Сlassification of Indian swords.

[rumpel9]

ariel, I thought these terms referred to blades. In other words, it is necessary to say "Arapusta/Arapusta talwar" what it will mean serrated sword. Or a term Arapusta/Arapusta this refers specifically to the sword in general, and one word is enough to name a sword?

[ariel]

Originally Posted by rumpel9

ariel, I thought these terms referred to blades. In other words, it is necessary to say "Arapusta/Arapusta talwar" what it will mean serrated sword. Or a term Arapusta/Arapusta this refers specifically to the sword in general, and one word is enough to name a sword?

Yes, AFAIK these terms refer to blades only, although both of us are not sure:-(
Can somebody clarify it?

[Nihl]

Originally Posted by ariel

Yes, AFAIK these terms refer to blades only, although both of us are not sure:-(
Can somebody clarify it?

While I know I've definitely heard these terms before, I can't pinpoint quite where? Admittedly, my collection of "the classics" is severely lacking, but looking through the books that I do have (Elgood and Stone and the like) I can't find any glossary entries for these terms. As such, I too have to ask: can anyone clarify what the origin of these terms are (or where they were first recorded)?

In regards to their use, assuming they are legitimate and not mistranslated or anything, I agree with Rumpel's suggestion of "arapusta tulwar". In other words, I believe arapusta/aradam should be used as adjectives, not standalone terms. "Arapusta tulwar" can basically translate to "serrated sword" in the generic sense, but then something like "aradam khanda" or "arapusta firangi" can be used for specific examples as they appear. Using the more common word/sword type (tulwar) along with a more esoteric word should also make the term more approachable for beginners IMO, so they can know that the sword being referred to is a subtype, and not a separate specialized type of sword. Indeed, to my knowledge, more often than not these serrated blades are demonstrations of an artisan's skill rather than intended for battlefield use, which makes them a subtype to me.

[rumpel9]

I remembered another one of my Indian swords, which can serve as an illustration or a subject of discussion. Can we call him katti?

[Nihl]

Originally Posted by rumpel9

I remembered another one of my Indian swords, which can serve as an illustration or a subject of discussion. Can we call him katti?

I don't think katti would quite be the right term for this. If we look at the original definition for the word, katti is supposed to be the generic Malayali term for a knife or chopper. As such, it works if we apply the term to short swords that might function like "choppers", but at least to me this example looks to be too long to count as one. I would suggest the term kirach instead, but I can't actually tell if the tip curves forwards or not.

This sword also has a rather unusual construction. While the blade is quite long, it has the handle of a typical 19th century indian knife (kard/chaku/etc.), making this sword rather similar in construction to a european messer (in that its a sword built like a knife).

Overall, I'd be more inclined to call it a "civilian sword" than anything else. It lacks a more serious "military style" tulwar hilt, and the blade by itself isn't really out of the ordinary for 19th century manufacturing.

[ariel]

It reminds me of Selawa, popularly known as Khyber Knife, modified by Indian bladesmiths. Zira Bouk tip, is something that real Afghani Selawas never had: they were used as purely chopping weapons as per British military surgeons.
Can we use any Indian name? I am not sure: IMHO, it is outside any Indian tradition . I would call it “modified Afghani Selawa” and run for cover .

[rumpel9]

Finally, I did receive my long-standing purchase - an Indian sword, which I assumed could be called katti. Below you can see the photos. As Nihl pointed out quite correctly, the blade of this sword is made in the style of a Khyber knife. This sword can hardly be called katty.
But it is unlikely that this is the blade of a Khyber knife, with an Indian handle. The length of the blade is 73.5 cm . And at the base there is a brand - an Indian sign (by the way, no one knows what this sign means?).
How do you think this sword can be classified?