Yatagan

Dom · 14th February 2012, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David R

A piece from my collection, bought off the bargain pile at a dealers. The black horn hilt scales are replacements made by me, in a style I remembered from a previous piece I owned...the originals were long gone and painted plaster used to substitute.
Any comments on possible origin, and hopefully a translation of the inscription are invited and welcomed. The engraving is much cruder than the workmanship of the sword, so I guess done some time later.

Hi Dav
congratulations ... nice yatagan, very good reconstitution for the hilt
if only i could know from where I could get the corals ...

the quality of the engraving, will not help for a translation
any way, it's not a job for me, surely it's wrote in Turkish
except for Arabic writing, I'm useless ... sorry

à +

Dom

David R · 14th February 2012, 05:57 PM

Hi Dom, the corals on this piece are original to it, with one missing. I went hunting up coral for a replacement and a business down the road sells coral cabachons in a variety of sizes, but alas not the rich red of these, only a pale pink colour.
I think I was lucky with this one as well, I think the botched grips it had caused others to overlook it.

David R · 25th February 2012, 12:17 AM

Any Balkan, Turkish, fans out there?

AJ1356 · 25th February 2012, 03:31 AM

The inscription is hard to read but it is a common one on many Islamic swords. It basically reads, No man like Ali not sword like Zulfiqaar.

David R · 25th February 2012, 10:24 AM

I expected, hoped for, a standard motto or slogan. The engraving is so crudely done I think anything original would be incomprehensable. Pity really in a way, as the sword itself is nicely made.

SERGIU · 28th February 2012, 06:26 PM

you made the horn hilt scales ? great job, sir .
did you heat the horns in fire? ottoman and balkan makers had a specific technique to give form to the eared grips, with fire and special tools, I watched turkish tv ,a show named Ellerin Turkusu where they showed how it was done.

David R · 28th February 2012, 08:24 PM

I simply cut the horn scales from some buffalo horn I had in store. I had owned (but sold on years ago) a yataghan before, and modeled these on what I remembered of it. I used fairly thick pieces, so I imagine the more sophisticated method of heating and shaping saves material, and probably produces a stronger piece of work.

14th February 2012, 05:57 PM	#2
David R Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 1,120	Coral. Hi Dom, the corals on this piece are original to it, with one missing. I went hunting up coral for a replacement and a business down the road sells coral cabachons in a variety of sizes, but alas not the rich red of these, only a pale pink colour. I think I was lucky with this one as well, I think the botched grips it had caused others to overlook it.

25th February 2012, 12:17 AM	#3
David R Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 1,120	Bump. Any Balkan, Turkish, fans out there?

25th February 2012, 10:24 AM	#5
David R Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 1,120	Thankyou. I expected, hoped for, a standard motto or slogan. The engraving is so crudely done I think anything original would be incomprehensable. Pity really in a way, as the sword itself is nicely made.

25th February 2012, 03:31 AM	#4
AJ1356 Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Nashville Posts: 317	The inscription is hard to read but it is a common one on many Islamic swords. It basically reads, No man like Ali not sword like Zulfiqaar.

28th February 2012, 06:26 PM	#6
SERGIU Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Timisoara, Romania Posts: 32	you made the horn hilt scales ? great job, sir . did you heat the horns in fire? ottoman and balkan makers had a specific technique to give form to the eared grips, with fire and special tools, I watched turkish tv ,a show named Ellerin Turkusu where they showed how it was done.

28th February 2012, 08:24 PM	#7
David R Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 1,120	I simply cut the horn scales from some buffalo horn I had in store. I had owned (but sold on years ago) a yataghan before, and modeled these on what I remembered of it. I used fairly thick pieces, so I imagine the more sophisticated method of heating and shaping saves material, and probably produces a stronger piece of work.