An unusual Shaska

[Jim McDougall]

In my post #3, I mentioned unusual sabres with Ottoman grips which had a European style guard and knucklebow, which seemed pertinent here as we consider these rather hybridized forms. This one Gav had some time ago and the photo is of this form. It seems to have had Hungarian associations as well of course as Ottoman influence, and I wonder if perhaps these might have been involved with Ottoman forces, perhaps in Balkans .

There is a sabre with the pistol grip hilt and crossguard with elliptical langet/quillon block with alternating quillons but no knuckleguard which is attributed (noted probably in reference) to Hungarian light cavalry early 19th to mid. ("Edged Weapons: Sabers of the Habsburg Empire 16th-2th c" Konopisky& Moudry, 1991, Prague, pp.68-69), but this only suggests that pistol grip hilts were not unknown in Hungarian context

Returning to the 'shashka' type example in discussion, it is tempting to suggest the cleft may be related to Ottoman yataghans, but the hilt and cleft features are more of Caucasian shashka style.

It seems quite possible for this example attached here to possibly be aligned with Ottoman presence in Balkans (the blade here has the familiar sun and moon inscribed as on Hungarian forms).
With the wide influences of the Ottoman Empire diffused through these many countries and regions it is a challenge to determine just what classification to set on these hybrids.

* Gavin Nugent photo