Firangi, or basket-hilted tulwar

[Atlantia]

Originally Posted by ariel

I wanted to point out the same soldering/welding question... I am also intrigued by the putty holding the blade: isn't it epoxy?
Overall, I have an uneasy feeling that the sword was recently assembled from repaired parts.
Hope to be wrong.

I had similar fears TBH.
Well, I didn't want to be the only person to make such observations.... But....

The welding is key for me. I initially wondered if it was gas or arc welded (I believe it's one or the other) and I decided that I think it's arc welded. It looks like it has been welded both sides of the guard on one side of the hilt and just on the inside of the guard on the other side.
So, whether that is 3 long welds or there is a forth, it would have produced enough heat to make most of the hilt uninhabitable for the thermal resin used to secure the blade.
It would have probobly boiled out of the front part, or caught fire.
If it was gas welded (a much slower process) then the heat would have been even greater.
So for me, the resin must have been replaced, no question.
Next thing I wondered about was if the welding was a repair, or to marry the guard to a different handle?
The work on the pierced guard looks rather fine, and the chiseling on the grip looks like a strange match to me in a way.
It could just be that this sword was repaired and the resin had to be replaced. Or it could be that the sword is a marriage.
I also hate being the bearer of possible bad news.
Best
Gene