Euro/? Blade Double Use or Euro inspired?

Craig Johnson · 16th June 2005, 05:48 PM

Had a fellow send me these pics asking what this was. Does anyone recognize the script in the blade??

Best Craig

ariel · 16th June 2005, 06:31 PM

There is a strange dissonance between the demonstratively crude blade/tang/inscription and the very fine and civilized marking at the ricasso (profiled face). The conspicuos lack of any disfiguring rusting or deep patina is also strange. None of the letters make much sense to me.
I am very suspicious that this is a 19th -20th (more likely) century "replica".
As they say in South Africa, "I've put my cock on the block" (they mean rooster, of course...)

Yannis · 17th June 2005, 12:32 AM

I dont think it is a script on it. It looks like fantasy sword. With a lot of fantasy on

But it is really well made, exept the tang. They didnt gave lot of attention on the tang because it was covered with a hilt.

Anyway, I like it. It has a character.

ingelred · 17th June 2005, 09:11 AM

I don't know if this is important but the tang seems to be welded onto the blade. Concerning the blade, maybe there once was an inscription on it which did not suit the new owner so he destroyd it. But this is only a guess.

Greetings, Helge

tom hyle · 17th June 2005, 03:18 PM

Very interesting. Don't get discouraged over a "fantasy" sword. This is a hand made piece and very interesting if nothing else. The decorations are forged. I see no writing; only patterns imitative of blade grooves. The lion and the human have a N/E African (Ethiopian?) look. The welded on tang is very meaningful; if the piece was made by an industrial human he was being not only consciously primitive, but knowledgeably primitive. I'd more suggest the "fine art" scene than the recreator scene, but then Europe may be a bit different (AFAIK in that the reenactors etc. are much more authentic and serious as a rule; often only allowing exact copies of specific archaeological pieces to be used, for instance.). On the other hand the tang has a modern look (well, mostly the big hole; other than that it's not real unusual). The thing has features of many blades I've seen, but in unprecedented combination, perhaps. Any imput on temper? Sharpness? The flats appear to have been ground on (or what are those lines?)? It looks like a "primitive" copy of Indo Persian work?

tom hyle · 17th June 2005, 03:19 PM

Is this your sword then? It's very interesting. First, it is not a product of industrial processes, so if it was made by a person from an industrial culture it was with very deliberate and somewhat knowledgeable primitiveness. The welded on tang is the proof pudding for that; industrial culture dislikes a welded on tang, especially when it's the whole thing and not just the back end. Then of course, it is a hammer weld. All the decorations are forged in hot, though the flats seem to have been polished by grinding (? or what are those lines?). I do not think there is any writing, just geometric patterns, made up of lines of repeated stamps, perhaps with some traditional meaning, but mostly just decorative. The lion and the human both seem to be one-piece stamps that were hammered into the hot blade.
I'm not sure what nationality I might guess; if European probably made by a "fine art" art-scene artist/a blacksmith shooting for that scene. If traditional, it's like many things I've seen and unlike all of them.....

........My guess is N/E Africa, based mainly on the lion and the looks of the human.......but the short tang; with a big punched hole?.....seems modern?........almost seems like a "primitive" version of "Indo-Persian" work......
I like the looks of it. Any further information on how it was acquired? Any input on temper?
Ever sharp?

tom hyle · 17th June 2005, 03:20 PM

So I wrote two replies sort of kind of accidentally. See if they agree with each other; it's fun

16th June 2005, 05:48 PM	#1
Craig Johnson Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 12	Euro/? Blade Double Use or Euro inspired? Had a fellow send me these pics asking what this was. Does anyone recognize the script in the blade?? Best Craig Attached Images

17th June 2005, 03:20 PM	#7
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	bit of a computer error So I wrote two replies sort of kind of accidentally. See if they agree with each other; it's fun

16th June 2005, 06:31 PM	#2
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	There is a strange dissonance between the demonstratively crude blade/tang/inscription and the very fine and civilized marking at the ricasso (profiled face). The conspicuos lack of any disfiguring rusting or deep patina is also strange. None of the letters make much sense to me. I am very suspicious that this is a 19th -20th (more likely) century "replica". As they say in South Africa, "I've put my cock on the block" (they mean rooster, of course...)

17th June 2005, 12:32 AM	#3
Yannis Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Athens Greece Posts: 479	I dont think it is a script on it. It looks like fantasy sword. With a lot of fantasy on But it is really well made, exept the tang. They didnt gave lot of attention on the tang because it was covered with a hilt. Anyway, I like it. It has a character.

17th June 2005, 09:11 AM	#4
ingelred Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Moenchengladbach, Germany Posts: 62	I don't know if this is important but the tang seems to be welded onto the blade. Concerning the blade, maybe there once was an inscription on it which did not suit the new owner so he destroyd it. But this is only a guess. Greetings, Helge

17th June 2005, 03:18 PM	#5
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	Very interesting. Don't get discouraged over a "fantasy" sword. This is a hand made piece and very interesting if nothing else. The decorations are forged. I see no writing; only patterns imitative of blade grooves. The lion and the human have a N/E African (Ethiopian?) look. The welded on tang is very meaningful; if the piece was made by an industrial human he was being not only consciously primitive, but knowledgeably primitive. I'd more suggest the "fine art" scene than the recreator scene, but then Europe may be a bit different (AFAIK in that the reenactors etc. are much more authentic and serious as a rule; often only allowing exact copies of specific archaeological pieces to be used, for instance.). On the other hand the tang has a modern look (well, mostly the big hole; other than that it's not real unusual). The thing has features of many blades I've seen, but in unprecedented combination, perhaps. Any imput on temper? Sharpness? The flats appear to have been ground on (or what are those lines?)? It looks like a "primitive" copy of Indo Persian work?

17th June 2005, 03:19 PM	#6
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	Is this your sword then? It's very interesting. First, it is not a product of industrial processes, so if it was made by a person from an industrial culture it was with very deliberate and somewhat knowledgeable primitiveness. The welded on tang is the proof pudding for that; industrial culture dislikes a welded on tang, especially when it's the whole thing and not just the back end. Then of course, it is a hammer weld. All the decorations are forged in hot, though the flats seem to have been polished by grinding (? or what are those lines?). I do not think there is any writing, just geometric patterns, made up of lines of repeated stamps, perhaps with some traditional meaning, but mostly just decorative. The lion and the human both seem to be one-piece stamps that were hammered into the hot blade. I'm not sure what nationality I might guess; if European probably made by a "fine art" art-scene artist/a blacksmith shooting for that scene. If traditional, it's like many things I've seen and unlike all of them..... ........My guess is N/E Africa, based mainly on the lion and the looks of the human.......but the short tang; with a big punched hole?.....seems modern?........almost seems like a "primitive" version of "Indo-Persian" work...... I like the looks of it. Any further information on how it was acquired? Any input on temper? Ever sharp?