Tulwar scabbard

[Pukka Bundook]

Jens,

Yes, I think I'd better make this scabbard in the normal manner, even if this one Was made the other way around.
............Otherwise, everyone who saw it would be telling me, "You made it wrong!!"....(Even if "right" is "wrong" in this case!)

I am looking forward to making the upper fitting, and agree that this would most likely be the same as the mid section of the middle fitting, maybe with some decoration only on the lower end.

Do you have any idea how these iron mounts were finished, originally?

Was wondering if they would be browned, blued, painted, or left bright.

Also, a very thin Red foil was placed inside the pierced fittings, to show through. This foil has oxidized in part, and the colour has come off in places, leaving it transparent.
Do you have any idea what this may have been? (The foil was gold on the inside, and red on the showing side)

Please pardon all the questions!
I find all this very interesting!!

[Jim McDougall]

Hi Richard,
Actually the Afghan version of the shashka, which is often very difficult to discern from Uzbek examples, and the lower carrying ring is indeed placed on the outward (cutting curve).On the upper mount (closest to scabbard throat), the carrying ring is placed dead center on the outside (face) of scabbard.
This was sort of a 'quick draw' configuration that favored the Central Asian drawcut right out of the scabbard, the sword was worn edge up!
The red foil affectation was a decorative embellishment taken from Persian influence, recalling that the Afghans also favored the Persian shamshir, and the pierced mounts on those scabbards often had such features.

Since we know that tulwars from the Northwest frontier regions certainly diffused into Afghan regions, it would seem likely that an Afghan armourer mounting the weapon would construct a scabbard with mounts typical to the paluoars and even shashkas that he might furbish.

Again, this tulwar is fascinating in these mounts and reflects wonderfully comprehensive influences from these colorful powers and the times where the geopolitical conflicts in these regions were often referred to as "The Great Game".

All the best,
Jim

[Jens Nordlunde]

Hi Jim,

Yes, this is true, but consider the hilt - a tulwar hilt with a hand guard!
The foil, red with gold on the backside is a puzzle to me, had it been the other way around, I would have said that the red would have given the gold a deeper colour, but when it is thís way, then I really don't know.
Jens

[Jim McDougall]

Hi Jens,
You're right, the red hue placed over gold does seem puzzling, but I have been told that Persians favored this and I wonder if it might have been to subdue the gold while carrying through the gleam, kind of a 'candy apple' effect. I recall many years ago in the custom car days that gold undercoat was often a primer to add the lustre to the 'candy apple red' so favored by car enthusiasts.

While the tulwar, especially with handguard, seemed atypical of the Afghans who favored the guardless shamshir, paluoar and even shashka, it may well be this was a captured weapon which was furbished especially for the warrior who owned it. If this was indeed a trophy weapon, it would not seem unlikely that the handguard was quite acceptable to the individual. While the style of swordsmanship for government forces of the Khan clearly leaned toward the British influences, as evidenced by the handguards on the previously discussed swords from the 1890's, it is interesting to note a warrior using this type tulwar with the 'drawcut' scabbard.

It is also interesting that such incongruent hybridization is seen as well on examples of these government handguards placed on huge blades of the well known 'Khyber knives'. I have forgotten who out there has one of these, but I think Rick will remember !

All the best,
Jim

[Pukka Bundook]

Well chaps,
I find all this very interesting, but don't have much constructive to add

So how do you think I should mount this up?........Conventional, or "Quick-draw!?
I will bow to whichever way you learned Gentlemen think best!

Jim,
You mention "Government hand-guards"
Is that what we have here?
If so, what date roughly?

Do either of you know how the iron furniture was finished originally?
I would not re-finish these mounts, but wondered what they may have looked like when new.

Thank you again for your time and patience!

R.

[Jim McDougall]

Hi Richard,
By 'government ' hilts, I am referring to the Afghan swords pictured on the thread that Rick linked in his post March 16th. This tulwar actually is from northern India and has nothing to do with those swords or hilts, however does interestingly seem to have been scabbarded by an Afghan. The tulwar itself seem likely of mid 19th century, possibly into 1870's.

Since there is only the center mount, and it seems to be situated conventionally, I think I would follow suit. Even though this scabbard follows Afghan style, it does not seem unreasonable to assume the mounts were quite possibly in conformity to most other tulwar scabbards. Just my opinion
As for finish, just adhere to that of the existing mounts.

All the best,
Jim

[Pukka Bundook]

Well,
This is as far as I've got making the scabbard and top mount.

Attached are pictures;

1, of old mid-fitting on new wood.

2, The new top fitting, "aged"

and then ;

3, New fitting "in the white", plus old centre fitting.

4, new top fitting "in white"

5, old and new fitting in place.

Do you learned chaps think this is OK??

If so, just need to add a leather or fabric cover to the wood, and we'll be done....

Richard.