[mahratt]

Originally Posted by Gavin Nugent

Trying to work past the school yard antics here are some facts about the rivets and hilt materials.

My sabre hilt from my gallery has already been presented above, 5 large rivets.

My turquoise pichoq set with sheaths and baldric, 2 small rivets.

The named and dated pair of pichoq shown in my gallery that interlock are two small rivets.

The large Rhino hilt Karud has 3 small rivets.

Another pichoq has five small rivets which is a lot for such a small knife.

One Mahratt now has, I think 4 or 5 small rivets from memory.

I've personally seen turquoise and silver, timber, ivory, both walrus and Elephant, jade or agate, and various horn types too.

It all comes down to the makers I am sure...for timber sabre grip slabs I only recall large rivet types, for other materials smaller iron pins...such large
rivets would look very out of place on a full silver and turquoise hilt...of those I have had, it seems timber had more rivets...it might have something to do with securing the burl like timber...to be sure to be sure, or perhaps an unknown thought process behind that aspect?

Ariel, the three rivet shashka type hilt you have presented with the engraved bolster is in my opinion Afghanistan, Herat to Kabul, influenced from the Central Asian regions further north.

Gavin

Gavin, my friend, you are saying the right thing. You and I have seen many different examples, because you and I specifically interested in Central Asia.