Probably beheaded a few infidels and/or Jooo's.
Otherwise, is sound like a nice blade. Curious what a 17th century Damascus Steel sword goes for these days. Have you had it appraised?
"Otherwise, is sound like a nice blade. Curious what a 17th century Damascus Steel sword goes for these days. Have you had it appraised?
"
It is a great blade. The steel is about the hardest I've ever encountered on a blade. The tempering is variable, and there is a thick ridge at the top of the blade that is almost soft as cast iron. The edge portion is hard as a file. You can shave with the sharpened edge. I don't know how they managed that zoned tempering, frankly.
As for its value...yes, I have had it appraised. Its value is shocking, due to its age and the inscription inlaid into the blade, even though I haven't been able to get a decent translation. It's likely a verse from the Koran, but the arabic script is simplified to a point that nobody's been able to give me a translation. The date, however, is clear.
I have no interest in selling it, of course. It cost me a total of about $10, including the cost of the machete-type blade I bought to trade with the farmer. My Turkish was wholly inadequate to get any history from the farmer, so I have no idea where he acquired it.
There's lots of ancient stuff in Turkey, and it seems to have little value to the Turks. I wish I hadn't been a stupid 21-year-old kid when I was there, back in 1967-68. I'd have invested all of my pay into buying stuff. Stupid.
I suppose it belongs in a museum. Never happen until I'm dead.