Firangi, or basket-hilted tulwar

Emanuel · 23rd August 2010, 02:33 PM

Great arguments!

The welding repair and the new putty do not bother me the least bit. How many times on this forum has someone asked about ways to fix loose handles with modern adhesives? That it may be epoxy instead of the old putty is not a problem.

Attached pics are of a near-identical hilt from OA. You can still see the marks on the blade from an earlier hilt arrangement, but this hilt looks solid, with no alterations or repairs. I haven't seen many of these hilts so they're not currently mass-produced. The hilt on my example could very well have been married to the balde recently, and David, your scenario with the cutting of the spike is plausible, but both pieces seem to be quite old.

Overall I still feel like this piece is representative of an old firangi so I'm happy with it

Emanuel

Atlantia · 23rd August 2010, 06:18 PM

Emanuel
Something hot touched against the resin would tell you if it is epoxy or something more 'authentic'.
I think your above comments are entirely pragmatic and sensible.
I would also remind you that as the only one of us who can actually handle the sword, YOU are in the best position to say if the hilt repairs are just repairs or more.
I would also reiterate that the resin would have to be replaced after the welding, so it may be nothing more sinister than that. In other words a welded repair and the consequential necessary replacement of some/all of the resin. In other words still a complete and original form.
What is your 'feeling'?
Best
Gene

ariel · 25th August 2010, 04:08 AM

BTW, anybody knows an easy recipe for the authentic Indian putty?
If we look at the ingredients ( shellac, turpentine, crushed limestone) it sure sounds like an easily obtainable sealing wax.

Emanuel · 10th September 2010, 04:33 PM

Hi Gene,

I haven't tested the adhesive yet but it would not surprise me or bother me if it were epoxy. The hilt, guard and blade seem to match very well, so the question turns to who would make this repair and for what purpose. I can't answer that, but the existence of OA's very similar set with no apparent repairs to it is a strong indication for me that the sword in question is an original assembly. The repairs might have been carried out in any number of scenarios, and overall I feel pretty good about the result.

Ariel, I think Indian putty is much like Nepalese laha, a mix of pine resin, beeswax and charcoal. A similar recipe for cutler's resin is 4 part pine pitch, 1 part beeswax and 1 part carnauba wax. I think you can replace the carnauba with charcoal or powedered lime or gipsum. Ssme time ago someone also posted a recipe for Cutler's Cement on the forum...

Emanuel

23rd August 2010, 02:33 PM	#1
Emanuel Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,242	Great arguments! The welding repair and the new putty do not bother me the least bit. How many times on this forum has someone asked about ways to fix loose handles with modern adhesives? That it may be epoxy instead of the old putty is not a problem. Attached pics are of a near-identical hilt from OA. You can still see the marks on the blade from an earlier hilt arrangement, but this hilt looks solid, with no alterations or repairs. I haven't seen many of these hilts so they're not currently mass-produced. The hilt on my example could very well have been married to the balde recently, and David, your scenario with the cutting of the spike is plausible, but both pieces seem to be quite old. Overall I still feel like this piece is representative of an old firangi so I'm happy with it Emanuel Attached Images

10th September 2010, 04:33 PM	#4
Emanuel Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,242	Hi Gene, I haven't tested the adhesive yet but it would not surprise me or bother me if it were epoxy. The hilt, guard and blade seem to match very well, so the question turns to who would make this repair and for what purpose. I can't answer that, but the existence of OA's very similar set with no apparent repairs to it is a strong indication for me that the sword in question is an original assembly. The repairs might have been carried out in any number of scenarios, and overall I feel pretty good about the result. Ariel, I think Indian putty is much like Nepalese laha, a mix of pine resin, beeswax and charcoal. A similar recipe for cutler's resin is 4 part pine pitch, 1 part beeswax and 1 part carnauba wax. I think you can replace the carnauba with charcoal or powedered lime or gipsum. Ssme time ago someone also posted a recipe for Cutler's Cement on the forum... Emanuel Last edited by Emanuel; 10th September 2010 at 04:53 PM.

23rd August 2010, 06:18 PM	#2
Atlantia Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: The Sharp end Posts: 2,928	Emanuel Something hot touched against the resin would tell you if it is epoxy or something more 'authentic'. I think your above comments are entirely pragmatic and sensible. I would also remind you that as the only one of us who can actually handle the sword, YOU are in the best position to say if the hilt repairs are just repairs or more. I would also reiterate that the resin would have to be replaced after the welding, so it may be nothing more sinister than that. In other words a welded repair and the consequential necessary replacement of some/all of the resin. In other words still a complete and original form. What is your 'feeling'? Best Gene

25th August 2010, 04:08 AM	#3
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	BTW, anybody knows an easy recipe for the authentic Indian putty? If we look at the ingredients ( shellac, turpentine, crushed limestone) it sure sounds like an easily obtainable sealing wax.