Bulgarian or Afghan knife?

TVV · 6th January 2019, 04:59 PM

To me this is 100% Balkan. The circle and dot motif is quite universal, and not just typical of Afghanistan.

Teodor

mahratt · 6th January 2019, 05:40 PM

Not Afghanistan

rumpel9 · 7th January 2019, 05:17 PM

Teodor, Dmitriy, thank you for your opinion.

Saracen · 7th January 2019, 05:48 PM

Оформление рукояти очень характерно для ножей из Сараево. Босния и Герцеговина.
С белой рукоятью называют аккулак.

The hilt design is very characteristic of knives from Sarajevo. Bosnia and Herzegovina.
With a white grip called Akkulak

mariusgmioc · 7th January 2019, 06:18 PM

In my opinion it is clearly a small Balkan yataghan.

Kubur · 7th January 2019, 06:21 PM

in my opinion its an algerian iflissen yatagan

ariel · 8th January 2019, 01:28 AM

Balkan.
I have an early Algerean flissa that is very much yataghan-like, but the differences are obvious.
Balkan karakulaks are massive and kind of crude, while Algerean are more elegant and carry elements that later on migrated to full-fledged flissas: doghead pommel of the handle, deeply carved blade decorations and very pointy and sharp tip..

I tend to believe that both stemmed from a classical Ottoman yataghan, but the interpretations were very different.

Top: Balkan ( likely Bulgarian) Karakulak, with Cyrillic initials and date “1838”

Bottom: early Algerian flissa.

Kubur · 8th January 2019, 10:14 AM

Well I didn't say flissa,
I wrote yatagan from the iflissen, Algerian copies of Balkan / Turkish yatagans...
the last one is the yataganish, some of them don't have any engravings or cooper inlays
look at the hilt of the second one...

8th January 2019, 01:28 AM	#7
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Balkan. I have an early Algerean flissa that is very much yataghan-like, but the differences are obvious. Balkan karakulaks are massive and kind of crude, while Algerean are more elegant and carry elements that later on migrated to full-fledged flissas: doghead pommel of the handle, deeply carved blade decorations and very pointy and sharp tip.. I tend to believe that both stemmed from a classical Ottoman yataghan, but the interpretations were very different. Top: Balkan ( likely Bulgarian) Karakulak, with Cyrillic initials and date “1838” Bottom: early Algerian flissa. Attached Images

8th January 2019, 10:14 AM	#8
Kubur Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 2,145	Well I didn't say flissa, I wrote yatagan from the iflissen, Algerian copies of Balkan / Turkish yatagans... the last one is the yataganish, some of them don't have any engravings or cooper inlays look at the hilt of the second one... Attached Images

6th January 2019, 04:59 PM	#1
TVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,738	To me this is 100% Balkan. The circle and dot motif is quite universal, and not just typical of Afghanistan. Teodor

6th January 2019, 05:40 PM	#2
mahratt Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Russia Posts: 1,042	Not Afghanistan

7th January 2019, 05:17 PM	#3
rumpel9 Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 68	Teodor, Dmitriy, thank you for your opinion.

7th January 2019, 05:48 PM	#4
Saracen Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Posts: 147	Оформление рукояти очень характерно для ножей из Сараево. Босния и Герцеговина. С белой рукоятью называют аккулак. The hilt design is very characteristic of knives from Sarajevo. Bosnia and Herzegovina. With a white grip called Akkulak

7th January 2019, 06:18 PM	#5
mariusgmioc Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Austria Posts: 1,914	In my opinion it is clearly a small Balkan yataghan.

7th January 2019, 06:21 PM	#6
Kubur Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 2,145	in my opinion its an algerian iflissen yatagan