Kaskara Fuller Styles and Some Blade Marks--a third essay for discussion

Kubur · 7th September 2018, 02:22 PM

3. El Kar
Quote:
A single groove running down the blade from the handle to point.
This style presents a fuller with a larger channel than the Suliman type. An informant in 1984 Kassala called it a Khar (channel) Hongoog (straw) for straw channel, “a wider line than Suliman.” The informant said that Ethiopian swords were blank (no lines), but had a mark. A contemporaneous blade smith, Fateh Hallak, made swords with a scooped-out blade called Khar (canal or channel)) for lighter weight and used the Ethiopian style mark. I have not seen one of his blades, but assume they are heavily fullered.

These blades seldom, if ever, have European makers' marks—I know of none—although others contain inscriptions.

In 2011, DaveS presented a superior El Kar fullered sword with possible links to Ali Dinar. It had no maker’s mark, but was highly engraved with Arabic text in the central channel.

Just a small comment about this al-Kar blade and single groove.
It seems that you don't distinguish the imported from the local blades.

To me each group that you describe is based on an import then reproduced locally.

Did you reccord or collect any vocabulary who distinguish the local/copies from the imported ones?

Thanks

7th September 2018, 02:22 PM	#12
Kubur Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 2,145	3. El Kar Quote: A single groove running down the blade from the handle to point. This style presents a fuller with a larger channel than the Suliman type. An informant in 1984 Kassala called it a Khar (channel) Hongoog (straw) for straw channel, “a wider line than Suliman.” The informant said that Ethiopian swords were blank (no lines), but had a mark. A contemporaneous blade smith, Fateh Hallak, made swords with a scooped-out blade called Khar (canal or channel)) for lighter weight and used the Ethiopian style mark. I have not seen one of his blades, but assume they are heavily fullered. These blades seldom, if ever, have European makers' marks—I know of none—although others contain inscriptions. In 2011, DaveS presented a superior El Kar fullered sword with possible links to Ali Dinar. It had no maker’s mark, but was highly engraved with Arabic text in the central channel. Just a small comment about this al-Kar blade and single groove. It seems that you don't distinguish the imported from the local blades. To me each group that you describe is based on an import then reproduced locally. Did you reccord or collect any vocabulary who distinguish the local/copies from the imported ones? Thanks