Q & A

I saw this question on HEMA Alliance forum, in Various Newbie Questions topic.

Gentling asked the following: "I'd like to know what you call it on a single-edged sword when a blade widens near the point before tapering down again. Examples of this are some falchions, kukri, and falcata. Many such weapons are curved forward, but I'd like a term that doesn't necessarily indicate that."

Raised backedge (false edge) of a sabre gives it this distinct feature - "a blade widens near the point before tapering down again." It is called jelman (elman). This term is used in Russian language, and derives from Turkish jälman (upper third of the blade near its point). A good example of a sabre with the jelman:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Drevnosti_RG_v3_ill089_-_Sabre_FM.Mstislavsky.jpg

On a kukri blade we have something very similar - bhundi (widest part/area of the blade). Naturally in this case the belly is curved forward.