Indian Tulwar with markings

[RAMBA]

Originally Posted by Jens Nordlunde

A lot of blades were imported from countries like Spain, Portugal, Germany, England, Venice and other countries.
To this comes that the Indian's copied a lot of blades, and they did it so well that Bernier wrote that the copies were very well done, and could easily be taken for European blades.
The markings are, like Jim wrote, pure Indian, but when it comes to the blade it could be a copy, it is hard to say from the pictures. If it is a copy the weapon smith would not have made a ricasso - or it would have looked like a copy of an European blade.

Thanks Jens

So as a general rule the Indian made blades had a ricasso?

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by RAMBA

Thanks Jens

So as a general rule the Indian made blades had a ricasso?

Yes, as a rule many Indian blades used European style blades as prototypes but in India, they preferred having a ricasso (that is a blunt segment of the edge nearest the hilt). This is typically for sabre blades on tulwars. As Jens has noted, it is hard to say if Indian copy from photos as the weight, fuller character, etc. are all factors in assessing if a blade is European trade or Indian made. Indian makers were often underestimated in their skills.