Armenian Yatagan with Extreme Curve

[AvtoGaz]

Just arrived today. This is quite possibly one of the rarest ethnographic weapons, I am only aware of one example that ever sold (this one, sold once in 2012, the same example sold to yours truly in late 2023) and a very small number of photographs of 2 other examples, which were posted to this forum. So needless to say it's a great privilege to have this in my collection.

In terms of identifying this weapon, it seems to be a very extravagant version of the Kurdish-Armenian yatagans, which are somewhat more well-known and documented. The closest thing, both in blade form and decoration, is this Yatagan (find it below) with stylistic inscriptions in the Armenian alphabet.

[gp]

beautiful ! Thank you very much for showing this☼

Question I have is how it was used or better:
did it require special or different style or way of fencing ?

[AvtoGaz]

Originally Posted by gp

did it require special or different style or way of fencing ?

Impossible to tell, given the lack of sources, how this weapon was used or if it was even used at all. May have very well been a decorative piece. I will say, it is a lot sturdier than the Black Sea Yatagan I own.

[Jim McDougall]

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...lack+yataghans




Falls right into place with your previous thread and entries.

[kronckew]

Originally Posted by gp

beautiful ! Thank you very much for showing this☼

Question I have is how it was used or better:
did it require special or different style or way of fencing ?

Possibly like the videos on YouTube re: African sickle sword fencing. Is the inside edge sharp?


I've seen a video of a shotel duel with shields where the shotel was used as a hook to get past the shield.

[gp]

Originally Posted by kronckew

Possibly like the videos on YouTube re: African sickle sword fencing. Is the inside edge sharp?


I've seen a video of a shotel duel with shields where the shotel was used as a hook to get past the shield.

thank you;also to my mind came the pentjak / pencak fighting like seen in this vid on 48 secs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPy2tZ4wFiY

but then again, one can't compare the specific pencak defence with traditional fencing as the pencak techniques do involve other manual close combat techniques which one migh presume is / was not part of defence and fighting in this yataghan region

[kronckew]

Originally Posted by gp

thank you;also to my mind came the pentjak / pencak fighting like seen in this vid on 48 secs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPy2tZ4wFiY

but then again, one can't compare the specific pencak defence with traditional fencing as the pencak techniques do involve other manual close combat techniques which one migh presume is / was not part of defence and fighting in this yataghan region

I'm sure there will be videos of the similar japanese Qama sickles on the 'tube. These all are rather smaller & more nimble than swords, with different balance. More axe like.

[serdar]

Why do people call yatagan any sword or knife that has a curve?
Yatagan is ottoman short sword or long knife, and nothing else, black sea “yatagan” is not a yatagan, it is a black sea sword, or we could call rapier with flame blade yatagan by that way.

[simsar999]

Originally Posted by AvtoGaz

Just arrived today. This is quite possibly one of the rarest ethnographic weapons, I am only aware of one example that ever sold (this one, sold once in 2012, the same example sold to yours truly in late 2023) and a very small number of photographs of 2 other examples, which were posted to this forum. So needless to say it's a great privilege to have this in my collection.

In terms of identifying this weapon, it seems to be a very extravagant version of the Kurdish-Armenian yatagans, which are somewhat more well-known and documented. The closest thing, both in blade form and decoration, is this Yatagan (find it below) with stylistic inscriptions in the Armenian alphabet.

It may be for theater or a performance. The engaving at the man on the end matches my Qajar theatrics kindjal very closely. See my post on it as well.