Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Tulwar hilt and disc pommel.....the reason for their design

Jens Nordlunde · 10th December 2006, 04:41 PM

Hi Katana,

I agree very much with you. As I believe the ‘fingering’ technique could/would only lead to a missing finger, and who would want that in the middle of a battle?

The Europeans made use of the ‘fingering’ technique, but they fought in a different way, and the finger was protected. Had the Indians used this technique, they would at least have made sure the finger had some protection.

When this is said, I must add, that we have another question. We have tulwars with or without ricasso (shamshir/tulwar blades), but why did the Indian blades have a ricasso? Sometimes it is short, and sometimes it is rather long – but why is it there?

Could it be from ancient times, before they used quillons, if the hand slipped a bit, you did not cut your fingers at once, only if it slipped a lot? After they got the quillons, they still made the ricasso – be course that was the way blades were made. A lot of the things done when making blades or marks on blades, had no doubt a meaning, but I also think it was used long after the original meaning was forgotten - it was tradition.

10th December 2006, 04:41 PM	#44
Jens Nordlunde Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Europe Posts: 2,718	Hi Katana, I agree very much with you. As I believe the ‘fingering’ technique could/would only lead to a missing finger, and who would want that in the middle of a battle? The Europeans made use of the ‘fingering’ technique, but they fought in a different way, and the finger was protected. Had the Indians used this technique, they would at least have made sure the finger had some protection. When this is said, I must add, that we have another question. We have tulwars with or without ricasso (shamshir/tulwar blades), but why did the Indian blades have a ricasso? Sometimes it is short, and sometimes it is rather long – but why is it there? Could it be from ancient times, before they used quillons, if the hand slipped a bit, you did not cut your fingers at once, only if it slipped a lot? After they got the quillons, they still made the ricasso – be course that was the way blades were made. A lot of the things done when making blades or marks on blades, had no doubt a meaning, but I also think it was used long after the original meaning was forgotten - it was tradition.