Arabian shamshir with Hungarian blade

Dmitry · 11th July 2013, 08:59 PM

I am not familiar with the history of Hungarian blade making, but I have no doubt that this blade was made in Solingen. It says Eisenhauer on it in large letters.

I don't think this was a dancing sword, unless it was a dance of death.

One could take someone's head off with it in a split second.
It's a miracle the knuckle chain survived, most of these shamshirs that I've encountered in books and in museums had the chains missing, being delicate as they are. The beads have ornamental quality, pretty as they are, and maybe other significance, perhaps as the Islamic rosary beads?...

A.alnakkas · 12th July 2013, 02:13 AM

The Ardha dance is carried out with real combat swords to this day. The weight and balance of a sword made for combat is something that an ardha player likes to have instead of a sword that waves like a crowbar.

Certain moves in the ardha dance are only done with a slightly curved blade and are not done in highly curved wootz blades for example. That move is when the sword is held over the head from the middle and is usually whirled around with agile finger movement although some would just hold it over without whirling. In my observation of the dance, I have never seen anyone hold a wootz blade over his head like that and yes, plenty of wootz blades leave the closet once its time for ardha! ;-)

Here is an example of the movement:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDZcDStJPXU

1:00 +

You see King Abdullah throwing the sword up and grabbing it from the middle and whirling it. One of the best performances I have ever seen, he is a professional. Also, from the videos I watched of him doing the ardha, he would always do it with a slightly curved sword and heard from the dancers that he prefers Abu Askiri (clauberg)

Jim McDougall · 12th July 2013, 05:56 AM

oops, didnt see the eisenhauer! but that pretty well cinches it. Used to love descriptions of swords noting the blade with makers name..eisenhauer

Lofty thank you for the description of this sword dance and comments on the use of these swords in them.

ariel · 28th January 2018, 01:30 AM

This is a REAL sword dance, performed with fighting swords.
This is why I was always hesitant about Ibrahiim's claim that Omani kattaras were special "dancing" swords.

11th July 2013, 08:59 PM	#1
Dmitry Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 607	I am not familiar with the history of Hungarian blade making, but I have no doubt that this blade was made in Solingen. It says Eisenhauer on it in large letters. I don't think this was a dancing sword, unless it was a dance of death. One could take someone's head off with it in a split second. It's a miracle the knuckle chain survived, most of these shamshirs that I've encountered in books and in museums had the chains missing, being delicate as they are. The beads have ornamental quality, pretty as they are, and maybe other significance, perhaps as the Islamic rosary beads?...

12th July 2013, 02:13 AM	#2
A.alnakkas Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Kuwait Posts: 1,340	The Ardha dance is carried out with real combat swords to this day. The weight and balance of a sword made for combat is something that an ardha player likes to have instead of a sword that waves like a crowbar. Certain moves in the ardha dance are only done with a slightly curved blade and are not done in highly curved wootz blades for example. That move is when the sword is held over the head from the middle and is usually whirled around with agile finger movement although some would just hold it over without whirling. In my observation of the dance, I have never seen anyone hold a wootz blade over his head like that and yes, plenty of wootz blades leave the closet once its time for ardha! ;-) Here is an example of the movement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDZcDStJPXU 1:00 + You see King Abdullah throwing the sword up and grabbing it from the middle and whirling it. One of the best performances I have ever seen, he is a professional. Also, from the videos I watched of him doing the ardha, he would always do it with a slightly curved sword and heard from the dancers that he prefers Abu Askiri (clauberg)

12th July 2013, 05:56 AM	#3
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,661	oops, didnt see the eisenhauer! but that pretty well cinches it. Used to love descriptions of swords noting the blade with makers name..eisenhauer Lofty thank you for the description of this sword dance and comments on the use of these swords in them.

28th January 2018, 01:30 AM	#4
ariel Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ann Arbor, MI Posts: 5,503	This is a REAL sword dance, performed with fighting swords. This is why I was always hesitant about Ibrahiim's claim that Omani kattaras were special "dancing" swords.