Ottoman Hancer for translation

[mariusgmioc]

Originally Posted by motan

Anyway, it looks like an Albanian type dagger made in Damascus, most probably ordered by an Albanian commander named Osman in late 18th. century. As for the question of Albanian type vs Persian/Caucasian. mmm. I don't know.

Only that Osman is a typical Turkish NOT Albanian name and...

... stylistically these daggers have nothing Albanian, but they are very similar to the Persian or Kurdish khanjars.


PS: The blade is of wootz Damascus steel but it needs some cleaning and re-etching.
The absence of documented evidence that wootz was produced West of Persia does not mean there weren't any. And even if wootz was not produced West of Persia, I am certain that Turkish and Arab smiths knew how to work wootz, whether it was produced locally or imported from Persia/India. And this blade is a clear example of this.