Quote:
Originally Posted by 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.
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They don't. A Yat has a 'recurved blade' - not just a 'curved' blade, curved in front of the axis for the first portion, then returning towards the axis nearer the tip, for a more axe-like cut or chop, and is single edged, sharp on the inside rather than the outside of the curve for the majority of the edge. They are guardless and almost always have an 'eared' grip. Some straighter Yats are called that out of courtesy. Fabergé swords are double-edged and the luks cancel out the curve. They also have elaborate hand guards. 'Rapier' is not very well-defined term, Yataghan is also a bit woolly. Most terms we use as collectors, are rather flexible. Black sea yats do start off with the edge curved down, but they then curve up rather dramatically and they have 'eared' grips and no guards. rather more kopis-like.
This is my Yataghan-style hunting sword. Recurved blade, from a french 'yataghan' sword bayonet from 1866, fitted with a cross guard & shell, & un-eared horn grip. Not a 'yataghan' but in the style of one.