Translation/identification of inscriptions, thank you.

Vince634 · 24th April 2017, 09:43 PM

Dear all,

My name is Vincent, I live in LA and this is my first article here.
My collections focused more on Japanese swords, and there is a complete system teaching people how to appraise a sword from swordsmiths, attributions, and characteristics of the swords itself. I believer there must also be a system for Yatagan as well, however the most abundant information I can find is this forum.
Long story short, just purchased a Yatagan because of its beautiful shape and interesting hilt. I did not know the inscriptions on the blades carry so much information before buying it, but once I knew the fact, I became so eager to know its meaning(who doesn't). I read almost all threads discussing Yatagan inscriptions here, and found that the inscriptions of my Yatagan are quite different from others.
1. the "strokes" in the square box don't look like words to me, not like Arabic, Turkish or Farsi (probably due to my ignorance.)
2. The Solomon seal on the other side of the blade looks transformed.
3. The hilt looks like Balkan, but I didn't find any other similar item.
4. The copper part connecting the hilt and the blade looks not very delicate comparing to the hilt.
Could anybody please kindly help me translate or identify the inscriptions? And maybe a good guess of its origin and time? Thank you in advance.

[IMG]jpg[/IMG]

ariel · 25th April 2017, 03:31 PM

Balkan ( Sarajevo most likely) yataghan with no visible inscription, just decorative elements.

Vince634 · 25th April 2017, 06:22 PM

Thank you very much, Ariel. It's always good to learn opinions from an expert. If I may bother you with 2 more questions, do you think the "stamp" in red circle is a signature of the swordsmith? Second, how can I tell if this sword is quenched and/or tampered if I don't want to grind it? Thank you again.

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 26th April 2017, 05:49 PM

See https://travelatelier.com/blog/yatagan-swords/ for an interesting description of Yatagan and an illustration of similar blade scroll patterning...

Vince634 · 26th April 2017, 10:39 PM

Thank you both for the information and the link, and sorry that my previous post came out 24 hrs late....

24th April 2017, 09:43 PM	#1
Vince634 Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Posts: 4	Translation/identification of inscriptions, thank you. Dear all, My name is Vincent, I live in LA and this is my first article here. My collections focused more on Japanese swords, and there is a complete system teaching people how to appraise a sword from swordsmiths, attributions, and characteristics of the swords itself. I believer there must also be a system for Yatagan as well, however the most abundant information I can find is this forum. Long story short, just purchased a Yatagan because of its beautiful shape and interesting hilt. I did not know the inscriptions on the blades carry so much information before buying it, but once I knew the fact, I became so eager to know its meaning(who doesn't). I read almost all threads discussing Yatagan inscriptions here, and found that the inscriptions of my Yatagan are quite different from others. 1. the "strokes" in the square box don't look like words to me, not like Arabic, Turkish or Farsi (probably due to my ignorance.) 2. The Solomon seal on the other side of the blade looks transformed. 3. The hilt looks like Balkan, but I didn't find any other similar item. 4. The copper part connecting the hilt and the blade looks not very delicate comparing to the hilt. Could anybody please kindly help me translate or identify the inscriptions? And maybe a good guess of its origin and time? Thank you in advance. [IMG]jpg[/IMG] Attached Images Last edited by Vince634; 25th April 2017 at 08:06 AM. Reason: Failed to upload pics

25th April 2017, 06:22 PM	#3
Vince634 Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Posts: 4	Thank you very much, Ariel. It's always good to learn opinions from an expert. If I may bother you with 2 more questions, do you think the "stamp" in red circle is a signature of the swordsmith? Second, how can I tell if this sword is quenched and/or tampered if I don't want to grind it? Thank you again. Attached Images

25th April 2017, 03:31 PM	#2
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	Balkan ( Sarajevo most likely) yataghan with no visible inscription, just decorative elements.

26th April 2017, 05:49 PM	#4
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	See https://travelatelier.com/blog/yatagan-swords/ for an interesting description of Yatagan and an illustration of similar blade scroll patterning...

26th April 2017, 10:39 PM	#5
Vince634 Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Posts: 4	Thank you both for the information and the link, and sorry that my previous post came out 24 hrs late....