Honest Kaskara to share.

Edster · 18th June 2019, 12:40 AM

Drac,

This could well be a Mahdi Era sword. In the early part the Sudanese were getting blades from whatever sources were available. This presumably European blade could have been dressed in the Kaskara style. After the British Reconquest these was a general disarmament period with mush lesser demand to cobble a sword from uncharastic blades. Plus, there was a vast "surplus" of Kaskara resulting from the Mahdist defeat.

Your blade has what could be a maker's mark just under the lower langet. Is the blade otherwise marked with Arabic/Islamic inscriptions? If not inscribed it could be of Italian origin as they were active in the Kassala area, and many of their Sudanese allies were against the Mahdi. Either way it could help in identifying its source.

Best,
Ed

18th June 2019, 12:40 AM	#8
Edster Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 418	Drac, This could well be a Mahdi Era sword. In the early part the Sudanese were getting blades from whatever sources were available. This presumably European blade could have been dressed in the Kaskara style. After the British Reconquest these was a general disarmament period with mush lesser demand to cobble a sword from uncharastic blades. Plus, there was a vast "surplus" of Kaskara resulting from the Mahdist defeat. Your blade has what could be a maker's mark just under the lower langet. Is the blade otherwise marked with Arabic/Islamic inscriptions? If not inscribed it could be of Italian origin as they were active in the Kassala area, and many of their Sudanese allies were against the Mahdi. Either way it could help in identifying its source. Best, Ed