Pala Kilic Wootz? with European Hilt.

[Jim McDougall]

Hi Norman,
Good points! I am thinking that perhaps in this context (Austrian occupied Bosnia) that possibly this sabre might have been used in Bosniak auxiliary contingents? Austria was in many ways the pioneer of these kinds of units in the 18th century with thier Pandour regiments, made up of mostly Croatian and other Balkan as well as Hungarian troops. While the original units of von Trenck were disbanded the concept of auxiliary ethnic forces to units of the line remained very much in force and adopted by other imperial powers as well.
This often led to 'exotic' weapon hybrids and I have seen examples of hirshfanger style yataghan bladed sabres presumed to be of French Illyrian units as well as yataghan bladed sabres in English cavalry hilts of 1796 pattern. Europe was intrigued by exotic 'oriental' blade forms and it seems that 'flamboyant' styles were often favored by the fashion conscious officers particularly in 'foreign' theater postings.
This was also very much the case in the British Raj where British officers commanding native regiments often adopted thier weapon forms even modifying regulation patterns into fascinating hybrids. I have seen various regulation military pattern hilts on tulwar blades, and khanda and tulwar hilts on British regulation pattern blades.

While the pattern may have ceased or of course been superceded among the line regiments, these changes typically had considerably delayed impact in colonial and occupied regions far from that perview. In British India for example, the M1796 light cavalry blade was very much favored by Indian troops and these were produced to supply them through the 19th century even though they had been obsolete officially since the 1820s. Also in colonial or occupied territories weapons in use continued for dramatically extended periods. In colonial New Spain weapons obsolete on the continent were even in use far beyond, and even the 17th and 18th century style swords were used well into the 19th century.

Just more thoughts which might lend to possibilities for this interesting sabre. The presentation example shown in corroboration suggests that perhaps this blade form was used in some degree in these hilts. Very much looking forward to ideas and observations of others as well.

All the best,
Jim