sabaghan ? - please comment/ID

Martin Lubojacky · 25th November 2012, 10:36 AM

The length is 76. 6 cms, without sheath 73. 5 cms, blade 59 cms. Width of the blade is 3 cms (yelman 3. 5 cms), max thickness is 7 mms. I do not know too much about yathagans and I would be interested in any info (provenance, if such combination was common, etc.). The sheath (if not original) is old.Thanks

Norman McCormick · 25th November 2012, 03:51 PM

Hi Martin,
Unusual combination and I would speculate that perhaps the blade is older and may have belonged initially to a Kilic type weapon. I do like it especially the blade, one intended for use and not for merely 'stepping out'. Hope we can get more info from some of the more knowledgeable Forumites.
Regards,
Norman.

Battara · 26th November 2012, 04:12 AM

I agree. As I mentioned in the other thread looks like a Balkan hilt with a kilij blade.

Never seen that before.

Martin Lubojacky · 26th November 2012, 11:23 AM

Thank you Noman and Battara. As far as the handle is concerned - for me (maybe wrongly) "Balkan" is relatively big region which includes territory from the northern Rumania (and maybe even Besarabia) and Alps foothils down to the Medditerranian Greek isles. Was this hilt used throughout all this territories or was more specific for some of them ? Is the material bone ?

TVV · 26th November 2012, 07:42 PM

Big walrus ivory eared hilts are attributed to Bosna and the Western Balkans. I am not sure the blade was taken from a kildj/pala. To me it looks much more like a nimcha blade, as in nimcha meaning a half sword. My guess would be that someone wanted a yataghan hilted cutlass, possibly for naval use.
Regards,
Teodor

TVV · 27th November 2012, 04:00 AM

Martin,
I was able to find a similar example in the yataghan catalogue of the Zagreb Museum: I am posting a quick photo of the relevant page. You can probably understand most of the description in Croatian: it really does not provide any interesting info.
Regards,
Teodor

Martin Lubojacky · 27th November 2012, 09:24 AM

Thank you again, Teodor. I really and without any problem understood the written text (till now I thought Czechs can without learning only understand Slovak and Polish languages). It´s a little surpise for me, as I have never read Croatian. A few letters at the end of the sentence are not readeble, but I think the item in the catalogue was bought in Zaghreb. My sabre/yathagan was bought in Prague during the crisis in former Yugoslavia, I pressupose somebody from Croatia brought it here (BTW - Czechs are recognized minority in Croatia, they moved after the Treaty of Karlowitz/1699/, when Habsburgs partially defeated Turks and colonized Slavonia region - "googling" is interesting some tomes...)
Regards,
Martin

25th November 2012, 10:36 AM	#1
Martin Lubojacky Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Czech Republic Posts: 836	sabaghan ? - please comment/ID The length is 76. 6 cms, without sheath 73. 5 cms, blade 59 cms. Width of the blade is 3 cms (yelman 3. 5 cms), max thickness is 7 mms. I do not know too much about yathagans and I would be interested in any info (provenance, if such combination was common, etc.). The sheath (if not original) is old.Thanks Attached Images

27th November 2012, 04:00 AM	#6
TVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,599	Martin, I was able to find a similar example in the yataghan catalogue of the Zagreb Museum: I am posting a quick photo of the relevant page. You can probably understand most of the description in Croatian: it really does not provide any interesting info. Regards, Teodor Attached Images

25th November 2012, 03:51 PM	#2
Norman McCormick Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,575	Hi Martin, Unusual combination and I would speculate that perhaps the blade is older and may have belonged initially to a Kilic type weapon. I do like it especially the blade, one intended for use and not for merely 'stepping out'. Hope we can get more info from some of the more knowledgeable Forumites. Regards, Norman.

26th November 2012, 04:12 AM	#3
Battara EAAF Staff Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 7,139	I agree. As I mentioned in the other thread looks like a Balkan hilt with a kilij blade. Never seen that before.

26th November 2012, 11:23 AM	#4
Martin Lubojacky Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Czech Republic Posts: 836	Thank you Noman and Battara. As far as the handle is concerned - for me (maybe wrongly) "Balkan" is relatively big region which includes territory from the northern Rumania (and maybe even Besarabia) and Alps foothils down to the Medditerranian Greek isles. Was this hilt used throughout all this territories or was more specific for some of them ? Is the material bone ?

26th November 2012, 07:42 PM	#5
TVV Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Bay Area Posts: 1,599	Big walrus ivory eared hilts are attributed to Bosna and the Western Balkans. I am not sure the blade was taken from a kildj/pala. To me it looks much more like a nimcha blade, as in nimcha meaning a half sword. My guess would be that someone wanted a yataghan hilted cutlass, possibly for naval use. Regards, Teodor

27th November 2012, 09:24 AM	#7
Martin Lubojacky Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Czech Republic Posts: 836	Thank you again, Teodor. I really and without any problem understood the written text (till now I thought Czechs can without learning only understand Slovak and Polish languages). It´s a little surpise for me, as I have never read Croatian. A few letters at the end of the sentence are not readeble, but I think the item in the catalogue was bought in Zaghreb. My sabre/yathagan was bought in Prague during the crisis in former Yugoslavia, I pressupose somebody from Croatia brought it here (BTW - Czechs are recognized minority in Croatia, they moved after the Treaty of Karlowitz/1699/, when Habsburgs partially defeated Turks and colonized Slavonia region - "googling" is interesting some tomes...) Regards, Martin