a new member in my khanda family

dralin23 · 17th August 2008, 06:59 PM

more pictures..

Jim McDougall · 17th August 2008, 08:55 PM

Very nice Dralin! and thank you for all the great photos which really give us some good illustrations of the motif on the hilt and patterns in the blade.
While this khanda is likely of the latter 18th century into the mid 19th, it is actually a Rajput example, and the blade is of course a slashing blade as favored by the sword combat of these warriors.

With these photos, the interesting zoomorphic creature at the top of the knuckleguard can be clearly seen, and I would like to know more on what these might be intended to represent...the makara possibly? Also, the floral motif is well illustrated and we have had some interesting discussions on what type flower might be represented; what symbolism might be intended?

Tatyana Dianova · 17th August 2008, 09:07 PM

Hi Stefan,
Congratulations on the very nice Khanda and very good restoration job! Your family of Khandas (by the way, how many do you have already? 10? 20?

) has some very interesting and unusual members.
This Khanda is not simply a beautiful piece, on which both the hilt and the blade are very good preserved; it has also some interesting features. You've mentioned already the blade and the tip shape (here I cannot help much), but what strikes me is its hilt, which is almost identical to the hilt on the tulwar I have:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=5022
It seems that my tulwar was made somewhere around first half of 19th century. I think because of the similar hilt your Khanda was made in the same period of time.
Another question: how common is this type of a hilt on Khandas? I've seen such hilts on tulwars but never on Khanda

Do you have a Khanda in your family with this type of hilt? Can you post a picture?

clockwork · 17th August 2008, 10:22 PM

That is a very impresive sword thanks for the pics

Jim McDougall · 18th August 2008, 12:52 AM

Tatyana, the Rajputs used both tulwars and khandas, though the tulwar hilt was not typically mounted on the bolstered straight blade of the khanda. The khanda typically carried the 'Hindu baskethilt' and was well known not only by the Mahrattas, with whom these swords originated, but by Rajputs and Sikhs in the northern regions.
Extremely nice tulwar of yours in the link BTW!!!
Best regards,
Jim

dralin23 · 18th August 2008, 10:12 AM

thank you jim, tatjana
only short first answer. hat the web site from akaal arms you can find also an other khanda sword with an tulwar hilt . here are the link.http://www.akaalarms.com/largeEdged/...khandB.html.in the description he said these sword is from the late 18.ct. the hilt should be older. i don´t know. what is your opinion??
regards, stefan

Tatyana Dianova · 18th August 2008, 12:36 PM

Stefan, if I only knew... I'm just like you - not a specialist, just a person who looks for the information in books, on the web, on this forum. So, tulwar hilt appears occasionally on the Khanda blade - never knew about it

Maybe there were two different styles and schools of Khanda fencing?
The hilt on the Akaal's Khanda (the correct link is http://www.akaalarms.com/largeEdged/.../ewkhandB.html ) is definitely older than our hilts are. I remember reading (in Rawson?) that later hilts and swords are more extensively decorated than older ones, which were simpler. I personally think that both our swords were made in the end of 18th – beginning of the 19th century. But let’s wait what specialists like Jens, Rand or Ward will tell...

Jim McDougall · 18th August 2008, 04:40 PM

Tatyana is right, lets see what the specialists say.

17th August 2008, 06:59 PM	#1
dralin23 Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 204	some more pict.... more pictures.. Attached Images

17th August 2008, 08:55 PM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,295	Very nice Dralin! and thank you for all the great photos which really give us some good illustrations of the motif on the hilt and patterns in the blade. While this khanda is likely of the latter 18th century into the mid 19th, it is actually a Rajput example, and the blade is of course a slashing blade as favored by the sword combat of these warriors. With these photos, the interesting zoomorphic creature at the top of the knuckleguard can be clearly seen, and I would like to know more on what these might be intended to represent...the makara possibly? Also, the floral motif is well illustrated and we have had some interesting discussions on what type flower might be represented; what symbolism might be intended?

17th August 2008, 09:07 PM	#3
Tatyana Dianova Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 737	Hi Stefan, Congratulations on the very nice Khanda and very good restoration job! Your family of Khandas (by the way, how many do you have already? 10? 20? ) has some very interesting and unusual members. This Khanda is not simply a beautiful piece, on which both the hilt and the blade are very good preserved; it has also some interesting features. You've mentioned already the blade and the tip shape (here I cannot help much), but what strikes me is its hilt, which is almost identical to the hilt on the tulwar I have: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=5022 It seems that my tulwar was made somewhere around first half of 19th century. I think because of the similar hilt your Khanda was made in the same period of time. Another question: how common is this type of a hilt on Khandas? I've seen such hilts on tulwars but never on Khanda Do you have a Khanda in your family with this type of hilt? Can you post a picture?

17th August 2008, 10:22 PM	#4
clockwork Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 96	That is a very impresive sword thanks for the pics

18th August 2008, 12:52 AM	#5
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,295	Tatyana, the Rajputs used both tulwars and khandas, though the tulwar hilt was not typically mounted on the bolstered straight blade of the khanda. The khanda typically carried the 'Hindu baskethilt' and was well known not only by the Mahrattas, with whom these swords originated, but by Rajputs and Sikhs in the northern regions. Extremely nice tulwar of yours in the link BTW!!! Best regards, Jim

18th August 2008, 10:12 AM	#6
dralin23 Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 204	thank you jim, tatjana only short first answer. hat the web site from akaal arms you can find also an other khanda sword with an tulwar hilt . here are the link.http://www.akaalarms.com/largeEdged/...khandB.html.in the description he said these sword is from the late 18.ct. the hilt should be older. i don´t know. what is your opinion?? regards, stefan

18th August 2008, 12:36 PM	#7
Tatyana Dianova Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 737	Stefan, if I only knew... I'm just like you - not a specialist, just a person who looks for the information in books, on the web, on this forum. So, tulwar hilt appears occasionally on the Khanda blade - never knew about it Maybe there were two different styles and schools of Khanda fencing? The hilt on the Akaal's Khanda (the correct link is http://www.akaalarms.com/largeEdged/.../ewkhandB.html ) is definitely older than our hilts are. I remember reading (in Rawson?) that later hilts and swords are more extensively decorated than older ones, which were simpler. I personally think that both our swords were made in the end of 18th – beginning of the 19th century. But let’s wait what specialists like Jens, Rand or Ward will tell...

18th August 2008, 04:40 PM	#8
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,295	Tatyana is right, lets see what the specialists say.