A Lovely Old Khyber Knife/Salawar Yataghan...but where from???

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by AJ1356

That is one beautiful Seylaawa (that is what we call them). The hilt does not follow the normal hilt style of a seylaawa, the blade follows the norm all the way to the tip and then it becomes a bit unortodox. The wootz pattern is great and the gold inlaid kandankaari seems to be Kabuli. The hilt design looks suspeciously Bukharan, and the quality of work IMHO moves it far away from Khayber area and closer to Kabul. I'd say mostlikely it was made in Kabul by a migerant smith from North of Amu River.

Excellent assessment AJ!! and I am inclined to go with what you're saying.
The spines on the back of the blade remind me of shamshirs I have seen from Turkmenistan, and the Persian influence goes hand in hand with Bukhara. Gorgeous wootz!!!

All best,
Jim