RUSSIAN HUNTING SHORT-SWORD or FORESTRY OFFICER'S HANGER

RUSSIAN
HUNTING SHORT-SWORD
OR
FORESTRY OFFICER'S HANGER
WITH SCABBARD

Manufactured pre-WWI, circa 1910, presumed in Russia (possibly Turkey or Greece) or general region. Very similar to European "Hunting Swords" and/or Imperial German "Forestry Service Hangers" of the period. May actually be considered a knife, but has all the qualifications of a short-sword. Sword is crudely made - when compared to the quality of items made in the European edged weapon centers (such as Solingen) - and is typical of the quality of similar items from Russian in the same era.

Overall length, in scabbard, is ~22-1/4";

Sword/hanger, out of scabbard, is ~21-1/4" in length;

Hilt is ~5-3/8" in length - not including clamshell langet on front of crossguard.
Crossguard and pommel are made of brass; grip ferrule - between crossguard and grip - is made of an undetermined white thin sheet-metal. Crossguard is ~3-1/2" wide wide with rouneded "tear-drop" finials. Pommel has a ball finial, which serves to hold the grip onto the blade tang. One-piece grip is made of stag-horn; 3 brass "buttons" are attached to grip, obverse (right side).

Straight single-edged "bowie-type" blade is ~16" in length, ~1-7/16" wide at ricasso, swelling to 1-5/8" just before clipped-point and false-edge. Very-light scattered surface oxide, otherwise bright blade; unsharpened. Fullered groove is ~8 in length beginning ~1-1/2" from crossguard and ending ~6-1/2" from tip. Fuller is engraved with two distinct patterns; ricasso is engraved with "Cyrillic" writing; this example dated "1910".

Scabbard is ~16-3/4" in length and ~2-3/8" at the throat; two-piece wood construction, painted black. Thin white sheet-metal throat, drag type unknown. Scabbard may have had an outer protective covering at some time.

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