new addition, origin is confusing

ariel · 3rd May 2007, 03:35 AM

The markings you mentioned (p.334, in the middle) are Armenian, and Armenians were very prominent in all kinds of crafts in Turkey, Persia and the Caucasus. Both Astvatsaturyan and Miller indicate that most of the Tbilisi, Vladikavkaz and Akhaltsikhe swordmakers were ethnic Armenians. I have seen Turkish military sword identical to the one under discussion here with mass-produced blade that was stamped with Armenian family name (escapes me which

) as the owner of the factory. Great Geork Puruntsuzov was originally from Erzerum ( Turkey) and moved to the Russian-controlled Caucasus.
Interestingly, Caucasian blades with Armenian inscriptions are very rare: they seemed to make blades for everybody but refrained from owning (?) or using (?) them. Not a part of their culture? I never managed to understand it...

3rd May 2007, 03:35 AM	#7
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	The markings you mentioned (p.334, in the middle) are Armenian, and Armenians were very prominent in all kinds of crafts in Turkey, Persia and the Caucasus. Both Astvatsaturyan and Miller indicate that most of the Tbilisi, Vladikavkaz and Akhaltsikhe swordmakers were ethnic Armenians. I have seen Turkish military sword identical to the one under discussion here with mass-produced blade that was stamped with Armenian family name (escapes me which ) as the owner of the factory. Great Geork Puruntsuzov was originally from Erzerum ( Turkey) and moved to the Russian-controlled Caucasus. Interestingly, Caucasian blades with Armenian inscriptions are very rare: they seemed to make blades for everybody but refrained from owning (?) or using (?) them. Not a part of their culture? I never managed to understand it...