What's this Say ?

[peter monahan]

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Does anyone out there know how/where I could get a translation of this inscription?

( from a Turkish "kinjal" blade) Thanks

Peter

[peter monahan]

On the back of the same blade are two other symbols/inscriptions which I suspect are maker's marks. On the blade, just "hiltward" of the fire-gilding is a smaller sword shaped inscription. Ideas on these?

Sorry I didn't get a shot of the whole weapon. The blade is typical of the Turkish sword called a kinjal: single edged, drop point. The handle is plain black wood with two "ears" at the pommel end and the scabbard is also plain, which leads me to wonder if it has been re-hilted. Bought in Toronto 15 or 20 years ago, so no provenance.

Any suggestions on how to research this item would be gratefully received.

peter

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Edited September 28, 2006 by peter monahan

[Ed_Haynes]

Probably Arabic, from Al-Qur'an - let me chew on this - Dave???

[Hauptmann]

Hi Peter,

Let me take a crack at this... I think it says...

"If you can read this you are way too close! But not for long!"

That's about the best I can do with this one.

Dan

[peter monahan]

Ed

Al Quaran would be my guess too, but I was hoping against hope that somebody out there is up on their monumental (right word?) Persian script, though an Armenian linguist friend once told me it's murder to decipher even for Arabic speakers.

Also hoping that someone out there with esoteric tastes - the kind of guy, say, who'd collect Mongolian awards - would know of a source for blade markings on Eastern stuff. One lives in hope!

Dan

"If you can read this you are way too close! But not for long!"

Yeah. or "If found please, please return to..."

Peter

[Kev in Deva]

Ed

Yeah. or "If found please, please return to..."

Peter

Or if found stuck in a body "Reward offered to finder, 1 camel. and a loose goat"

Kev in Deva

[Hauptmann]

Peter, Kevin... ya'll just made my day! ROFL! Was up till about 6 a.m. or thereabouts and had to be up early for work and this was just the pick-me-up I needed. Thankfully I won't be out that long today so I'm looking forward to some well earned sleep in just a few hours.

Thanks guys!

Dan