Yatagan and new custom orders...

galadduin

galadduin

Joined
Dec 25, 2004
Messages
1,363
Hi all,
This month has begun very rewarding, here are todays custom orders #1:

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These drawings are for 3 different orders: Chefs knife and veggie knives on top are ordered twice by different customers (4 knives total) :D
The diving knife and lockback fisherman's folder is for a fisher I know...

#2 :
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These are bought by a hunter and a knife freak Bank Manager, from Yatagan, a village 200 miles away from my town, originally the main sword producer center back in medieval times in Ottoman Empire. He wants a sheath for each of these...

But he is not comfortable to carry this big yatagan knife because of the handle type, he also wanted this curved type but handle is same as the dagger with a sheath decorated with the local carpet motives. He also wants a fuller on that. Here is the plan:

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But it is not over :D
#3
My brother in law called me tonight, there is an order of reed knives, he will send them to a musician in Spain. Also there is a demand on reed guillotines, the prototype is on the way....


These all have to finish before new year....

It is a good start I guess, now I'll have some cash to order some goodies :cool:

I'm both happy and in stress. I'm trying to calm myself, cause these orders are came in a day.
Emre Kipmen
 
Beautiful work.

One question on the diver's knife, is that a gut hook? I hate making them and tell any customer wanting one to go to another maker. I really really hate them. lol
 
If I had to guess I would say those are actually meant to be line cutters instead of gut hooks. Such a thing would actually be quite useful for cutting lines that a fisherman would come across a lot.
Beautiful work, really like the fish-tail looking handle design.
 
Fantastic, Emre! You are on a roll. :D I understand the stress all those orders can generate, just hang in there and do each thing as it comes up. You make great knives and your workmanship looks great.

I too like the yatagan handles. What's the story behind that? And is your customer asking for the fanned out part to be removed? Finally, are you going to cut the fuller in a hardened blade? Yikes! Have fun! :D

Thanks for sharing, good luck, and Congratulations on all your new orders.
 
ddavelarsen said:
Fantastic, Emre! You are on a roll. :D I understand the stress all those orders can generate, just hang in there and do each thing as it comes up. You make great knives and your workmanship looks great.

I too like the yatagan handles. What's the story behind that? And is your customer asking for the fanned out part to be removed? Finally, are you going to cut the fuller in a hardened blade? Yikes! Have fun! :D

Thanks for sharing, good luck, and Congratulations on all your new orders.
Click to expand...

He wants a shorter blade with a fuller and a modified handle built. I only will make sheaths on these, I'll be making a smaller yatagan from scratch in addition. I wouldn't accept to modify an existing blade for sure :barf:.

The story of yatagans:
The Turkish army at medieval ages (namely Ottoman Army) was superior to Byzantine and European army because of three things: Archer Cavalry equipped with Tatar bows and arrows, very skilled archers plus high speed horses; Light armored agile infantry equipped with these yatagans (these were forged from high carbon damascus steel); and the infantry tactics and disguise techniques....
Yatagans were played a huge role of expanding the Empire lived about 600 years. These type swords produced in Bronze ages in Caucasian region and spread in Anatolia after Iron age. The most advantage of these weapons were the curve and the precise balance point, light handles, geometry similar to Japanese katanas. The guardless hilt was mainly made from bones, the shape of the handle prevented the slip of hand during a hard swing . These type of swords were very efficient against armored units, the downward curve pronounced the cutting action of the strong and thick tip, acting like a can opener on a mild steel or iron armored armies. The downside of these were the very hard to use and hard to educate. But the infantry was joined the army at child ages and at least 5-8 years of fighting training produced the strongest army at these days. The success against the crusaders in Anatolia proved the strength of Ottoman Empire these days.

The Yatagan name comes from the village (a town at these days) at Aegean region of Anatolia (3-4 hours of driving distance from where I live). The Sultan Kanuni visited this village before going to Vienna Siege (16 th century : for more info look http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suleiman_the_Magnificent). He ordered a sword from the blacksmith at the town. After the siege he was very pleased with the performance of that sword made by Ahmed Tekelu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yatagan) . After this siege the main supplier of Ottoman Empire's army swords was Yatagan village.

Nowadays its an agricultural village but almost every house has a knife making shop, they produce mostly touristic souvenirs and kitchen knives, but they make usable hunters and yatagan shaped knives (they lost the steel making techniques and sword forging customs). They mostly use leaf springs.

Thats all I know about the yatagans, but I plan to visit that village soon, may be I'll post pictures about this trip...


Emre
 
The Yatagan design became very popular during the 1800s as a sword bayonet. Mine has a 22" blade.They were used and made in various European countries. Also spelled yataghan.
 
Emre thanks for the excellent history lesson. I think it's a beautiful blade design and I appreciate your explanation of the handle. Aside from looking cool, I understand its function now. Thank you very much, and thanks for sharing your work.
 
Thanks IG, it is very good to see you here....
Orders waits my steel order, for now I am just sitting...
Emre
ps: I'm still trying to grow beard but no success :D What do you charge on a beard-training....
 
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