6 |
Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 176
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Hello Eftihis,
Your sword seems almost identical to mine! Although mine seems to be fairly new (the scabbard had this silver blackness (I really dont know what its called, like soot, it went away after rubbing it with some Silvo)), the blade on your sword seems to have seen sharpening, and maybe even use (why not?, beduoins of arabia still used them up to the early 20th century, royal bodyguards of the Al-Saud's carry them everywere they go!). I must say the hilt on yours looks better than mine (i dont like the look of rivets). I wouldnt call these swords as tourist items (besides, whats in Saudi Arabia for tourism anyway?! ![]() |
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#7 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: What is still UK
Posts: 5,780
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Lawrence of Arabia,it could well be 1920s+.The black stuff is called oxidisation and if left will come back.The blackening can be created easily with a solution of warm water and rock sulpher and will make nearly any metal look old, likewise rust can also be advanced but thats another story.Tim
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#8 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Houston, TX, USA
Posts: 1,254
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M Carter, is there white adhesive on yours? Sure looks the same.
Saudi Arabia is probably the most betouristed country on Earth, certainly one of them, due to the hadj. |
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#9 |
EAAF Staff
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 7,200
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I agree. The hilt and scabbard look old. The scabbard and metal on the hilt are silver - sunshine cloth from a jewelery store can take the tarnish off. The hilt also looks like bone. The blade - different story - not sure.
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#10 | |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 215
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Anyway, Carter. you say your blade is new? It looks like these two came from the same "source". Do you know any specifics about where yours came from? -d |
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