Thread: Kaskara - Crusader, Farara / Ferara, mid 19th Century Solingen or other blade?

I originally posted this kaskara subject on another forum, but was started to get the "you are wrong" cacophony. That's OK, I get things wrong all the time! It is part of learning. But I think I was slightly wrong, and the people who were telling me I was wrong, were of course themselves wrong. OK, so ends the prelude.

I bought this rather different kaskara, photos attached. I was most taken with the blade; it was, I believed, clearly very old and ancient in construction. Of course I hope I had the Golden Chalice, a crusader's blade mounted in a kaskara. OK, perhaps I don't. But what people were telling me was that the blade was made by Peter Kull in Solingen circa 1847, a so called “Trade Blade”, based on the markings on the blade (an orb, a rampant lion and a mayfly). And, to be fair, they cited a source that seemed to confirm this, plus produced photos of other kaskara blades with the same markings on. Still, it was hard for me to reconcile such an aged and primitively made blade with mid-19th Century Solingen.

Having become a little tired of every post I made on this other forum having to be moderated first, and being in no hurry over this one, I thought I would post a follow-up here. First, let me show some photos of this wee beastie (I am using the Scottish slant for a reason). Remember, the markings are said (by others) to mean Peter Kull, Solingen, 1847;

kaskara5.jpg
kaskara1.jpg
kaskara2.jpg
kaskara4.jpg

So I managed to get a copy of Zygmunt S. Lenkiewicz's much acclaimed book, “1000 Marks of European Blademakers” and guess what? I found these same markings not for Peter Kull but for “Farara” in Britain with the associated year 1788. Now anyone who knows about anything about Farara / Ferara will know he was an Italian blade maker in the 16th Century who went to Scotland and made blades there, which the Scots now cherish, and the name thereof. So 1788 is a strange if not wrong date to associate with Farara, especially as the Jacobite Scots had been subdued years earlier and the practice of making blades with “Ferera” (and the many spellings thereof) had then passed. So I dunny think Lenkiewicz or indeed York Castle Museum (his reference point) could have this right.

ferara-kaskara.jpg

So I think the door is open and I would love to hear from anyone as to what they think these marks originally were, and for whom, and when. I will try and find out from York Castle Museum what item the reference emanates from, so maybe I will be able to update this post before anyone else does!

In retrospect I do not think I have a crusader's blade, but I am pretty sure I have something quite a bit older than a mid-19th Century blade, and it isn't just wishful thinking, I have examined this blade enough times!