Earliest known twist core blades outside West-Europe

[Lee]

Originally Posted by Richard R.

Do you think that your second Yataghan is to be dated before 1770?

I had only viewed the mark on the older yataghan in abstraction previously, but if we accept the bottom line in the cartouche on the lower blade as the date 1204 (=1799, just barely 18th century) and interpret the similar region of the upper cartouche as being an honest date, then 1001 (=1592).

Originally Posted by Richard R.

How old you think that your protobudiak is?

I wish I knew. I am going to guess that the mounts were serviceable and in current 'style' when the spear left home, likely about a hundred years ago. When I dismounted the blade, there was no evidence of fresh rust in the mastic. However, the tang has heavy stable dark oxidation, just as I have observed in older (koto) Japanese swords, so I suspect this spearhead was far from new when last mounted. I have tried to lure the forum community into trying to work out geography versus chronology in the styles of these lance heads and that should ultimately be possible, but I doubt there will be reliable absolute dating unless some new technology emerges.

Originally Posted by Richard R.

"Merry Christmas" from Switzerland!

Vielen Dank und gleichfalls.