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24th July 2024, 03:24 AM | #1 | |
Arms Historian
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Route 66
Posts: 9,894
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Quote:
This is all exceptional information, and much appreciated, you are clearly very well informed. Honestly I am delighted to find that these edged weapons (and thank you for the itemized list) were indeed made at the Machin Khana. I had never been able to find proof that was the case. As ALWAYS, the emphasis is on guns with edged weapons seldom meriting mention as with most military oriented literature. I am thrilled to hear of this upcoming book, and hope you will keep us informed on how to obtain when released. I presume though the focus is on firearms, the details on swords regardless how minimal are mentioned as suggested. Good to know these blades on the Afghan military swords are unique as I had suspected, so your confirmation is appreciated. Also that the hilts were based on some British design (I had mentioned similarity to a sword bayonet hilt). I once tried to reach Wilkinson to discover if they in fact had any part in these hilts being so close to bayonet style, but no useful response was forthcoming. In these times Wilkinson had plenty of contracts supplying India as well as Abyssinia, so it does not seem it would have been a problem, but if the Khan chose otherwise. The Afghan shashka would of course have been unique to Afghanistan, however these have often been deemed Uzbek, which is rather a vague differentiation which I have yet to follow the particulars. Note fluted scabbard component similar to those on paluoars. If the British pattern bayonets were being produced there, wonder if the components were interchangeable for the grip, pommel, and ferrule? Some of these military hilts have had different guards, and on occasion it seems similar to paluoar types. |
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24th July 2024, 04:32 AM | #2 | |
Member
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 52
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Basically officers could private purchase more elaborate swords to wear, as long as it matched whatever the standard issue prototype was roughly. I wonder if such a policy still existed at the same time in Europe, or if by the mid 19th century officers were only allowed to wear government issue swords |
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24th July 2024, 05:37 AM | #3 |
Vikingsword Staff
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 6,287
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I have put this question out here before and no one seems to know.
I have to ask; have you ever seen this marking on the guard of the short sword? |
24th July 2024, 01:22 PM | #4 |
Arms Historian
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Route 66
Posts: 9,894
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Thanks very much for the assessment on my shashka! Years ago when I got it, both Torben Flindt and Iaroslav Lebedynsky agreed on same, it was Afghan, but no specifics.
Might you have examples or photos of an Uzbek version for comparison? In looking in the example in your post #3, with the apparently faux Star of Solomon used on Wilkinson sword blades for officers.....the guard design seems to be in the manner of the British officers 'honeysuckle hilt' for heavy cavalry officers and other variations. |
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