While browsing English wikipedia articles on different swords I have found this picture and its inscription in Kilij article. The text contains the following: „The upper sword appears to be an exaggerated parade piece or executioner's sword, the second down is typical of a later kilij, the third has the characteristics of an earlier kilij and the lowest one possibly has a later European-style blade. Imperial Armoury Topkapi Istanbul.”
There might be an alternative explanation - this huge sabre was made for and owned by a physically extremely strong person. (It is interesting to compare the thickness of the handle of four swords.) There are at least two well documented example of such monstrous sabres:
1. Owned by Karol Stanisław Radziwill (1669-1719), a Polish nobleman and diplomat. The picture of it can be found here, together with some technical details. Meanwhile I have googled some further data on this particular sabre: it had a thumb ring (paluch), blade length of 94.5 cm and curvature 8 cm.
2. Owned by János Damjanich, famous general of the Hungarian Revolutionary Army during 1848/49. The sabre combines a 17th century fringia blade - manufactured in 1609, according to the inscription on the blade - and an M1845 hilt (cavalry officer sabre). The width of the blade is 65 (!) mm, length 910 mm. [1][2][3]
1. A Hadtörténeti Múzeum Értesítője 2. (Bp., 1987), p 80
József Lugosi: Kardfélék Magyarországon a szabványosítás kezdetétől napjainkig.
2. Unconfirmed weight: 1021 g. M1845 (officer's version) 870-900 g, (trouper's version) 1180 g (PoB 170-180 mm, thickness at the crossguard 10 mm, blade 915 mm, width 33 mm).
2. Unconfirmed weight: 1021 g. M1845 (officer's version) 870-900 g, (trouper's version) 1180 g (PoB 170-180 mm, thickness at the crossguard 10 mm, blade 915 mm, width 33 mm).
3. Magyar hadtörténelmi emlékek az ezredéves országos kiállításon... (MEK)
Item 7124, p 851; Total weight (with scabbard): 2200 g.
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