Help with yatagans' inscriptions

[TVV]

Here is a yataghan recently found in Bulgaria - 96 cm long, which is not common, with a Balkan hilt and likely an Anatolian blade, with interesting inscriptions in 3 circles on one side. Can someone translate the inscriptions? I think I see a date 1260, or 1844 in Gregorian.

Thank you very much!
Teodor

[Dom]

Originally Posted by TVV

Can someone translate the inscriptions? I think I see a date 1260, or 1844 in Gregorian.

Hi Teodor
quality of pic ..
- too far, please use "focus" fonction
- about the date, I agree with you 1260 H. (Persian writting)

à +

Dom

[TVV]

Originally Posted by Dom

Hi Teodor
quality of pic ..
- too far, please use "focus" fonction
- about the date, I agree with you 1260 H. (Persian writting)

à +

Dom

Dom,

Thank you for the quick response. The yataghan is located half the world away from me and neither it, nor the pictures are mine - I posted it here at the request of its owner. I will see what I can do.

Teodor

[TVV]

Ok, some more pictures of the inscriptions on this yataghan. The more I look into these, the less sure I am they are legible, but I would appreciate if anyone gives it a try.

Again, thank you in advance.

Teodor

[ariel]

Teodor,
I really enjoyed this thread . Thank you and the rest of the gang for posting them.
Regarding yours with the rhino handle.
There is a cavity between the cheeks. I do not think I have seen such a completely "disassembled" handle before. Anybody knows whether this space in yataghans in general was filled with some kind of putty or was the handle hollow inside and kept by rivets only? Of course, they all had some kind of metal ribbon around the entire handle.

[Gavin Nugent]

Originally Posted by ariel

Teodor,
I really enjoyed this thread . Thank you and the rest of the gang for posting them.
Regarding yours with the rhino handle.
There is a cavity between the cheeks. I do not think I have seen such a completely "disassembled" handle before. Anybody knows whether this space in yataghans in general was filled with some kind of putty or was the handle hollow inside and kept by rivets only? Of course, they all had some kind of metal ribbon around the entire handle.

I have had two Yats with portions of the grip strap missing and neither of them were filled, just the rivets holding the slabs against the strapping....the kilij seen here;

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=13639

Also has a grip strap that requires attaching to the top and bottom near the guard and it too is not filled in completely, just appears that what has oozed past the tang during original application has fallen in the gap....perhaps a standard Turkish method of manufacture.

[TVV]

Thank you Ariel. I believe Gav is correct - usual hilt construction on yataghans, including those with metal hilts is that the scales are not glued to the tang, but are held by rivets only, and this hollow space is covered by the metal band in the middle of the hilt. There are probably exceptions, but the majority of the damaged hilts I have seen follow this method of attachment.

My guess is that this was done to preserve scarce hilt material, such as walrus ivory, and to create an illusion that the scales were carved out of a giant piece of ivory or horn.

Regards,
Teodor

[Dom]

Originally Posted by TVV

Ok, some more pictures of the inscriptions on this yataghan. The more I look into these, the less sure I am they are legible, but I would appreciate if anyone gives it a try.

Again, thank you in advance.

Teodor

Hi Teodor
Tks for pic's, they are exploitables, and at first view, could be possible to get something, at least ... some
just need few time, we'll be absent until May 2nd, be patient and optimistic

à +

Dom

just a taste ....

SANA 1290 either YEAR 1873

Cheers

[TVV]

Thank you Dom, I promise to stay patient and optimistic.
Teodor

[Zifir]

Hi,
I could only read this part, but I am very curious about the circles. This is the first time I see such circles on a yatağan. Although I cannot read it, there are arabic letters and symbols inside the circles which I am not very familiar. Also if I remember correctly, I have seen the symbol, in which amel-i Halil is written, in elsewhere and somebody claimed it to be a Bektashi symbol.