Bosnian Bichaq

Saracen · 2nd May 2021, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gp

A small exception could however have caused this : between 1860 and 1878, also in 1918 the Ottoman empire was shaken and quite a lot of people moved, some forcibly (a form of ethnic cleansing) whilst others voluntarily moved from east to west and west to east; from the Balkans to the Ottoman / Turkish territory or vice versa as states were created in the Balkans

Thank you for explaining this possible borrowing between Bosnian knife and Surmene knife.
Sometimes they have a very similar decor of the handle, but even the blade characteristic for of the surmene knife does not allow us to confidently determine their origin. It would be very interesting to know more about these similarities.

gp · 2nd May 2021, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saracen

Thank you for explaining this possible borrowing between Bosnian knife and Surmene knife.
Sometimes they have a very similar decor of the handle, but even the blade characteristic for of the surmen knife does not allow us to confidently determine their origin. It would be very interesting to know more about these similarities.

I agree and also am looking for info or sources to learn more on this topic.
Most of my sources are from the former Yugoslavia / their successor states (Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia) also Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey...
but unfortunately the attention ( also by the Anglo-Saxon and German / Austrian authors of cold weapons ) focusses more to the "big" and more fancy ones likes yataghans and hardly or to a lesser degree on these kind of knives (bichaq in Turkish, kama and cakija in Slav languages).
90% of my info dates from publications between 1880 to 1980 and a few are recent ones but sadly nothing new or more on these types of "potential" cross-over ...and contacting folks in the mentioned regions does not result in much new info on the smaller knives...

Even authorities like Vejsil Ćurčić ( around the 1920ies) , Marija Šercer (around the 1970ies) and Tarik Kožo (around 2010ies) do not go into that detail sadly...

gp · 2nd May 2021, 08:52 PM

to add more to the above, the newest cousin in my "Bosanceros"☺ collection.

Although it doesn't have the yataghan-like ears or curl with stubs which in combination with the bone handle and circular ornament are typical Bosnian, this one has a "flat"end of the handle as one sees with more Ottoman cold weapons but due to the handle's details ( red stone and circular ornament ) is certainly Bosnian..
The blade is 20 cm long and the writing in silver is 18.. and could be Sarajevo. It is made prior the Habsburg occupation I believe from around 1850 -1870.
Sadly no scabbard...

gp · 2nd May 2021, 09:35 PM

this one, with scabbard and blade 17 cm Sarajevo 1887 written in silver, looks like the white bone version of Gonzoadler's green one

2nd May 2021, 08:52 PM	#3
gp Member Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 830	to add more to the above, the newest cousin in my "Bosanceros"☺ collection. Although it doesn't have the yataghan-like ears or curl with stubs which in combination with the bone handle and circular ornament are typical Bosnian, this one has a "flat"end of the handle as one sees with more Ottoman cold weapons but due to the handle's details ( red stone and circular ornament ) is certainly Bosnian.. The blade is 20 cm long and the writing in silver is 18.. and could be Sarajevo. It is made prior the Habsburg occupation I believe from around 1850 -1870. Sadly no scabbard... Attached Images Last edited by gp; 2nd May 2021 at 09:48 PM.

2nd May 2021, 09:35 PM	#4
gp Member Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 830	this one, with scabbard and blade 17 cm Sarajevo 1887 written in silver, looks like the white bone version of Gonzoadler's green one Attached Images Last edited by gp; 2nd May 2021 at 09:49 PM.