HI Yataghan?

Hibuke

Hibuke

Joined
Mar 28, 2002
Messages
317
Hey everyone,

Whatever happened to them? I heard mumblings 'bout them ages ago, but haven't heard anything since...





Much Thanks
 
I mentioned a kind of sword and described it at the convention, but couldn't remember it's name then. The small Tibetan looks like it could be made as one.
 
Originally posted by Rusty
I mentioned a kind of sword and described it at the convention, but couldn't remember it's name then. The small Tibetan looks like it could be made as one.
Click to expand...

There's definitely a strong resemblance. Here's the short Tibetan and a yataghan from Therion Arms:

1047313792091_3_8____Short_Tibetan_Sword.JPG


ttoy198.JPG
 
OK, what makes a yataghan??

Are "ears" on the handle enough?

I remeber pics of a fairly long, slender blade with a substantial Khuk-like bend and recurve that had an "eared" handle posted a while back.
 
Tom Holt and I were in the last discussion of this, and I think that it came down to someone making a good wooden model and enough people to make fabrication worthwhile.

Tom once told me that he took a 25 inch Kobra and did some "blacksmithing" and made a fairly workable yataghan.

For further edification, I would suggest looking into the Archives.

:D :cool:
 
:confused: Still puzzeled....

Why would the piece illustrated on this thread from Therion Arms be identified as a yataghan? The relatively short, wide and essentially straight blade bears little resemblance to the the blades of the swords posted previously that were called yataghans.

I agree that the Therion Arms piece has a handle with a pommel shape that very closely resembles the distinctive handles of the yataghans previously posted. As I recall, some Khyber knives have a similar handle shape, though not as pronounced.

So, does the handle define the yataghan?...Or blade shape?...Or both?
 
Firkin,

I would venture to say that it might be a "cultural or regional" identification. I have seen two knives from the Philippines called a "Panabas". One looks remarkably like a Khukuri, the other has a three foot long blade (see Kris Cutlery). I bought the smaler Panabas in the Phillipines, so I know that at least around Manila, that's what it was called. :D

Howeverr, I do agree that the Therion Arms example looks nothing like any Yataghan I've seen or handled.
 
Firkin, not say anything bad about Therion Arms, but Hal is just another guy, just like the rest of us. And unlike alot of other dealers, he tries to learn more about the stuff he sells, other than what to price it at. But, he's just a guy, and I wouldnt take it so hard why things are named how they are on his inventory list. He does the best he can, but no one is perfect. That aside, no ideas on what makes a Yataghan a Yataghan. Might want to try the guys over on the EEWRS.
 
Thanks for answers...

Not trying to be super-picky or dump on anyone. It's just that the photo in this thread made wonder if what I thought of as yataghan-ness was completely wrong.

I think I'm now a little less confused.

Still not sure if yataghans are confusing, or if it's just me being confused or ignorant on my own, like usual.:)

What's EEWRS?
 
Firkin:

To the best of my knowledge, a yataghan is a weapon of the Turkic peoples (both in central Asia and in Turkey).

Every yataghan I've ever seen in photos or in person has had the "ears". Most have had a forward-curving blade, although I've seen one or two that had blades similar to the Therion arms pic.

They seem to vary in size quite a bit. Anything from about 12" OAL to a massive piece (w/beautiful calligraphic inlay) about 30" OAL that I've seen from the collection of the Topkapi Saray in Turkey. (The blade wase so thick that I doubt that anyone could have used it - it must have weighed a ton.)

In general, when you say "yataghan" it's the forward-curving blade that springs to mind rather than the "ears", though.

S.
 
...What 'bout the HI Yataghan?

What happened to it? Where'd it go?

How many people were in it? I'd gladly sign up! Where's the pics?





Much Thanks
 
Thanks Spence.

I guess the importance of the blades physical attributes vs where and when made varies for different ethnic and traditional blades. Mix in modern reproduction to muddy further.

This link seems to pretty much elaborate your points:

http://www.turkishculture.org/weapons/yatagan.html

It has pix of several handle variations that should be interesting to anyone designing a HI yataghan...including what appear to be brass scales with thin "ears" supported by a curved butplate, steel or iron scales with thin "ears" and no butplate or tang-strap, and ivory scales with no buttplate, but strong-looking "cauliflower ears":p


Description of the yataghan on this page is interesting also as it quotes older sources:

http://arms2armor.com/Collectibles/pastswrd.htm#SOLD4

Seems to me that "eared" handle shape, inward curving blade with forward weight, no guard, and slanted bolster are typical. And Turkish or Ottoman influence. Blade shape must be important since "yatagan bayonets" were later produced. Seems there are "yataghan swords" and "yataghan knives" and "straight yataghans", so pieces that don't perfectly fit all criteria are covered, especially if place and time of origin fit.

Now to be obnoxious I'll foolishly pretend to be a kami: "Yataghan??? OK, the crazy Americans want us to make a falcata with a different kind of funny handle." ....Is that what you want? :p
 
Nice links, Firkin. Only the kamis know how they'd interpret any request for such a blade.

Hibuke: I don't know what happened to it. I know that I'm not the only one who wants one (Ruel did, too - though I haven't seen him about in quite some time).

I don't believe that a model was created or a sign-up ever posted.

S.
 
Hey Spence,

Yeah, I'd be game for one. It may help to point out that yataghans were used and probably also produced in Nepal historically, as witnessed in this diagram, #332 on the left:

nepal.jpg


I'd also be down for sticking an HI talwar hilt onto a bigger/longer yataghan blade to arrive at a 'sosun pattah,' like so:

yazatansword.jpg


:cool: Somebody start some sign-ups, and somebody else make some wood models.
 
Originally posted by spence
Nice links, Firkin. Only the kamis know how they'd interpret any request for such a blade.

Hibuke: I don't know what happened to it. I know that I'm not the only one who wants one (Ruel did, too - though I haven't seen him about in quite some time).

I don't believe that a model was created or a sign-up ever posted.

S.
Click to expand...

I heard Tom (Holt) did a metal-replica-mock-up, of some description... Where's Tom? TOOOOOOOOOOM?!!!
 
Originally posted by ruel
Hey Spence,

Yeah, I'd be game for one. It may help to point out that yataghans were used and probably also produced in Nepal historically, as witnessed in this diagram, #332 on the left:

I'd also be down for sticking an HI talwar hilt onto a bigger/longer yataghan blade to arrive at a 'sosun pattah,' like so:

:cool: Somebody start some sign-ups, and somebody else make some wood models.

*SNIPPED FOR SANITY*
Click to expand...

Sign me up! Someone, find Tom!
 
Hopefully the broken linked image from above now shows:

"Heads of the Rebel Beys," Jean-Leon Gerome:

Heads_of_the_Rebel_Beys.jpg


Note the yataghan in the hands of the Mameluk on the right. :eek:
 
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