Bosnian Bichaq

Battara · 27th June 2007, 01:39 AM

Here is a nice puppy I got a little while back. It is a bichaq from Sarajevo with green dyed bone and inserted brass pieces. This type of coloration and inserts are usually found on the stocks of Ottoman rifles. The blade is laminated with a maker's mark in the form of a shamshir. I made the brass scabbard based on those that went with such pieces. This is my first metal wrapped scabbard I ever made. I believe this piece is mid-19th century. I have seen very few of these in green bone. Most are white bone with inserts.

Enjoy - Jose

Ferguson · 27th June 2007, 02:34 AM

Outstanding! Beautiful knife, and great work on the scabbard.

Steve

Montino Bourbon · 27th June 2007, 03:10 PM

I heard that there was a study by the Swedish army on military knives, and they came up with the fact that the best all-around military knife ended up looking like... a chef's knife!

This knife is of that sort; totally useable and functional for almost any work, and if necessary even sliding through ribs.

A great knife.

katana · 27th June 2007, 05:15 PM

Very nice functional knife....I like it.

Although the handle decoration suggests its .....Radioactive

Double the lethalness

Nice job on the scabbard, is it brass plate over wood? How did you emboss/engrave the brass?

Battara · 27th June 2007, 06:48 PM

Thank you folks!

The scabbard is brass sheet over wood. I chased and stamped the brass with tools in a similar manner as they did and in the same style. I also soldered the brass sheet to itself on the other side (which the original would also have been) with a final soft soldering of the tip.

I also cleaned up the hilt - it had some kind of white hard adhesive on parts of it.

Battara · 28th June 2007, 01:09 AM

Here are some other pictures including the maker's mark in the form of a shamsir. I see this on other Sarajevo blades of this period. Anyone know who this maker was?

ariel · 1st February 2008, 01:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Montino Bourbon

I heard that there was a study by the Swedish army on military knives, and they came up with the fact that the best all-around military knife ended up looking like... a chef's knife!

This knife is of that sort; totally useable and functional for almost any work, and if necessary even sliding through ribs.

A great knife.

In a Russian book about fighting knives, the author gives the highest marks to Barong. Of course, the technique and the preferred way of "scoring" are important: barong would not be good for stabbing and is too heavy, but for the heavy-duty slashing few models coud beat it. Moroccan Koummya is a vicious little bugger: very economical edge-wise with generous unsharpened ricasso that increases strength of the blade. Sometimes, form can be deceving: kindjals look like pure stabbers, but in fact were used mostly as slashers ( stabbing was regarded as "poor taste").
Even though stabbing has higher chance of inflicting mortal wound, slashing causes a lot of bleeding, disorientation of the opponent and, if placed right, disarming him ( think of slashing wrist tendons!). Then, one can choose the final strike. Slower, less elegant, but surer.

Tatyana Dianova · 1st February 2008, 09:17 PM

Battara, I think it is not possible at the moment to answer who this Frank Karl was. But the inscription is from the same period as the scabbard, judging from its look.
I'm not 100% sure if the blade is laminated (I will test it this weekend), but it is definitely differentially hardened!

TVV · 1st February 2008, 11:42 PM

Here is another one that ended on eBay today - somewhat unusual pommel, but what is really intiguing is the leather sheath instead of the typical wooden scabbard encased in brass:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA:IT&ih=010

gp · 26th May 2020, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tatyana Dianova

Battara, I think it is not possible at the moment to answer who this Frank Karl was. But the inscription is from the same period as the scabbard, judging from its look.
I'm not 100% sure if the blade is laminated (I will test it this weekend), but it is definitely differentially hardened!

all these knives, cuttlery sets, daggers, kamas, bichaqs, small yataghans and yataghans made from white horn were made in Sarajevo, Foca and a few in Mostar by local craftsmen after the creation of the The Bosnian-Herzegovinian Infantry (Bosnisch-Hercegovinische Infanterie Regimente ), AKA "die Bosniaken " in 1882.
Junior officers and NCOs came from their own ( i.e. Bosnian) ranks but officers from the Habsburgian army; some Hungarian but most Austrian.
These weapons were used as gifts, souvenirs or for display at some ceremonial tasks by officers and local dignitaries ( including the Mayor of Sarajevo) between 1882 and 1916
FYI: most of the "Bosniaks" were from Bosnia and Hercegowina ( >95%) but from all confessions; just poor boys looking for food, clothing and some kind of future; shelter / security in life away from poverty and were of Catholic ( "Croats") , Orthodox ("Serbs", "Vlachs", "Montenegrins"), Muslim descent and last but not least a few percent of Roma background belonging to each of the mention religions .

So Frank Karl was either an officer (can easily be looked up in Vienna's archives and some online records) or a local dignitary or businessman from Austrian or German (Schwabendeutscher) background , which can also be found in either the Austrian or Bosnian archives

paolo · 23rd December 2007, 09:34 AM

Hi all,
also my one has the Battara mark.
Paolo

Tatyana Dianova · 31st January 2008, 07:21 PM

Last Sunday I've got my first bichaq at the local antique market. It has a surprisingly good condition. The interesting thing about it is the inscription on the scabbard. On one side there are 2 large letters FK and on the other inscription "Frank Karl", which seems to be a maker's signature. The blade has a usual scimitar mark, which can also be read as a mirrored "f"

Battara · 1st February 2008, 01:24 AM

Paolo, did not see yours - very nice.

Tatyana, yours is also very nice with that unique variation in hilt form that I have seen. And yours is also laminated damascus steel.

Paolo - I wonder if yours is also laminated.....

Oh, Tatyana - isn't "Frank Karl" German? Perhaps the former owner.

DaveA · 15th April 2021, 12:46 AM

Very Interesting! My bichaq from Bosnia looks very similar.
The scabbard of this bıçak has a monogram FK engraved on the front and "Franz Karl" on the back. Sorry I don’t have a closeup photo handy.

- Dave A

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tatyana Dianova

Last Sunday I've got my first bichaq at the local antique market. It has a surprisingly good condition. The interesting thing about it is the inscription on the scabbard. On one side there are 2 large letters FK and on the other inscription "Frank Karl", which seems to be a maker's signature. The blade has a usual scimitar mark, which can also be read as a mirrored "f"

gp · 15th April 2021, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveA

Very Interesting! My bichaq from Bosnia looks very similar.
The scabbard of this bıçak has a monogram FK engraved on the front and "Franz Karl" on the back. Sorry I don’t have a closeup photo handy.

- Dave A

hello Dave,

have a look as I did provide input on FK:

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showpo...9&postcount=25

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showpo...5&postcount=16

27th June 2007, 01:39 AM	#1
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,217	Bosnian Bichaq Here is a nice puppy I got a little while back. It is a bichaq from Sarajevo with green dyed bone and inserted brass pieces. This type of coloration and inserts are usually found on the stocks of Ottoman rifles. The blade is laminated with a maker's mark in the form of a shamshir. I made the brass scabbard based on those that went with such pieces. This is my first metal wrapped scabbard I ever made. I believe this piece is mid-19th century. I have seen very few of these in green bone. Most are white bone with inserts. Enjoy - Jose Attached Images

27th June 2007, 03:10 PM	#3
Montino Bourbon Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Santa Barbara, California Posts: 301	Extremely functional I heard that there was a study by the Swedish army on military knives, and they came up with the fact that the best all-around military knife ended up looking like... a chef's knife! This knife is of that sort; totally useable and functional for almost any work, and if necessary even sliding through ribs. A great knife.

27th June 2007, 05:15 PM	#4
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,653	Very nice functional knife....I like it. Although the handle decoration suggests its .....Radioactive Double the lethalness Nice job on the scabbard, is it brass plate over wood? How did you emboss/engrave the brass? Attached Images

28th June 2007, 01:09 AM	#6
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,217	Here are some other pictures including the maker's mark in the form of a shamsir. I see this on other Sarajevo blades of this period. Anyone know who this maker was? Attached Images

23rd December 2007, 09:34 AM	#11
paolo Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 173	Hi all, also my one has the Battara mark. Paolo Attached Images

27th June 2007, 02:34 AM	#2
Ferguson Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Kernersville, NC, USA Posts: 793	Outstanding! Beautiful knife, and great work on the scabbard. Steve

27th June 2007, 06:48 PM	#5
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,217	Thank you folks! The scabbard is brass sheet over wood. I chased and stamped the brass with tools in a similar manner as they did and in the same style. I also soldered the brass sheet to itself on the other side (which the original would also have been) with a final soft soldering of the tip. I also cleaned up the hilt - it had some kind of white hard adhesive on parts of it.

1st February 2008, 09:17 PM	#8
Tatyana Dianova Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 695	Battara, I think it is not possible at the moment to answer who this Frank Karl was. But the inscription is from the same period as the scabbard, judging from its look. I'm not 100% sure if the blade is laminated (I will test it this weekend), but it is definitely differentially hardened!

1st February 2008, 11:42 PM	#9
TVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,620	Here is another one that ended on eBay today - somewhat unusual pommel, but what is really intiguing is the leather sheath instead of the typical wooden scabbard encased in brass: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...MEWA:IT&ih=010

31st January 2008, 07:21 PM	#12
Tatyana Dianova Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 695	Last Sunday I've got my first bichaq at the local antique market. It has a surprisingly good condition. The interesting thing about it is the inscription on the scabbard. On one side there are 2 large letters FK and on the other inscription "Frank Karl", which seems to be a maker's signature. The blade has a usual scimitar mark, which can also be read as a mirrored "f" Attached Images

1st February 2008, 01:24 AM	#13
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,217	Paolo, did not see yours - very nice. Tatyana, yours is also very nice with that unique variation in hilt form that I have seen. And yours is also laminated damascus steel. Paolo - I wonder if yours is also laminated..... Oh, Tatyana - isn't "Frank Karl" German? Perhaps the former owner.