Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Flyssa with yataghan-like blade

Emanuel · 27th August 2013, 07:17 PM

Hi Jim and Teodor,

I did consider that the blade might have been curved later in its life. It would originally have looked more like the attached pic from Oriental-Arms.

The blade changes angles at two spots along the blade. I can actually see the areas along the edge that show some deformation due to a forward bend of the spine. This had to have been done on a forge though, or the areas needed to be heated to permit deformation.

I think this was still an old mofification. Camille Lacoste-Dujardin wrote that after 1850 the flyssa became obsolete and the Iflissen pretty much stopped producing them. Other neighbouring tribes started modifying blades to new tastes, with forward and back curves, and selling them to resellers in Algiers for the tourist trade. Interestingly she notes that long blades were also cut down to dagger size. This would explain why short dagger flyssa still retain unnecessarily thick blades.

Jim I might have written something years ago about young Kabyle men getting their first "Utagan" or Utarran" (yataghan). IIRC the account was written by a Englishman visiting Algeria in the 1830s. I'll try to dig up that reference.

Regards,
Emanuel

27th August 2013, 07:17 PM	#8
Emanuel Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,242	Hi Jim and Teodor, I did consider that the blade might have been curved later in its life. It would originally have looked more like the attached pic from Oriental-Arms. The blade changes angles at two spots along the blade. I can actually see the areas along the edge that show some deformation due to a forward bend of the spine. This had to have been done on a forge though, or the areas needed to be heated to permit deformation. I think this was still an old mofification. Camille Lacoste-Dujardin wrote that after 1850 the flyssa became obsolete and the Iflissen pretty much stopped producing them. Other neighbouring tribes started modifying blades to new tastes, with forward and back curves, and selling them to resellers in Algiers for the tourist trade. Interestingly she notes that long blades were also cut down to dagger size. This would explain why short dagger flyssa still retain unnecessarily thick blades. Jim I might have written something years ago about young Kabyle men getting their first "Utagan" or Utarran" (yataghan). IIRC the account was written by a Englishman visiting Algeria in the 1830s. I'll try to dig up that reference. Regards, Emanuel Attached Images