Need help with blade mark

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Jerseyman

I suppose the question is whether we think this is a trade blade or a local blade. I'm inclined toward saying it's a local blade because of the delamination on the blade edge, but happy to be proved wrong. If it's a trade blade then I guess it's a European mark, but I'm disposed to think it's an Indian armourer's mark.

Its quite possible its a trade blade, as these were prevalent through the Arab/Indian trade entrepots. Indian armorers as far as I have known did not use makers marks like in Europe but did use various imitations of some European markings, most prevalent of course being the 'Genoan' sickle marks.

It appears this is a variation or copy of the marks used by Schimmelbusch in Solingen, and these were in the 19th c.