Origin of maker´s stamp on this yatagan

[Kubur]

It's probably a yataghan from the Balkans, maybe Greek?


Just kidding

[David R]

To me, the panelled blade had a Central Asian "feel". As for the stamp, lots of Ottoman Yataghans have stamps, possibly from the bigger workshops that exported them.
Pandour Yataghans tend to have more European mounts.

[kronckew]

Greek Yats tend to have integral bolsters, Turkish ones, not. As noted, lots of turkish yats have that small deep stamp that looks like there are some arabic letters inside.

[Martin Lubojacky]

Thanks for comments. The handle is Anatolian for sure. Re. the blade - I am definitely not an expert in yatagans, nevertheless to me it has "something like the Central Asian feel", too. It is interesting, that this style of blades exists (if we consider eastern side only) in Anatolia (yats) - and than there is big distance up to Indian sousson patas. There are not any Iranian and Afghan yatagans (I mean in recent 19th and beg. of 20th centuries, not in ancient times) ? (Sorry for this maybe trivial question).

As far as the possible European origin of the blade: The true is that its (thorough) workmansip recalls factory goods (e.g. quality cold weapons produced by the end of 19th century for armies ...).

[David R]

I would look at Afghanistan for this one. They made some odd hybrid weapons in the 19th century, and some outright copies as well. Afghan Kukri for example.
"Khyber knives" are regarded as a Yat' variant in fact.

[Kubur]

Originally Posted by kronckew

As noted, lots of turkish yats have that small deep stamp that looks like there are some arabic letters inside.

And the Algerian yataghans, they don't have deep stamps?

Martin is it possible to have good photos of the handle?

I know, I'm annoying, I'm saying that Greek yataghans are Turkish and the Turkish are Algerians...

[Martin Lubojacky]

Kubur, I don´t have possibility to do another photos, now. The handle is made of ordinary horn, its mountings of brass (relatively thick plate).
"Ears": They are partially broken. It is not classical T-handle with long spiky edges. It is something between this T-handle and small flat ears (slightly widened at the end, but this is broken)

[Kubur]

Originally Posted by Martin Lubojacky

Kubur, I don´t have possibility to do another photos, now. The handle is made of ordinary horn, its mountings of brass (relatively thick plate).
"Ears": They are partially broken. It is not classical T-handle with long spiky edges. It is something between this T-handle and small flat ears (slightly widened at the end, but this is broken)

Look at my Algerian yataghan, if you have such similar ears then you should consider serioulsy Algeria...
It would also explain the brutal beauty of the blade...

[kronckew]

Originally Posted by Kubur

And the Algerian yataghans, they don't have deep stamps?

Martin is it possible to have good photos of the handle?

I know, I'm annoying, I'm saying that Greek yataghans are Turkish and the Turkish are Algerians...

Algeria was part of the Turkish sphere of influence, someone mentioned the stamp as being a 'European' indicator, Greece was restless under the Turkish thumb, and kept their Eastern orthodox roots. I disagreed that the stamp was European. I have noted the Greek yats and yat shaped shepherd's knives have those integral bolsters and the turkish empire ones usually do not. (libyan khodmi being an exception, and not a yat anyway).

Anyhow, the recurved blade sword is ancient, spearing from Spain thru the Med where Greek colonies abounded, and of course Greece and Macedon itself used the Kopis, and Alexander, (Iskander) spread it east thru Persia into Afghanistan and northern india and it is even found as far as Indonesia. And it went west again with Ptolomy into Egypt and North Africa.

Found a drawing of yat hilt types, sadly cannot find the notes that correspond, i gather the document they are from is in Russian anyway.

[Martin Lubojacky]

Thank you Kronckew, the most similar is No 27, but with longer protruberances.
Thank you also for the nice compact summarization of the expansion of this style of blade in ancient times. I meant relatively recent times (like 19. and beginning of 20. century). Are there recurved yatagan like blades in Iran and Afganistan in this recent time period ? Not my field, but since I remember well recurved blades from 19/20 century discussed here were either yatagans (from anywhere) or Indian (Pakistan ?) swords ...

[Martin Lubojacky]

Kubur, thank you ! But it is different - there is no beak on the handle of my yatagan. Enclosed please find cut-out from my previous picture.