etched kaskara blade?

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by stephen wood

...thanks Jim. I took the dating with a pinch of salt...

What about the tang? Isn't there usually a hole to secure the hilt? (see image) Also the tang looks like it was added rather than being an integral part of the blade. I general though I think it could be a kaskara...

The "thuluth" blades tend to be shorter, wider, blunt and thinner in my experience.

Re. the museum, the seller took it to Rochester Museum in the 80's...not as if Christopher Spring had a look

Hi Stephen,

With that 'optimistic' date thrown out so cavalierly, I completely agree, and if someone said Spring had made that assessment I would've fallen over!!

I'm not really well versed at commenting on the hilting process of these weapons, as most of my observation has been external, but I am inclined to think David is correct, the tang seems unusually short. (thank you for those links David!).

As we have seen, with the example you posted previous to this, the mounting and refurbishing of these weapons in Sudan, seems not to be simply a tourist intended cottage industry, but swords are still being traditional heirlooms that do often receive much older blades. In many Sudanese regions, especially Darfur I believe, the kaskara sword remains a proud traditional accoutrement, though not necessarily intended for actual use.
Perhaps that is why the tang on this one was short as it needed only to place the blade in the hilt, regardless of functionality.

It seems that the 'thuluth' acid etched blades are often decoratively applied, contrary to many of the meaningfully inscribed 'lohr' type panels carrying reverently placed invocations on most higher quality kaskara. Most of these profusely etched blades derive from the Mahdist period, and were of course produced for many years thereafter. I have never fully understood whether this decorative calligraphy was intelligible or not. In most cases of the very thoroughly covering use, it was not.

Thank you for the great graphics showing the mounting characteristics on these. It's truly helpful to see how these were put together!

All very best regards,
Jim

[stephen wood]

...I have been able now to make some better images, including a negative (which can show the etching better).

Now that I've actually handled it I can add; it is actually very well-made and appears to be quite old - there are areas of pitting and wear. There is nothing of the rather "raw" look that some of the (short/wide/flat) etched blades possess.

It is 36" long (not including the tang), 2" at it's widest point tapering to 1 1/2".
Unsharpened. There is a single broad fuller. The etching consists of what appears to be a single 3-character "phrase" repeated along both edges and a longer "phrase" etched in the fuller towards the ricasso. Identical on both sides.

It is quite unlike any kaskara I have handled before - closer I think than anything I have seen to the Islamic swords that are said to be the kaskara's antecedent.
I wonder if anyone can pick out the script from the new images?

[stephen wood]

...a gentle clean has revealed the partially visible W. CLAUBERG SOLINGEN mark on the tang. I have seen kaskaras with Clauberg blades before but none like this broad, single-fullered type.

I understand that Clauberg blades, with their trademark of a man in armour, were known in Arabic-speaking countries as Abu Askari - bearer of the soldier.

I have as yet been unable to take a clear photo of the stamp - here is the same mark on a Civil War Officers' Sabre.

Interesting how some kaskara blades which were thought to be unmarked are revealing maker's marks on, or near, the tang - in this case it had to be the tang as there's no ricasso.