Large Khyber Afghan Cutlass, Known As Salawar Yatagan

This large Khyber cutlass is also called "Salawar Yatagan". It is a traditional Afghan weapon, originating from the Khyber Pass, this pass which has been the junction between India and Afghanistan for centuries, and since the creation of Pakistan, between it and Afghanistan.
This Kyber pass has been since Antiquity and for centuries the scene of violent fighting, to such an extent that the British soldier George Molesworth wrote "there is not a stone there that is not stained with blood" This cutlass dates from the 19th century.
BLADE: This is the traditional Afghan blade, with a single edge, which is on this example not in a straight line but slightly concave towards the edge. The back of the blade has the "T" shaped section characteristic of the weapons of this region, but here, instead of being made up of a single flat face, the back takes the shape of a flattened triangle.
A fuller underlines the back of the blade on each face. Small decoration of a short frieze near the hilt.
Blade length: 56.3 cm, width near the handle = 5 cm, thickness at the back 10.5 mm
HILT : A faceted iron part joins the base of the blade. Then the handle is made of two horn plates, separated by a brass strip, and worked in the shape of gadroons. They are riveted to the tang of the blade.
SCABBARD: It is solid, made of wood covered with leather. As with the majority of weapons in the region, the handle is almost completely hidden by the scabbard when the weapon is retracted.
Scabbard entrance in thick brass, cut into festoons. The end of the scabbard has a fairly simple little decoration. The leather has some repairs on its internal face (restorations??).

This cutlass is a typical weapon of the Afghan mountaineers, it is an essential element in any collection of oriental weapons.
Ref AX2Y-1754 Shipping costs France 20€, Europe 30€