Nice Takouba Example

CharlesS · 14th October 2008, 06:14 PM

Here is a nice takouba, and based on one of the articles here, it is a "southern" example, and I am assuming an older one.

Can anyone helping with potentially dating it??

katana · 14th October 2008, 06:59 PM

Hi Charles,
congrats, indeed a very nice Takouba. The pommel does not seem to have the 'usual' stacked pyramidal design . Has the blade the 'moon' stamps and is the blade relatively thick at the hilt end with distal taper to the point. AFAIK 'newer' examples tend to not have (or very little) distal taper. I do prefer the brass decorated hilts and seem rarer on recently manufactured swords ....or older blades that have been re-hilted in more recent times. Suggesting this could be late 19th C - early 20th C. the blade would be the determining factor as these swords tend to be re-hilted / re-sheathed fairly regulary due to native climatic conditions.

Kind regards David

14th October 2008, 06:14 PM	#1
CharlesS Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Greenville, NC Posts: 1,857	Nice Takouba Example Here is a nice takouba, and based on one of the articles here, it is a "southern" example, and I am assuming an older one. Can anyone helping with potentially dating it?? Attached Images

14th October 2008, 06:59 PM	#2
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,653	Hi Charles, congrats, indeed a very nice Takouba. The pommel does not seem to have the 'usual' stacked pyramidal design . Has the blade the 'moon' stamps and is the blade relatively thick at the hilt end with distal taper to the point. AFAIK 'newer' examples tend to not have (or very little) distal taper. I do prefer the brass decorated hilts and seem rarer on recently manufactured swords ....or older blades that have been re-hilted in more recent times. Suggesting this could be late 19th C - early 20th C. the blade would be the determining factor as these swords tend to be re-hilted / re-sheathed fairly regulary due to native climatic conditions. Kind regards David