# Communities > Antique Arms & Armour Community > Middle-East, India & Africa (MEIA) >  Swords for Abyssinia

## Aleksey Pastukhov

Dear all!

I am afraid it is not a new question for you, but I am searching for the manufacturers of swords & sabres' blades for Abyssinia in the end of XIX and beginning of XX centuries.

AFAIK, there were a lot of manufacturers in England (including Wilkinsin Swords), Germany (Holler with his "thermometer", Julius Voos etc.), France (I saw the saif's blade stamped with the Lion of Judah from one side and the profile of Menelik II and name and addres "E. Delorme 164 Rue Snt Honore Paris") and I know that at least 1 pc of Abyssinian gorade with Russian blade from Zlatoust factory dd. 1853 exists.

But I do not know other names and try to find them. The design of blades seems to be very close to each other despite of their manufacturer - e.g. the blade of the saif stamped with the thermometer and G.G has the same sizes as the blade stamped with the Lion of Judah and the profile of Menelik II + name and addres "E. Delorme 164 Rue Snt Honore Paris".

Could you advise me the names of other manufacturers from Europe?

Are there any soft versions of Julius Voos or Wilkinson Sword etc. catalogues available (except for the small fragments used in this forum)?

From my side I can offer a list (frankly speaking it is short enough) of Armenian traders who supplies the swords in Ethiopia in the first part of XX century.

----------


## Aleksey Pastukhov

The list of Armenian inermediary traders who supplied Ethiopia with swords (according to the stamps on the blades):

H.M. Baghdassarian (the name is Hakob) 
M. Kevorkoff & CIE Harrar (the name is Matig)
V. Vajrabedian (the name is Vahan)
G. Kassabian Harar 
O. Terzian

I think the most part of them including Matig Kevorkoff had the French citizenship.

Thank you a lot for any assistance in the study of swords produced for Ethiopia!

----------


## Aleksey Pastukhov

To verify the terminology for Abyssinian edged weapon (unfortunately my PC doesn't show Amharic scripts):
Straight double-edged sword – säyf (ሰይፍ, probably the word was borrowed from Arab language) 
Sabre – gorade (ጎራዴ) 
Sickle-shaped sabre – shotäl (ሾተል)

Very interesting, but if you try to search in the Google using the Amharic words in Amharic script you will find nithing substantial for sure!

----------


## Aleksey Pastukhov

I can not understand - what is in the hand of Haile Selassie? Is it cane or a sword?



I am attaching 2 additional pics to compare - with Menelik II holding a staff:


and

an Abyssinian nobleman with a straight sword:


Could anybody compare these pics and jujde for sure - what is the Emperor holding?

----------


## Aleksey Pastukhov

Suddnely today I saw a blade of German origin. It was intended for Abyssinia judjing by the lion of Judah and Amharic scripture on the bottom of the blade.

The mark on the tang was as following: Echter Damascener M.D., i.e. Genuine Damascus Steel by Max Dinger.

AFAIK Max Dinger worked in Solingen in early XX century. Who can tell more about this swordsmith?

----------


## Aleksey Pastukhov

Another question - how to faste the scabbard of traditional Ethiopian edged weapon?

No answer from photos from Internet (see the attachement).

The scabbards I have seen have no any traces of any loops or another devices to be used for fasten the scabbard...

----------


## Aleksey Pastukhov

I have seen only one photo with the Ethiopian warrior yielded the straight sword - see above. He had the title of "*likomakos*", i.e. the man who substitute the emperor in the battle under his flag in the garment of the emperor. The Abyssinian *negus negesti* (the emperor) usually had 2 *likomakos*es.

The *likomakos* who was portrayed on the picture above was named Ababa. The original photo is in Sankt-Petersburg's Kunstkamera Museum now.

----------


## Aleksey Pastukhov

The little bit more better picture of the Abyssinian sabre suspended to the belt:

 

Has anybody survived sample of the sword or sabre from Abyssinia with the complete suspenion loop and the belt? All such pics are welcome!

----------


## Aleksey Pastukhov

Please pay attention - the both pics with scabbards attached to the belts show us the sacabbards from the RIGHT side of the body!

Has anybody pics with another type and side of suspension of scabbards?

----------


## RON AZZI

Greetings, Aleksey.  Collecting Ethiopian swords has been my "thing" for more than 30 years and I do have accumulated a bit of info and knowledge.  Just for starts and answering one of your questions: Abyssinians men wore the sword on the right side.  Probably for the same reason that the Roman soldier wore the gladium on the right side: it is easier to draw the blade without cutting the left arm that is holding the shield.  Abyssinian men, as a result, mounted their horses and mules from the right side.  I do not know what came first....  The mounting from the right or the wealing on the right.  But the two things are related. The scabbards of the sword, in its three variation (straight, curved and sickle), was permanently laced to the the belt at an almost horizontal angle.  That put a lot of stress to the belt and the resulting wear and tear accounted for the short life of the belt itself.  But a few good examples of belt/scabbard units have survived.  A few Abyssinian swords have been found (there is one on eBay now) with a shoulder strap (like the one one would find in a Sudanese Kaskara), but I believe this may be a modification done on captured swords.
Cheers, Ron

----------


## RON AZZI

As an afterthought, You mentioned seeing a German Damascus blade.  Any pictures?

----------


## Aleksey Pastukhov

Hi, Ron!

Glad to see you in this thread.

Thank you a lot.

1) I have no idea how to draw the long blade from right side with right arm!

2) Regarding the "Echter Damascener M.D." - it was produced for the railway opening ceremony in Dire-Daua in 1902. I have not got the full picture - the inscription only. Please find it below. 



3) I saw some Ethiopian pictures from XVII-XVIII century - it seems the initial outlook of Abyssinian saif was like the same of kaskara - with cross-shaped guard. The spool-shaped horn hilt seems to be invented in XVIII-XIX century under the influence of Moslems. The samples of Abyssinian saif re-hilted in Yemen seem to be closer to their ancient preceedors then saifs with German blades of 1890-1900th.

Any exchange of info is welcom! Thank you again for sharing the discussion!

----------


## Aleksey Pastukhov

Look here - there are pics from Ethiopian Bible (XVIII century):



Please pay attention to the hilts.

And Ethiopian saifs with German blades re-hilted in Yemen:

----------


## Aleksey Pastukhov

Another one picture - the guy from the right side has his gorade from his lift side:

----------


## Aleksey Pastukhov

BTW, Ron, have you the Amharic inscription of that blade?

If so - could you share it, please? I would ask a professor to translate it. It is very interesting to get known who is the manufacturer of the blade.

----------


## Aleksey Pastukhov

Some sabers and swords with German (?) blades, presumably re-hilted in Yemen - please compare their hilts to the old Ethiopian pictures from Bible:

----------


## RON AZZI

My blade with the Sun and the forur letters does not have any inscription.  However, the style of the blade and the etched decoration are very similar to those in my Abyssinian sword with a Russian (Imperial two-headed eagle stamped on the ricasso) blade. Yes, I would very much like to kinow the meaning of the four letters.....  The painting with the sword worn on the LEFT: I believe it is just the painter who wanted to show the sword.
BTW, who has the sword with bthe Damascus blade?

----------


## Aleksey Pastukhov

Regarding the picture - I think it is not a mistake, as a lot of pics do not show swordsat all. So I assume 2 ways of wearing swords on the belt in the past, but in XIX century (the most reliable sources are from the end of that century, unfortunately) it was changed to right-sided manner.

For the Damascus blade - the problem is that it is prohibited to take out from Russia any antiquities older then 50 years. I am adding pics from the WEB with the similar blades:

----------


## Aleksey Pastukhov

Church of Narga Selassie, Dek Island, Lake Tana, Ethiopia. Late XVIII century.

Please pay attention - warriors, including St. George, are equipped with Sudanese Kaskara! On the picture with 2 horsemen kaskara seems to have the shoulder strap judging by the position of the sword.

----------


## Aleksey Pastukhov

> My blade with the Sun and the forur letters does not have any inscription.  However, the style of the blade and the etched decoration are very similar to those in my Abyssinian sword with a Russian (Imperial two-headed eagle stamped on the ricasso) blade. Yes, I would very much like to kinow the meaning of the four letters...


Don't you suspect the blade is English?

I guess "H.M." is for "His/Her Majesty".

What is the proper order to read the abbreviation? ABMH or any other?

----------


## Aleksey Pastukhov

Some more pics from Ethiopian sources - please pay attention to the scabbards and guards of the swords:

----------


## RON AZZI

Actually I believe the blade is German.  The fact that it is very similar to a "Russian" blade is not a contradiction as Solingen was making blades for EVERYBODY!!!  The His Majesty interpretation had been suggested before, but it does not make much sense to me.

----------


## Aleksey Pastukhov

Today I saw more then 25 pieces of Ethiopian blades. Some of them were at very bad condition and some were perfect!

So 2 shotels were of Ethiopian production entirely including the leather scabbrds and the belt for one of them. They are not curved enough to be compared to the sickle! Only the French shotel was shaped like a sickle!

Some blades were straight and either Ethiopian made or European made. I have seen a qama re-hilted from short saif with peculiar Ethiopian scheme of fullres and Maltese cross on the forte of the blade. The owner said initially it had the Ethiopian spool-shaped hilt.

Then I saw the blade with aluminium hilt of very nice proportion and the saif with the typical Indian hilt (like the tulwar's one).

I measured the most part of them and I am going to make photos of them. I hope to write an article for the scientific magazine and then I can share it in soft copy (unfortunately it would be in Russian but I hope all guys who is fond of Ethiopian warfare could contact me via this forum and get a render for English).

A lot of emotions! The fancy day!

----------


## Aleksey Pastukhov

The "sword from the valley of the Omo river" seems to be an old Chinese-blade & hilt based fake:

The source (in Russian) - please pay attention to the weapon presented!

----------


## Emanuel Nicolescu

Hello Aleksey,

To me it looks like Selassie is holding a staff similar to Menelik's. Not a sword.

You mentioned material about European blades for export to Abyssinia, so I assume you saw this thread: http://www.swordforum.com/forums/sho...fos-on-a-blade 
with some example of Wilkinson shotel patterns. 

Regards,
Emanuel




> I can not understand - what is in the hand of Haile Selassie? Is it cane or a sword?
> 
> 
> 
> I am attaching 2 additional pics to compare - with Menelik II holding a staff:
> 
> 
> and
> 
> ...

----------


## Aleksey Pastukhov

> Hello Aleksey,
> 
> To me it looks like Selassie is holding a staff similar to Menelik's. Not a sword.
> 
> You mentioned material about European blades for export to Abyssinia, so I assume you saw this thread: http://www.swordforum.com/forums/sho...fos-on-a-blade 
> with some example of Wilkinson shotel patterns. 
> 
> Regards,
> Emanuel


I meant that thread in the beginning of the topic when said that some of the stuff is not new for members of the forum. Ron has the similar marking in his collection and I remember that some Ethiopian icons has the depictions of blades with the Sun & Moon marking on the blades.



Here I am attaching the close up of the kaskara of Sultan Nasir (1762-1769) who ruled Sultanate of Sennar (modern Sudan). The sword is in British Museum now.

----------


## Aleksey Pastukhov

I wonder if shotel was the standard edged weapon of Eritrean Askaris?

And what is about kaskara and the specific blade in the hand of the Ethiopian warrior from this poster?

----------


## Sterling Sanborn

Dear All,
I am a first timer just joined today. 
Please forgive me if I am blunt or uninformed. I live in rural Maine and have bean trying to find information on my items and stumbled upon you forum.  I was a Marine stationed in Ethiopia in the early 1980s and I acquired two swords/sabers and a hippo shield. I am recently divorced and looking to down size my belongings. Any suggestions on where to look for buyers? I do not have current photos but I will work on that if anyone can help me. This is a link I found in the UK for one of my swords. http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/se...alry%5D&query= 
Thank you for your time Sterling

----------


## RON AZZI

This a the only Ethiopian Imperial Guard sword I ever came across that was for sale.  I saw a few (very few) in Museums, but they were all German made with a lion head hilt and the inscription "LOVE YOUR COUNTRY - HONOR YOUR EMPEROR".  I was not aware that Wilkinson made some too. The writing in Amharic simply says HENRY WILKINSON - SWORD MAKER OF KING GEORGE V - PALL MALL LONDON. Any comments and/or additional info?

----------


## RON AZZI

Hi, Sterling.  Have you sold your swords yet? Let me know?  Ron

----------


## nickpowell

> Look here - there are pics from Ethiopian Bible (XVIII century):
> Attachment 129461
> Attachment 129462
> 
> Please pay attention to the hilts.
> 
> And Ethiopian saifs with German blades re-hilted in Yemen:
> Attachment 129463


what a beautiful sword. The sheath is great

----------

