It's a real sword. Is it valuable?

[aoeu]

[aoeu]

direct link

[Mission]

aoeu,

The HTML mark-up codes don't work here. Just go back and edit your post and click on the little photograph-looking thing above your post (it's blue/green/orange) and then copy the URL into the pop-up window there. Then click OK.

[aoeu]

My second post has a working link to my flickr account. If you click next a few times you can see the whole sword and some details.

[aoeu]

This was purchased north of the Raritan last week,

Price: Forty dollars and a cast iron skillet.

It was a town wide yard sale and I was late but real. If it's worth less than $500 I'm keeping in but if it's worth more I'd like to find out.

The story is that the previous owner's father bought it in a souk in Damascus, probably shortly after 1945 if my understanding of the story is correct.

[Jas. Hook]

aoeu -

Haven't got a clue as to value but it's a neat sword. I wonder if the scabard can be restored?

The rivet washers on the handle are they some type of coins? If they are it's a neat idea.

Jas. Hook

[Dutchman]

does the sword have any forge marks on it, what is the scabbard stitched together with? if its synthetic, there is your answer. Looking at the handle, the sword has a sneaking resemblance to something made in turkey to look old for the tourists and the scabbard has just seen better days. One of our members deals in these curio "relics" and it really does have a resemblance to these. Not saying that these don't have a value for what they are though. Some can be quite pricey.

Hopefully someone else can shed some better light on it though.

[John Maddox Roberts]

The handle is pretty standard for a Russian/Caucasian kindjal. The blade could go either way. The Russian long kindjal was usually curved, but straight, single-edged blades like this one were common. I'd say Russian, 19th-early 20th century. Scabbard and hangar are pretty similar to a Czarist era military kindjal.