Yet Another Yat for comment

kronckew · 17th May 2019, 03:43 PM

Just bought this Yataghan, Basic horn or bone grip, blade need a bit of TLC and a bath. grip and brass bolster and straps look in good shape. 62 cm. wide-ish blade, vendor says it's signed and from 1800. Small 'ears'. No scabbard. deep stamp one side. More info on arrival.

Any comments/info on origin, etc. welcome.

Thanks.

TVV · 17th May 2019, 07:53 PM

The grip is most definitely not horn or bone, so nice catch. If there is a date on the blade that would be great, but just based on blade shape I believe this could easily be from the second half of the 18th century. The band between the grips and the bolster look like a replacement. As for origin, let's just call it Ottoman to be safe (yes, I know, this is as general as it gets).

Teodor

kronckew · 17th May 2019, 10:04 PM

Thanks, I suspected the grip is made from the long tooth of a large large herbivorous mammal with big ears. but I could be wrong. Not many of them in Turkey.

ariel · 17th May 2019, 10:47 PM

I fully agree with Teodor. Interestingly, the contour of the blade is strangely similar to older Flissas.

David R · 17th May 2019, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kronckew

Thanks, I suspected the grip is made from the long tooth of a large large herbivorous mammal with big ears. but I could be wrong. Not many of them in Turkey.

Or from extinct large herbivore found in permafrost or sea mammal with large tusks. Both are equally likely.

kronckew · 18th May 2019, 09:58 AM

I'd not put it past the Turkish trading routes to have mammoth access to areas having such materials. The latter can be found just floating around.

As I know from experience.

(Topic off)

Anecdotal evidence.

Our ship was heading north from LA to north of Point Barrow, with a stop in Juneau on the way. A keen seaman spotted an object ahead that turned out to be the bloated body of Wally the Walrus**, the Captain stopped the ship, sent the ready boat & crew to retrieve the highly visible large tusks from the bloated corpse (they used a saw).

I watched from a distance of about 100 ft. from the main deck and the smell was overpowering. The crew involved at the corpse was not amused. Wally floated off into history, His tusks were boiled and dis-infected by the ship's doctor - we had a real one on that trip, from the USPHS - and the ships carpenter on orders mounted them on a wooden plaque. The CO presented the still smelly thing to the Governor when we hit Juneau. I'd bet the governor gave it to an aid to throw in the trash

He was always lobbying support for his promotion to Admiral, which needed Congressional approval. He did not make it, thank Heaven, as he was universally hated and a right moron, and we couldn't figure out how he ever made Captain. He had me (I was the Morale officer, a collateral duty I passed to a more junior officer as fast as possible) buy a pool table for the crews use out of Morale funds. In spite of the fact it was impossible to keep level on a ship. Should never have been in command of anything larger than a bathtub*. The XO was very good and actually ran things, thankfully.

* - The Captain's Stateroom actually did have a bathtub! Obviously unusable at sea, It could be used in port as long as the ship was fairly level - unlike the pool table.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled discussion.
(Topic on)

**- Wally in better days.

kronckew · 25th May 2019, 03:45 PM

Well, it arrived today in good order. Bit of surface rust, especially near the tip, black oxide staining minor shallow pitting here and there. Gave her a good cleaning with wire wool. T-spine.

Bad news, no date.

Good news - Pattern welded Twist core! Didn't even need to etch it. I had some suspicion as there looked like a slight colour difference along the edge in the vendor photos that looked like an inserted edge. Hoped for, and have a patterned core!

17th May 2019, 03:43 PM	#1
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,183	Yet Another Yat for comment Just bought this Yataghan, Basic horn or bone grip, blade need a bit of TLC and a bath. grip and brass bolster and straps look in good shape. 62 cm. wide-ish blade, vendor says it's signed and from 1800. Small 'ears'. No scabbard. deep stamp one side. More info on arrival. Any comments/info on origin, etc. welcome. Thanks. Attached Images

18th May 2019, 09:58 AM	#6
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,183	I'd not put it past the Turkish trading routes to have mammoth access to areas having such materials. The latter can be found just floating around. As I know from experience. (Topic off) Anecdotal evidence. Our ship was heading north from LA to north of Point Barrow, with a stop in Juneau on the way. A keen seaman spotted an object ahead that turned out to be the bloated body of Wally the Walrus*, the Captain stopped the ship, sent the ready boat & crew to retrieve the highly visible large tusks from the bloated corpse (they used a saw). I watched from a distance of about 100 ft. from the main deck and the smell was overpowering. The crew involved at the corpse was not amused. Wally floated off into history, His tusks were boiled and dis-infected by the ship's doctor - we had a real one on that trip, from the USPHS - and the ships carpenter on orders mounted them on a wooden plaque. The CO presented the still smelly thing to the Governor when we hit Juneau. I'd bet the governor gave it to an aid to throw in the trash He was always lobbying support for his promotion to Admiral, which needed Congressional approval. He did not make it, thank Heaven, as he was universally hated and a right moron, and we couldn't figure out how he ever made Captain. He had me (I was the Morale officer, a collateral duty I passed to a more junior officer as fast as possible) buy a pool table for the crews use out of Morale funds. In spite of the fact it was impossible to keep level on a ship. Should never have been in command of anything larger than a bathtub. The XO was very good and actually ran things, thankfully. * - The Captain's Stateroom actually did have a bathtub! Obviously unusable at sea, It could be used in port as long as the ship was fairly level - unlike the pool table. We now return you to your regularly scheduled discussion. (Topic on) *- Wally in better days. Attached Images Last edited by kronckew; 18th May 2019 at 10:09 AM.*

25th May 2019, 03:45 PM	#7
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,183	Well, it arrived today in good order. Bit of surface rust, especially near the tip, black oxide staining minor shallow pitting here and there. Gave her a good cleaning with wire wool. T-spine. Bad news, no date. Good news - Pattern welded Twist core! Didn't even need to etch it. I had some suspicion as there looked like a slight colour difference along the edge in the vendor photos that looked like an inserted edge. Hoped for, and have a patterned core! Attached Images

17th May 2019, 07:53 PM	#2
TVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,624	The grip is most definitely not horn or bone, so nice catch. If there is a date on the blade that would be great, but just based on blade shape I believe this could easily be from the second half of the 18th century. The band between the grips and the bolster look like a replacement. As for origin, let's just call it Ottoman to be safe (yes, I know, this is as general as it gets). Teodor

17th May 2019, 10:04 PM	#3
kronckew Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Room 101, Glos. UK Posts: 4,183	Thanks, I suspected the grip is made from the long tooth of a large large herbivorous mammal with big ears. but I could be wrong. Not many of them in Turkey.

17th May 2019, 10:47 PM	#4
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	I fully agree with Teodor. Interestingly, the contour of the blade is strangely similar to older Flissas.