An Ottoman Shamshir for Comment

[Philip]

Based upon the position of the eyelash markings at present, and comparison of its general proportions (including fuller width and spacing vis-a-vis the spine and edge) to other blades of its ilk which I have personally examined and/or seen in photos over many years, I still believe that the blade of this one has been ground down, most likely PRIOR to being mounted in its present hilt.

It is very likely that the narrowing of the blade (skilfully executed, to harmonize with the spine) was done at the same time the calligraphy was etched into the surface.

Kilij and shamshir blades have relatively diminutive tangs (generally no more than 3 1/2 in. long and about 2/3 the width of the blade) which are rivetted to an iron plate which has the contours of the hilt itself. A peripheral band or strap is brazed or soldered around the plate, and the gripscales rest upon the band, being held in place by rivets running through matching holes in the iron plate. The plate is invariably wider than the blade tang, and thus a tang can be attached a bit "off center", or even filed down on one side, to compensate for the loss of some width at the edge and thus end up being centered on the finished hilt.

There are also cases which I have seen in which the tang itself has been replaced; the old one (originally forged as an extension of the blade billet) replaced with a separate unit, whose forward end is cleft to accept the blade and perhaps just a nub of the original tang, to provide enough contact surface for a good forge-weld. In this way, the new tang can be made to be centered on whatever width the altered blade may happen to be.

The small short groove in the area corresponding to the ricasso may well have been cut after the blade was narrowed. On blades which I have studied which have this feature and all/most of their original width, this groove tends to be somewhat wider and deeper.