UNIDENTIFIED INDO PERSIAN OR ARAB SWORD FOR COMMENT

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by spiral

Years ago when I had a couple of these to hand, I discussed them with Robert Wilkinson -Latham because the steel & grinding was unlike anything Ive seen on any other Afghan weapon.

He & the German experts he then consulted were of the opinion they were clearly Solingen made.

The Afghan temple marks on some blades are just ownership or inspection marks As there are also many English made Lee Enfield bayonets that carry the same hot stamp...{As well as the Afghan made ones..}

These marks were used by the regime, and primarily applied at the Mashin Khana, as described in the article on this establishment in Man at Arms (2009). This factory was in operation producing many of the Enfield rifles and accompanying bayonets in the 1880s in their assembly, with some components brought in under British supervision Mr. Wikinson-Latham would of course be well versed in these circumstances, and it seems he indicated to me at one point that many of the bayonets had been produced en masse in Solingen for makers in England to meet voluminous quotas.