Shashka scabbard mountings suggestions?

tom hyle · 21st January 2005, 04:01 PM

This was not likely a particularly expensive/fancy sword when new. Note the plain-ness of the blade. Note it has the hollow-cheeked/quill-back profile of the "tribal" sabre, not the more Western-style crisp-fullered blades favoured by aristocrats. Note that the ivory is not in the least ornate, decorated or carved. This sword was probably dressed without access to a jeweller, probably due to extreme rurality, possibly extreme Northness. Note the absense, not only of metal sheath fittings, but of even the usual metal ferule/bolster on the sword itself. The walrus ivory, rather than a luxury, may have been somewhat a material of some convenience; perhaps it was available and horn or metal was not, perhaps it was preferred for its hardness. Unless you see any residue from metal oxides where they are missing, I see no reason to suspect the other scabbard mounts were any different from the one it still has. True, an upper suspension mount of ivory may not seem sufficient, but A/ not everything anyone does is (even vaguely) smart or ideal, B/ ivory in good shape is pretty strong, and C/ I've seen old pictures of 19th c. shahsh'shka (love the spelling?) worn thust through the sash, edge-up, their European sheath danglers relegated to a decorative role (well, they do actually keep it from sliding out your belt pretty well.). The only other thing I'll mention is the connection of walri, and of ivory working among Northern peoples, to The Sea.
This is the first time the pictures have worked for me. Nice looking sword. Sounds like you got a very good buy, too.

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21st January 2005, 04:01 PM	#14
tom hyle Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Houston, TX, USA Posts: 1,254	This was not likely a particularly expensive/fancy sword when new. Note the plain-ness of the blade. Note it has the hollow-cheeked/quill-back profile of the "tribal" sabre, not the more Western-style crisp-fullered blades favoured by aristocrats. Note that the ivory is not in the least ornate, decorated or carved. This sword was probably dressed without access to a jeweller, probably due to extreme rurality, possibly extreme Northness. Note the absense, not only of metal sheath fittings, but of even the usual metal ferule/bolster on the sword itself. The walrus ivory, rather than a luxury, may have been somewhat a material of some convenience; perhaps it was available and horn or metal was not, perhaps it was preferred for its hardness. Unless you see any residue from metal oxides where they are missing, I see no reason to suspect the other scabbard mounts were any different from the one it still has. True, an upper suspension mount of ivory may not seem sufficient, but A/ not everything anyone does is (even vaguely) smart or ideal, B/ ivory in good shape is pretty strong, and C/ I've seen old pictures of 19th c. shahsh'shka (love the spelling?) worn thust through the sash, edge-up, their European sheath danglers relegated to a decorative role (well, they do actually keep it from sliding out your belt pretty well.). The only other thing I'll mention is the connection of walri, and of ivory working among Northern peoples, to The Sea. This is the first time the pictures have worked for me. Nice looking sword. Sounds like you got a very good buy, too.