Another Choora for consideration

RobertGuy · 27th February 2017, 12:24 PM

A recent purchse at auction. Catalogue description was as follows:

19th Century Indo Persian Kard single edged T shaped blade. Feint floral etching, white metal floral engraved ferrule, blade spine and grip edges. Polished bone bird beak slab grips retained by four dome head rivets. Contained in its red tooled leather covered wooden scabbard.

My stats:
Weight: 7oz (0.21kg)
Length overall: 13'' (33cm) Blade: 9'' (23cm)
POB: At blade/hilt lunction.
Profile taper: 1.76'' (44.7mm) at ricasso, narrows immediately to 1.09'' (27.9mm), 0.74'' (19.0mm) at mid blade and straight taper to a sharp tip.
Distal taper 0.43'' (11mm) at ricasso, 0.35'' (8.9mm)at mid blade,. 0.19'' (4.9mm) 1 inch from tip. Measured across the 'T' section blade back

These is feint etching to blade and crisp detailing to the white metal (silver?) mounts.Grip scales appear to be ivory. Detail is hard to capture but I have included an enhaced black and white image of the rear of the grip.

The tooling on the scabbard includes brass surrounds to cutouts revealing coloured metalic foil beneath.

All comments on opinions gratefully received.

mariusgmioc · 27th February 2017, 01:41 PM

Silver?! Most certainly yes.

Ivory?! Most certainly yes.

Good aquisition?! Certainly yes!

PS: Wootz?! Worth checking.

RobertGuy · 27th February 2017, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mariusgmioc

PS: Wootz?! Worth checking.

Thanks for that but I don't think the blade is Wootz. I've taken a couple of pictures with a USB microscope. There is pitting and striation in the steel but I don't see a nice wootz pattern.

I'd love to be told otherwise.

ariel · 28th February 2017, 09:06 AM

Silver? Maybe.
More likely for that region would be the so-called white brass, i.e. Brass with high percentage of tin. If you are interested in knowing precisely, take it to a jeweler.
Agree on wootz: no

Ivory is a proverbial cherry on top: mostly it was just bone or horn. Later on it was Bakelite, with its saturated deep orange-ish color.

Good catch, enjoy it.

RobertGuy · 28th February 2017, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ariel

Silver? Maybe.
More likely for that region would be the so-called white brass, i.e. Brass with high percentage of tin.

Thank you. White brass makes sense as the mounts do not seem to tarnish in the same way that silver would.

mariusgmioc · 28th February 2017, 02:00 PM

Albeit your photos are not clear, I believe there are some Schreger lines discernable. If this is the case, then it is ivory.

With silver vs. white metal, is impossible to say for sure from the photos. To be sure, best way would be to follow Ariel's advice.

As with regards to Wootz... in the current condition of the blade it is definitely impossible to say. In order to know for sure, you have to polish the blade to grit 2000-3000 and try etching it.

RobertGuy · 28th February 2017, 03:07 PM

I've taken a couple more pictures of the blade. Unfortunately I cannot polish it out as the blade already has etched decoration which I would damage. See what you think of the new photos, but I don't think the blade is wootz.

mariusgmioc · 28th February 2017, 03:17 PM

Yep, most likely not wootz since normally wootz blades were not decorated. under these circumstances it is definitely not worth polishing the blade as it will loose any traces of original decoration.

Sorry!

Wootz or not, it is a very nice Choora!

27th February 2017, 12:24 PM	#1
RobertGuy Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Posts: 135	Another Choora for consideration A recent purchse at auction. Catalogue description was as follows: 19th Century Indo Persian Kard single edged T shaped blade. Feint floral etching, white metal floral engraved ferrule, blade spine and grip edges. Polished bone bird beak slab grips retained by four dome head rivets. Contained in its red tooled leather covered wooden scabbard. My stats: Weight: 7oz (0.21kg) Length overall: 13'' (33cm) Blade: 9'' (23cm) POB: At blade/hilt lunction. Profile taper: 1.76'' (44.7mm) at ricasso, narrows immediately to 1.09'' (27.9mm), 0.74'' (19.0mm) at mid blade and straight taper to a sharp tip. Distal taper 0.43'' (11mm) at ricasso, 0.35'' (8.9mm)at mid blade,. 0.19'' (4.9mm) 1 inch from tip. Measured across the 'T' section blade back These is feint etching to blade and crisp detailing to the white metal (silver?) mounts.Grip scales appear to be ivory. Detail is hard to capture but I have included an enhaced black and white image of the rear of the grip. The tooling on the scabbard includes brass surrounds to cutouts revealing coloured metalic foil beneath. All comments on opinions gratefully received. Attached Images

28th February 2017, 03:07 PM	#7
RobertGuy Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Posts: 135	I've taken a couple more pictures of the blade. Unfortunately I cannot polish it out as the blade already has etched decoration which I would damage. See what you think of the new photos, but I don't think the blade is wootz. Attached Images

27th February 2017, 01:41 PM	#2
mariusgmioc Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Austria Posts: 1,903	Silver?! Most certainly yes. Ivory?! Most certainly yes. Good aquisition?! Certainly yes! PS: Wootz?! Worth checking.

28th February 2017, 09:06 AM	#4
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Silver? Maybe. More likely for that region would be the so-called white brass, i.e. Brass with high percentage of tin. If you are interested in knowing precisely, take it to a jeweler. Agree on wootz: no Ivory is a proverbial cherry on top: mostly it was just bone or horn. Later on it was Bakelite, with its saturated deep orange-ish color. Good catch, enjoy it.

28th February 2017, 02:00 PM	#6
mariusgmioc Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Austria Posts: 1,903	Albeit your photos are not clear, I believe there are some Schreger lines discernable. If this is the case, then it is ivory. With silver vs. white metal, is impossible to say for sure from the photos. To be sure, best way would be to follow Ariel's advice. As with regards to Wootz... in the current condition of the blade it is definitely impossible to say. In order to know for sure, you have to polish the blade to grit 2000-3000 and try etching it.

28th February 2017, 03:17 PM	#8
mariusgmioc Member Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: Austria Posts: 1,903	Yep, most likely not wootz since normally wootz blades were not decorated. under these circumstances it is definitely not worth polishing the blade as it will loose any traces of original decoration. Sorry! Wootz or not, it is a very nice Choora!