Nepalese Pra-swords

Jim McDougall · 1st October 2007, 12:49 AM

Hello Kai,
Thanks very much for answering!
You are right in that using the term kora for this weapon may be a bit arbitrary, and often specific terminology in describing ethnographic weapons can be both frustrating and misleading. The distinct double roundel hilt seen on the kora of course has been used as well on many variant weapons of the subcontinent, thank you for clarifying that point.

All best regards,
Jim

Andreas Volk · 1st October 2007, 04:42 PM

Very interesting beast ...
might I ask for a close up picture of the tip ? Just to "exclude" that we are looking at a kora with a down-grinded and then reworked and again heat treated tip.

regards

Andreas

Jim McDougall · 1st October 2007, 05:47 PM

Good point Andreas!!!

....couldnt resist!

This doesnt seem ground down, but I really cant tell, many of the guys have a better eye for those characteristics than I do for sure.

Best regards,
Jim

ariel · 1st October 2007, 10:17 PM

Here they are. I cannot detect any sign of alteration: the curve is contiguous, smooth and there are no signs of any work on the area.

Andreas Volk · 2nd October 2007, 01:27 PM

Hello Ariel,
Thank you very much for the close up - that is a strange beast. Actually I was suspecting something like what I tried to describe with the red lines in the attached picture.
As this sword also has a fitting scabbard i already asumed that (even if it was made from cut down kora) the tip would have been properly heat treated etc.
But I agree - from your pictures I can't see any feature that would hint this to be a "grinded/cut down" piece.
So we have to assume that it isn't.

Thanks a lot for the clarification. Something new to look at !

Andreas

1st October 2007, 04:42 PM	#2
Andreas Volk Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: South of Germany Posts: 8	reworked kora ? Very interesting beast ... might I ask for a close up picture of the tip ? Just to "exclude" that we are looking at a kora with a down-grinded and then reworked and again heat treated tip. regards Andreas

1st October 2007, 10:17 PM	#4
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Here they are. I cannot detect any sign of alteration: the curve is contiguous, smooth and there are no signs of any work on the area. Attached Images

2nd October 2007, 01:27 PM	#5
Andreas Volk Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: South of Germany Posts: 8	strange beast Hello Ariel, Thank you very much for the close up - that is a strange beast. Actually I was suspecting something like what I tried to describe with the red lines in the attached picture. As this sword also has a fitting scabbard i already asumed that (even if it was made from cut down kora) the tip would have been properly heat treated etc. But I agree - from your pictures I can't see any feature that would hint this to be a "grinded/cut down" piece. So we have to assume that it isn't. Thanks a lot for the clarification. Something new to look at ! Andreas Attached Images

1st October 2007, 12:49 AM	#1
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,281	Hello Kai, Thanks very much for answering! You are right in that using the term kora for this weapon may be a bit arbitrary, and often specific terminology in describing ethnographic weapons can be both frustrating and misleading. The distinct double roundel hilt seen on the kora of course has been used as well on many variant weapons of the subcontinent, thank you for clarifying that point. All best regards, Jim

1st October 2007, 05:47 PM	#3
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,281	Good point Andreas!!! ....couldnt resist! This doesnt seem ground down, but I really cant tell, many of the guys have a better eye for those characteristics than I do for sure. Best regards, Jim