Interesting tulwar
 

This one finished recently on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=6563090812

Kilij style of blade with a cut out central fuller, and a transitional hilt with features of the Indian basket hilt and the later Indo-Muslim hilt.

Unusual piece.

Ian.

No Ian, you are not overdoing it, it is a most unusual weapon. I have never seen one with a blade like this before, and although it looks like a fighting weapon, I doubt that the cut in the blade would be a very good idea - maybe it has been done later, who knows?

Could it have had little beads in the middle and now that section had worn away?

Hi Battar,

I doubt this very much, as the grove is far too broad. There must have been another 'meaning' to it - but what?
I realy wonder, why make such a grove at a place, where the blade should be at its strongest?

I experienced that any kind of cutout in a blade, especially when long, can and will cause disgusting vibration while impacting. I don't know what this sword is, but I would've never used it. Blah, directly on the "sweet spot"... :eek: It'd kill my wrist.

You know , where the open part on the blade is the metal at each end looks paper thin . Perhaps this area had rusted through and was then filed out to enhance what would have been a very ugly looking area in an otherwise interesting sword . The pierced basket is a rather old style IIRC and if the blade is the same age and had been neglected , well ......... :rolleyes:

I almost posted the same... but then, I saw that you were faster. This theory would explain the uneven slot-end... and I think that a deep fuller could corrode quite fast, especially in the hands of a negligent user. You know, all that blood, and you can't really wipe it out... :) And this theory would explain why it's on the "sweet spot". Or I'm just too tired and I'm writing idiotisms. :confused: