My latest piece, a Yataghan blade.

David R · 20th May 2018, 08:24 PM

Just bought in today at a local antique arms fair. A stripped yataghan blade with a catalogue number from a museum or large collection. I bought it mainly because it had a nice poincon or stamp. Alas it did not photo that well. Next step, to work out what sort of mount would fit it best.

Jens Nordlunde · 21st May 2018, 04:57 PM

Nice blade, but how long is it?
A pity photographing the stamp did not work, please try again, maybe someone knows from where it is, which would give you an idea of what the hilt should look like.

ariel · 21st May 2018, 11:08 PM

Jens,
I do not think it is going to help much: blades were forged en masse and sold all over the Ottoman Empire and adjacent countries. Elgood mentions it re. Northern Balkans and Daskalov gives a long list of Bulgarian weapon-manufacturing centers.
One can mount any handle on it and it will be "correct". One can even add kilij handle and crossguard and call it a naval one ( also per Elgood):-)
One thing is for sure: it is neither Zeibek, nor Bulgarian Karakulak. Those had integral bolsters.

David R · 22nd May 2018, 12:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jens Nordlunde

Nice blade, but how long is it?
A pity photographing the stamp did not work, please try again, maybe someone knows from where it is, which would give you an idea of what the hilt should look like.

Total length including tang is 28 inches, 71 centimetres.... Next job, clean and etch to see what it is made of. Then to hilt it, I am in fact considering the karabela/kilij type hilt, as I rather like the look of them.

20th May 2018, 08:24 PM	#1
David R Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 1,079	My latest piece, a Yataghan blade. Just bought in today at a local antique arms fair. A stripped yataghan blade with a catalogue number from a museum or large collection. I bought it mainly because it had a nice poincon or stamp. Alas it did not photo that well. Next step, to work out what sort of mount would fit it best. Attached Images

21st May 2018, 04:57 PM	#2
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	Nice blade, but how long is it? A pity photographing the stamp did not work, please try again, maybe someone knows from where it is, which would give you an idea of what the hilt should look like.

21st May 2018, 11:08 PM	#3
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Jens, I do not think it is going to help much: blades were forged en masse and sold all over the Ottoman Empire and adjacent countries. Elgood mentions it re. Northern Balkans and Daskalov gives a long list of Bulgarian weapon-manufacturing centers. One can mount any handle on it and it will be "correct". One can even add kilij handle and crossguard and call it a naval one ( also per Elgood):-) One thing is for sure: it is neither Zeibek, nor Bulgarian Karakulak. Those had integral bolsters.