Afghan Pulourar Sabre/Scabbard Upgrade

[rickystl]

It's hard to believe that seven years have passed by already since I first posted this sabre here on the Forum. Here is the Link to my original Thread for background:

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=17016

Recently I had the sabre out looking and twirling it around and noticed the blade had become just a tad loose from the hilt. Nothing real noticeable, but loose none the less. It's just one of those things that buggs some of us. LOL
So I sent the sabre and scabbard to fellow Forum member and restorer Philip Tom to tighten the grip. Which he accomplished admirably.

But I'm sure glad I sent the scabbard along too. I knew the thin, black velvet material covering the scabbard was a later addition. But it turned out it was a MUCH later addition. And quite flimsy. So Philip offered to recover the scabbard with some grained Moroccan leather he had on hand. Of course I quickly agreed. With the black velvet material being such a late addition I had nothing to loose. While removing the velvet it was found to have a backyard type repair to the wood using some type of news/magazine paper wrapped around - that still showed advertising. LOL Hilarious !!! Also, the chape was fitted about 1-1 1/2" longer than necessary. So the wood scabbard was properly repaired and the chape moved inward a bit offering a more balanced look. The sling rings were loose, so Philip shimmed them nice and snug.
I received the sabre back last Monday. At first view I couldn't believe my eyes. WOW!!! Philip gave the leather covering an antique finish, with little scuffs here and there. You would almost swear the leather was original to the scabbard. Even smells like old leather. LOL The scabbard is and looks so much better. I could not be happier with the results. THANK YOU PHILIP !! Pictures just don't seem to do justice to the leather covering. But here are some anyway....

I thought I saved the two pics of the paper wrapped wood that Philip sent me, but can't seem to locate them. Hopefully Philip will chime in and has the two pics he sent me. It's so funny.

Thanks again Philip for such a masterful job.

Rick

[rickystl]

THREE MORE PICS......

[kahnjar1]

Great job on that scabbard IMHO. The aging looks wonderful.
Stu

[Kubur]

Yes, it's a top quality work.

[Ian]

Yes, Philip does some excellent work. I'm hoping he will tell us more about the leather and where it came from. I suspect it is quite old and is recycled from something unrelated to weapons.

[mariusgmioc]

Hello Rick,

I opened your message, just looked at the pictures and thought: what a beautiful Afghan pulowar complete with original scabbard...

Then I read your comment and realised that to my surprise, the scabbard was restored...

But wow, it is so well done that I wouldn't have guessed in a thousand years it was restored.

Philip is a real artist!

[Sajen]

Very good job!

[rickystl]

I found the two pics. After the thin velvet material was removed, here is what was wrapped around a portion of the wood......LOL

Rick

[kahnjar1]

Hi Rick,
Don't know if you investigated those labels.....here is a link to Indore https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indore
and to Ballantines Ale https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._Bal...rewing_Company
Stu

[Philip]

Wow, so we are able to put a place and hopefully a range of dates on the labels. Am glad I took those pics before I installed the leather. And that Ricky saved them when I attached them to an email, I no longer have them in my iPhone's photo file!

[Philip]

Originally Posted by Ian

Yes, Philip does some excellent work. I'm hoping he will tell us more about the leather and where it came from. I suspect it is quite old and is recycled from something unrelated to weapons.

Thanks, Ian. I like to use salvaged antique material whenever possible ,but often, it is not dimensionally compatible with the project (especially when applied to a curved slender object with a considerable expanse of material required between fittings. There are other issues as well -- fragility, and old crease lines on the salvaged stock that would be incongruous on the thing to be re-covered.

I used to e able to get some wonderful morocco-grained goat leather that was an excellent match for old shagreen as re texture, and it came in black and dark green which was perfect for virtually all Near Eastern and Chinese scabbard jobs. But the importer quit handling it. On this pulouar, I had some similar stuff that I got from a supplier that provides materials for restorers of vintage and antique cameras and optical equipment -- binocs, spyglasses, and their cases. It's thin and the surface is hard to the touch, like the originals. The downside is that it has virtually no "stretch" to it, unlike the goat I used to use previously, so forming it around a curved sheat can be tricky if you want to avoid wrinkles. But I have ways to address that and it "distresses" very well for a nice antique effect.

[shayde78]

Originally Posted by Philip

Thanks, Ian. I like to use salvaged antique material whenever possible ,but often, it is not dimensionally compatible with the project (especially when applied to a curved slender object with a considerable expanse of material required between fittings. There are other issues as well -- fragility, and old crease lines on the salvaged stock that would be incongruous on the thing to be re-covered.

I used to e able to get some wonderful morocco-grained goat leather that was an excellent match for old shagreen as re texture, and it came in black and dark green which was perfect for virtually all Near Eastern and Chinese scabbard jobs. But the importer quit handling it. On this pulouar, I had some similar stuff that I got from a supplier that provides materials for restorers of vintage and antique cameras and optical equipment -- binocs, spyglasses, and their cases. It's thin and the surface is hard to the touch, like the originals. The downside is that it has virtually no "stretch" to it, unlike the goat I used to use previously, so forming it around a curved sheat can be tricky if you want to avoid wrinkles. But I have ways to address that and it "distresses" very well for a nice antique effect.

Truly a masterful job!

[Kubur]

Originally Posted by Philip

Wow, so we are able to put a place and hopefully a range of dates on the labels. Am glad I took those pics before I installed the leather. And that Ricky saved them when I attached them to an email, I no longer have them in my iPhone's photo file!

I found some nice Japanese papers wrapped around the tang of a wakizashi, these little finds are so interesting.

Rick, you have also a label of US Ballantine beer!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._Bal...rewing_Company

Papers travel fast and Indian or US labels don't mean a lot, unless you have some dates on them.

[Kubur]

Originally Posted by Kubur

I found some nice Japanese papers wrapped around the tang of a wakizashi, these little finds are so interesting.

Rick, you have also a label of US Ballantine beer!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._Bal...rewing_Company

Papers travel fast and Indian or US labels don't mean a lot, unless you have some dates on them.

I can see that Stu updated his post accordingly to my comments, funny!

[kahnjar1]

Originally Posted by Kubur

I can see that Stu updated his post accordingly to my comments, funny!

Sorry Kubur, I was still working on the Ballantine thing. You will note my update was 1 hour before your post......

[Kubur]

Really?

For me, the forum is just a passion that I share with other forum members and not a competition of any kind.
My time is GMT +1 and forum entry is GMT, thanks Ed.
Just sad, but people on the forum are like people in the real life!

[Edster]

Apparently, Ballantine brand was sold in 1972, so that may place a time context on the earlier paper wrap.

Also, I think the time stamp on forum entries is GMT, not local time on the entrant, just saying.

Regards,
Ed

[rickystl]

Hi Stu: Thanks so much for the Links. Never thought of investigating the labels. Indore and the Brewing Company. Very interesting. Sure glad I found those pics. LOL It would appear the the first repair may have been done in the latter 20th Century, as was originally suspected.

Hi Kubur: Yes, these little tidbits can be an interesting surprise when not expected. I have a Japanese matchlock, that while removing the barrel found this tiny piece of old cloth lying loose between the barrel and stock. A real surprise. Maybe an inspector's mark (?)

Philip: Thanks for adding your comments. And thank again for such a superb job. Much appreciated.

Rick