Three Kindjals - Why Armenian or Cossack?

Rivkin · 22nd May 2005, 03:21 AM

Sorry for the grammar in the previous letter - it gets really bad when I'm in a hurry.

In short I would not trust a single word said by a seller you don't know on "this kindjal is a great example of ... craftsmanship". They've tried to sell me a "chechen kindjal by great Mudunov" (Mudunov owned a second class osethian company), "khevsurian satevari" that for unknown reasons was signed in arabic and had very characteristic atagi motiff (and the seller is actually a very honest and reliable guy, he just does not know better).

They are not crooks, they just really don't know, and to be honest - in most cases with "generic" kindjals it can be really hard to make a call Georgia/Armenia or sometimes even Dagestan/Georgia, Chechnya/Georgia can be even worse.

There are some agreements, that since Tiflis was the biggest kindjal making place in Southern Caucasus, the Transcaucasian blades are georgian by default, just like circassian blades are dagestani unless definitely proven circassian

.

22nd May 2005, 03:21 AM	#3
Rivkin Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 655	Sorry for the grammar in the previous letter - it gets really bad when I'm in a hurry. In short I would not trust a single word said by a seller you don't know on "this kindjal is a great example of ... craftsmanship". They've tried to sell me a "chechen kindjal by great Mudunov" (Mudunov owned a second class osethian company), "khevsurian satevari" that for unknown reasons was signed in arabic and had very characteristic atagi motiff (and the seller is actually a very honest and reliable guy, he just does not know better). They are not crooks, they just really don't know, and to be honest - in most cases with "generic" kindjals it can be really hard to make a call Georgia/Armenia or sometimes even Dagestan/Georgia, Chechnya/Georgia can be even worse. There are some agreements, that since Tiflis was the biggest kindjal making place in Southern Caucasus, the Transcaucasian blades are georgian by default, just like circassian blades are dagestani unless definitely proven circassian .