A shamshir (Persian: شمشیر‎) is a type of Persian/Iranian sword with a radical curve. The name is derived from the shamshīr, which means "sword" in the Persian language. The curved "scimitar" sword family includes the shamshir, kilij, talwar, pulwar and nimcha.
A shamshir shekargar (Persian: شمشیر شکارگر‎, romanized: shamshir-e shekârgar, lit. 'hunters' sword or hunting sword') is the same as a shamshir, except the blade is engraved and decorated, usually with hunting scenes
Originally, Persian swords were straight and double edged. Curved sabre blades were Central Asian in origin. There is considerable disagreement between historians as to when these curved blades were first introduced from Central Asia into Iran, and over what period they became adopted and modified into the recognizable Shamshir. Curved blades began to appear in Persia in the 9th century, when these weapons were used by soldiers in the Khurasan region of Central Asia but were not widely adopted.[3] The sword now called a "shamshir" was developed in Iran over a period of time following influence from the Turkic Seljuk Khanate in the 12th century, the Mongol invasion of the 13th century, and finally taking a form distinct from earlier sabres by the 16th century. The Shamshir had "relatives" in Turkey (the kilij), the Mughal Empire (the talwar), and the adjoining Arabian world (the saif). Over the years blades might be produced in India or the Ottoman empire and rehilted in Iran, and vice versa leading to mongrel swords.
The shamshir is a curved sword, featuring a slim blade that has almost no taper until the very tip. Instead of being worn upright (hilt-high), it is worn horizontally, with the hilt and tip pointing up. It was normally used for slashing unarmored opponents either on foot or mounted; while the tip could be used for thrusting, the drastic curvature of blade made accuracy more difficult. It has an offset pommel, and its two lengthy quillons form a simple crossguard. The tang of the blade is covered by slabs of bone, ivory, wood, or other material fastened by pins or rivets to form the grip. Many of the older Persian shamshir blades are made from high quality crucible wootz steel, and are noted for the fine "watering" on the blades.
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Шамшир, самзир, самшир или шемшир (перс. شمشیر‎) - основной тип сабли индо-иранского региона, распространённый от Марокко до Пакистана. Клинок сильно изогнут.
Персидская сабля является чисто режущим оружием, у которого острие практически бесполезно из-за сильной кривизны. Кривизна идеальна для оттяжного удара, который так широко использовали азиаты, и для которого она предназначалась. Использовались и для укола с лошади, при этом изгиб клинка позволял наносить укол не меняя положения тела - очень удобно для быстротечного боя.
Клинки шамширов узкие, но достаточно толстые. Эфес простой и легкий с простым перекрестием и навершием, изогнутым в сторону лезвия. Металлические детали эфеса иногда декорировались резьбой, инкрустацией или эмалью, но гораздо чаще встречаются простые эфесы без украшений. Дорогие клинки изготавливались из дамасской стали.
Изгиб клинка позволяет свободно помещать его в ножны, без специального выреза в их верхней части, как на турецких образцах. Шамшир носили лезвием вниз, подвешивая к левой стороне пояса на двух ремнях.
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