Uploaded September 2019 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This is a zeybek (or zeibek) yatagan from Ottoman Turkey, dating back to the second half of the 18th century. It features a "turkish ribbon twist" pattern welded ("damascus" blade) with two inscriptions, this first being the makers name, Hussein, and the second being the names of the seven sleepers, also known as the people from the cave, or the youths of the cave of Ephesus. This is a famous syraic legend recognised in both Christian and Islamic traditions.
This yatagan is 75cm overall, with a 61cm blade and a POB at 16cm from the hilt. It weights 670 grams.
The Zeybeks/Zeibeks were an irregular infantry based militia, and most often, their sidearms were yatagans. This one is too highly decorated to have been produced for a regular zeybek soldier, featuring complex and well executed pattern welding, and fine silver inlays, as well as decorated bolsters and tang framing. This indicated it was rehilted with a typical zeybek "T" hilt, made in rams horn.
This example was therefore like for an Efe, or chief, due to the high quality of the sword and the traditional hilt style.
This is a zeybek (or zeibek) yatagan from Ottoman Turkey, dating back to the second half of the 18th century. It features a "turkish ribbon twist" pattern welded ("damascus" blade) with two inscriptions, this first being the makers name, Hussein, and the second being the names of the seven sleepers, also known as the people from the cave, or the youths of the cave of Ephesus. This is a famous syraic legend recognised in both Christian and Islamic traditions.
This yatagan is 75cm overall, with a 61cm blade and a POB at 16cm from the hilt. It weights 670 grams.
The Zeybeks/Zeibeks were an irregular infantry based militia, and most often, their sidearms were yatagans. This one is too highly decorated to have been produced for a regular zeybek soldier, featuring complex and well executed pattern welding, and fine silver inlays, as well as decorated bolsters and tang framing. This indicated it was rehilted with a typical zeybek "T" hilt, made in rams horn.
This example was therefore like for an Efe, or chief, due to the high quality of the sword and the traditional hilt style.
![[OUTDATED]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qm-Qx3j60w0/mqdefault.jpg "[OUTDATED]
THIS VIDEO IS OUTDATED. See my updated video here: https://youtu.be/VlBIkJn1GnI
This is a kilij, (Turkic word for sword) also known as a Pala (specific to this style of short sabre with a T shaped spine).
It is made of wootz, a type of crucible steel that has distinct patterns. This particular style of wootz is known as dendritic wootz, as it has dendrites, or branches of bright lines (cementite) on a dark background (sorbite). (Although it is possible this is pattern welded and I am just blind)
In the top right image you can see a distinct band of pale steel. This indicates a scarf weld, where two bars of wootz were forge welded together by heating them to a orange color, then hammering them together. The reason for this is likely because the top / end section of wootz billets is often dirty and crumbly, so it gets cut off and a clean bit is used for the tang.
This style of sabre has a very, thin, fine edge, making it an exceptionally good slicing or slashing sword. The heavy curve further emphasises this. The thick (10mm) spine prevents you from chopping deeply with a typical cutting motion, requiring you to draw cut, pulling the blade along your opponents flesh and rending it apart.
This style first appeared around 1750-1770, and this example is from around 1780-1790. It is likely Turkish / Ottoman, and feels amazing to handle. Whilst the point of balance is something like 18cm away from the guard, it just floats when you hold it. You can barely tell youre holding a sword.
Length: 84cm
Blade Length: 70cm
Weight: 670 grams
Point of Balance: 18cm")
![[OUTDATED] 1882 French Infantry Officers Sword | Hilt and Blade Variation](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/s-0oxU4QWq0/mqdefault.jpg "[OUTDATED] 1882 French Infantry Officers Sword | Hilt and Blade Variation
A overview of the available blade designs and handle material for the 1882 French infantry officers sword, with some history and etymology.
The French 1882 Infantry Officers Sword is a thrusting sword with roots in the earlier French cuirassiers sword. The hilts were made of several materials, being steel (which was strongest), bronze (which was often used by mounted infantry), or finally from German silver, which occasionally had elaborate decoration.
Blades could either be standard, with offset fullers, or from French patterns both old and new, or even entirely custom made to fit an officers requests. The reasons for these choices varied, and so the end result is a surprising amount of variation between individual non-regulation swords.
There were two sizes available for the 1882, a full size and a smaller picquet size, and they were often sold in cased pairs.
Please excuse my errors or pauses. I did this in two takes without reading from my script, and this is my first video.")
