Looking to dabble in other southern Asian weaponry.

If you're set on ebay prices then just remember the following: no brass hilts (stick with iron), no blades with acid etched writing on them (especially if it's in english. A real tulwar might have marks but they'll be punched into the blade. They're usually an eyelash or sickle), no velvet looking scabbards (distrust any cheap tulwar with a scabbard actually), and no hilts with a hex nut at the tip. You should be okay, but try to shoot for $150 after shipping.
 
Yeah for ebay I refuse to pay much more than 150 for a gamble. I'll check out some local antique stores as well.
 
Gun shows and multidealer antique/flea mkts are also an option-you get to examine it in person first. I got my two for $450 or so and they are real crystalline wootz, not pattern welded.
 
When you bought them could you tell they were wootz or was it only when you took them home and etched them?

And for etching does it suffice to clean the blade and coat with fecl, or do you have to polish it first? And do you need to polish it to a mirror finish? I ask because I etched my talwar and I didn't see any watered steel pattern on it, but I do see a lot of laminations. I don't think it's European steel.
 
These were original polish, I think-I never messed with them. They had arsenal-resharpened edges and plain black leather and wood scabbards. feCl seems to like a slightly coarser finish in my experience-mirror polished is harder to etch.
If they were forged very close to the final shape there won't be that much to see-the pattern is from cutting through the layers. Pretty much everything up until the advent of "cast steel" (modern homogenous steel) was laminated as a matter of course. Side note on etching-every last bit of grease or oil has to be gone-including fingerprints, etc. i scrub them
Down with denatured alcohol or Brakleen-i prefer denatured because it won't kill as many brain cells. If you don't get all the grease & oil there will be bright spots.
 
I hope I've got one in the bag. I'll post images here from the bay in a bit. Haven't quite pulled the trigger.

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Haha, I almost grabbed that one a day or so ago Darth before I balanced my checkbook and decided I better not. It appears to be a pretty reasonable one, from what I can tell from the pictures.
Hope it works out well for you if you do go for it.
 
I fully intend to offer a lower price, I don't want to pay more than 150 or 160 shipped. I've seen one or two like it on the internet too, similar handle, pommel pattern, etc
 
J W Bensinger said:
These were original polish, I think-I never messed with them. They had arsenal-resharpened edges and plain black leather and wood scabbards. feCl seems to like a slightly coarser finish in my experience-mirror polished is harder to etch.
If they were forged very close to the final shape there won't be that much to see-the pattern is from cutting through the layers. Pretty much everything up until the advent of "cast steel" (modern homogenous steel) was laminated as a matter of course. Side note on etching-every last bit of grease or oil has to be gone-including fingerprints, etc. i scrub them
Down with denatured alcohol or Brakleen-i prefer denatured because it won't kill as many brain cells. If you don't get all the grease & oil there will be bright spots.
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I did some minor polishing then cleaned it with soap, windex and lighter fluid. I tried etching with diluted FeCL as well as diet coke. I don't see any wootz pattern but I do see evidence of lamination. You can see it mostly in the spine. I need to scrub off the yellowing from the etchant but you get the idea.
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This one's of the blade itself after etching.

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Very cool, I hope my offer will get accepted on the tulwar I posted, I put down 125, with the 21 shipping it'll bring me right under my 150 limit.
 
The pics are blurry but it almost looks like the blade's hollow ground like a euro saber. But on the other hand it has a hatchet tip and a large ricasso so I guess it's probably Indian
 
I think the large ricasso is a result of repeated sharpening-can't get the right angle up near the hilt because of the langets. Could still be a euro blade, but my gut says Indian.
 
blue lander said:
One word of advice: there are a LOT of tourist tulwars on ebay. They're usually easy to spot though. The blade's usually have MADE IN INDIA on one side and some sanskrit on the other. They almost always have a bolt at the tip of the hilt. They usually come with a scabbard made from fake red or blue velvet like material.
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