What is the shortest blade you all have encountered on a shashka?

Jim McDougall · 30th August 2022, 03:02 AM

Well, I found it!
It is the 1897 reference from Budapest (Vichy) who refers to these as 'Transcaucasian' but uses the Hungarian term for sword 'kardok'.
If you note, the pommels are similar to the Laz Bicagi I posted, as well as the straight blade example I posted (seen in Vichy far right).

It is important to note here that 'cleft pommel' does not classify a sword as a 'shashka', which is a dialectic term for sword (as often the case) which was apparently tranliterated to Russian when they adopted these forms from the Caucusus. The Russian word (I am uncertain of pronunciation) sounds like 'checker'.

These weapons have as seen, a cleft pommel, which in ethnographic forms sometimes have various elements elaborated, often as seen into exaggerated versions. The range from subtle cleft is seen to grow into the splayed pommel, and with the Lax bicagi, more of 'horns' in shape.

As these share hilt, pommel and blade shapes in variation we can presume they are from the Trebizon, Erzerum, Black Sea regions (the examples in museums I reached were collected from 1850s to 1870s)

As seen in the research over years, there have been a number of unusual perceptions of what these are and where from. One catalog arms dealer of the 80s even described these as 'Cossack yataghans'

!

I'm glad to have the opportunity to go through these old notes etc. and collectively reiterate the details on these, and the search which became quite an adventure of many years.

the bottom example appears Caucasian due to hilt work and I believe was a large dagger, not in this group, but added for the 'shashka' similarity.

30th August 2022, 03:02 AM	#6
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,191	Kardok, Transcaucasian yataghan Laz bicagi etc Well, I found it! It is the 1897 reference from Budapest (Vichy) who refers to these as 'Transcaucasian' but uses the Hungarian term for sword 'kardok'. If you note, the pommels are similar to the Laz Bicagi I posted, as well as the straight blade example I posted (seen in Vichy far right). It is important to note here that 'cleft pommel' does not classify a sword as a 'shashka', which is a dialectic term for sword (as often the case) which was apparently tranliterated to Russian when they adopted these forms from the Caucusus. The Russian word (I am uncertain of pronunciation) sounds like 'checker'. These weapons have as seen, a cleft pommel, which in ethnographic forms sometimes have various elements elaborated, often as seen into exaggerated versions. The range from subtle cleft is seen to grow into the splayed pommel, and with the Lax bicagi, more of 'horns' in shape. As these share hilt, pommel and blade shapes in variation we can presume they are from the Trebizon, Erzerum, Black Sea regions (the examples in museums I reached were collected from 1850s to 1870s) As seen in the research over years, there have been a number of unusual perceptions of what these are and where from. One catalog arms dealer of the 80s even described these as 'Cossack yataghans' ! I'm glad to have the opportunity to go through these old notes etc. and collectively reiterate the details on these, and the search which became quite an adventure of many years. the bottom example appears Caucasian due to hilt work and I believe was a large dagger, not in this group, but added for the 'shashka' similarity. Attached Images