Important Indian Sword (but little known) - Sosun Pattah

[@robertfaucher3750]

Ah I know why the serrations are there! The Panniculus Carnosus muscle, which primates don't have, causes the skin of cats (and a lot of other animals) to shift around loosly from the body. Serrations catch and snag like they do on clothes, which would get caught on the skin and cause it to split where the serrations make contact, making a cut that would glance off potentially actually cause injury. This is why tigers can fight each other without greviously cutting each other. Its kinda like a gambeson built under the skin.

[@scholagladiatoria]

That's a very interesting theory. I confess I know very little about how likely this is as a cause on serrations.

[@LionAstrology]

​@@scholagladiatoriaif you get the chance to pick up a urumi please indulge, especially a single blade heftier one 😅. Thanks for another video

[@dannichols6261]

@@LionAstrology Watching the way Matt waves his hands around a lot, I'd think that 'whip-sword' would cut him to pieces just while he's describing it! 😄

[@tedrex8959]

somewhere in an Indian 17th C blacksmith: "Don't worry my apprentice you will make the next one straight, we will just give this a new name and some cool serrations and the sword nerds will snap them up!"

[@lalli8152]

I really like recurve blades. They are just not that common. I wish company like windlass would make sword like this just maybe without the serrated edge sections

[@michael3088]

I fully support serrations

[@yamiyomizuki]

I would support them making a lot more Indian weapons in general.

[@lalli8152]

@@yamiyomizuki yeah i dont think they make for example tulwar, and thats bummer. They could do it in way as well like they did the 1796 light cavalry saber by copying original closely. Im not even sure if theres reasonably priced production replica of tulwar on market

[@yamiyomizuki]

@@lalli8152 there isn't, I've looked

[@renegruel7862]

​@@lalli8152there is, but more inside India.

[@brookechang4942]

Subtitles: "Let's look at an Indian sword, the Susan Potter!" Me: "Er, what?"

[@sameerthakur720]

Non-famous sister of the famous Harry.

[@Kanner111]

I'm increasingly a huge fan of historians, and/or history-adjacent content makers, not having exhaustive pet theories about things simply because hearing three different *possible* explanations for a thing is just more interesting anyway than a single deep dive. In addition to just being, at the end of the day, more honest. It's like, 'I would not have thought that... or that... or that!' is both very stimulating intellectually and helps keep the viewer firmly grounded and humble. (I say this because while serrations to cut through heavy cloth armour make a lot of sense, especially on a weapon that is already geared for anti-armour stabbings, the tiger hunting anecdote was insane and delightful. A great series of videos!)

[@Patronsix]

Thank you for putting “the scholar” into KZbin. I have learned so much from your channel. Please keep up the good work.

[@anantasheshanaga3666]

Have you heard of the Chandrahaas sword design? It has a forward curve like a Sosun Patta combined with the backward curve and heavy blade of a Tega.

[@GladiatorSports-i8f]

I have decent blades.

[@Dynotop1a]

This is maybe my favorite of all the swords you have featured! I change my mind on favorites all of the time, but recurved blades seem to hold my attention. This example is particularly special because of its amalgamation of unusual features. I would love to see details of a large sample of serrated swords. The exact morphology of the serrations themselves actually has a significant effect on their cutting behavior and maintenance. There remains a lot to learn about historical sword design and functionality! Whoever was responsible for this sword created something very cool!

[@ilari90]

I think this is my new favourite, too. What a piece of art for "middle class" sword. Love how the pommel is like rondel in rondel daggers, maybe helps putting force through chainmail if need be.

[@braddbradd5671]

When i was in India i went to a fort museum and they had 100s of different serrated swords real nasty looking things . It seems like in medieval India they had the Game Of Thrones imagination but they were real

[@manfredconnor3194]

​@@braddbradd5671Which fort? Where?

[@braddbradd5671]

I think it was in jodhpur @@manfredconnor3194

[@AK-db2ph]

​@@manfredconnor3194probably in the state of Rajasthan, u can find many forts and good museums there

[@garynaccarato4606]

The funny thing is that I dont think that Wikipedia even bothered to make a dedicated section to it.(Not that Wikipedia is known for being the most reliable source of information or knowledge anyway.)

[@murphybartle592]

They do pretty good for being free

[@mahakaalsinghji7190]

The Khukri developed from a Panjabi Sword called a " Sethi " Unfortunately everyone seems to think its a Khukri with Indian Sword Hilts

[@greatkaafir7478]

In North India Lots Of Rajput Warriors Use To Carry It During War's In Rajasthan You CanFind It |

[@himangsutunga]

The rounded hilt swords with or without guard were used by Rajputs and Marathas. Mughals used the curved hilt(Dont know its name). All three were very sentimental about their swords they didnt exchange designs.

[@lukeman9851]

Hunting a tiger with a sword, even with friends with swords, is just mind-boggling to me

[@PahadiSher]

It is a pretty known trope in India. Its an act that will cement the guy as a badass. People have hunted tigers with Katars, too.

[@FortyTwoBlades]

Fur is surprisingly effective at turning a cut. The hairs roll on one another like so many roller bearings. Serrations would act like miniature daggers, piercing through the hairs to the skin to bite in before drawing through. The difficulty in cutting through fur (in addition to the mess and hygienic issues) are why when skinning an animal you typically pierce a pinched tent of the hide to form an opening and then cut the skin from the inside. It works much easier.

[@TomBall-r4d]

with the armoured point this has become a favourite sword shape for me

[@DETHMOKIL]

super cool sword. we are so lucky that matt has such good taste. imagine having a youtube channel about swords with out any historic swords? I bet you'd have to talk about being offended by children's movies.

[@coltenlester9426]

Oh man I really like that. Ive seen these, but that one is beautiful.

[@hrodvitnir6725]

Indian swords can be really cool, thanks for sharing it with us!

[@beepboop204]

dear me ive taken a shot everytime Matt said or someone commented "Indian sword" 😉

[@the_guitarcade]

I could see a reinforced tip being useful on a hunting sword that will be used against something that's going to try to kill you back and uses its head as a weapon like boars. They charge and try to gore you with their tusks, so a reinforced tip might help you punch through skull if you aim a thrust at the eye.

[@thekaxmax]

on a pig, you can't afford to let them get to you. That's why pig-hunting swords are two-handed and had a pair of prongs about 3/4 of the way up--a pig will charge up the whole length of the blade (or spear) to get to you if not stopped. A 1-hander is zero use.

[@the_guitarcade]

@thekaxmax there are people who hunt pigs using bowie knives and dogs. I once worked on an oil rig in Alabama where a herd of pigs wandered up about the time that the drillers finished up their job. They grabbed hammers and wrenches, chased the pigs down, and beat one to death. I'm not implying that you would take just the sword that's clearly designed with a preference for the cut as your primary weapon for pig hunting unless you're insane. If you've shot it with your musket or stabbed it with a boar spear, and it's still trying to get you, a one-handed sword is probably better than saying, "No, go away."

[@thekaxmax]

@@the_guitarcade and they're using the dog to hold the pig for the stabbing, not controlling it with the blade. The ones with hammers: desperate and mad. :P Well, yes, if it's all you have--like the hammers. They were probably farm-sized pigs, though, as they were a group; young ones or females. Look at a full-sized 200+ kg boar covered in bristles and anger, you find a tree and hope. I've known people to go after those with boar spears, though; spear in both hands and a big knife on a lanyard.

[@johng1097]

The Spyderco serrated blades cut immensely better than playin edge blades. It’s because the edge angle is twice as steep. The points between the scallops protect the edge. That’s why the edge angle of the scallops can be so steep. Additionally, the edge is curved between each of the points. So even chopping strokes have a little draw-cut help - sort of like a recurved blade.

[@senselocke]

That's one of my favorite types of sword ever. I appreciate the thorough detailing.

[@blakebailey22]

Now I finally know how this sword is spelled lol. For years I've been trying to use the auto generated captions on KZbin every time you've brought this sword up

[@baltasartranconywidemann5129]

The serration is for cutting bread, so you can make a tiger sandwich.

[@coldwarrior78]

Really love the shape of this blade. Looks like a great cutter and thruster.

[@anantasheshanaga3666]

The Tulwar hilt likely originated in the Rajput kingdom of Jodhpur.

[@SpeedDemon_Editzzz]

Hell Yeah some more Goated Indian Swordness🗿🗡🔥💯

[@justmutantjed]

Good GRAVY, look at those serrations. Anyone getting a sword swung at them is likely to have a bad day at any rate, but that one looks like the smith said, "Y'know what? Eff anyone in particular on the other end of this specific sword."

[@chrisball3778]

Wouldn't an advantage of a serrated blade for hunting be that it would be helpful for processing carcasses? You could potentially use it to saw through bones and sinews and stuff if you needed to in order to transport the meat. Maybe even use it to help build an emergency shelter in a pinch.

[@thekaxmax]

you want either an actua saw, or a smooth blade that won't get stuck. Go for a hunter's/pioneer's saw-backed hangar.

[@misterdoodle3447]

My thoughts exactly, though the tendons cut better with a non-serrated edge in my opinion/experience. A lot of modern knives have a serrated edge for wood and bone. Some hunters will even bringe a dedicated saw for quartering big animals.

[@thekaxmax]

@@misterdoodle3447 ayup. Sawback is for bone and dried tendons.

[@samarchist74]

You and Todd ought to do an experiment with serrated vs. regular blades against various fabrics and a tiger or two.

[@asherroodcreel640]

I'd love that

[@kaoskronostyche9939]

BTW, what a fabulous sword. Love it. Have always been attracted to the reverse curve/re-curve blades like the Yataghan. I wonder if, in the context of your Royal Armoury series with Windlass, you could do a series of non-European swords. I would love to get my hands on an accurate replica of this sword, a Yataghan and a Kopis and maybe a Tulwar. Thank you.

[@wylde_hunter]

...hunting tigers with a sword!

[@PahadiSher]

It is a pretty known trope in India. Its an act that will cement the guy as a badass. People have hunted tigers with Katars, too.

[@jackrice2770]

There is something very aesthetically-pleasing about this blade shape, very 'yatagan-ish'. I too really like this blade shape, and the fact it's a good cutter, chopper and thruster just adds to my love of it. Trying to find a knife-sized yatagan-style blade, something around 8-12 inches, sort of what one might call an 'Indian Bowie' knife. Yes, i'd like to know about a source if you have one.

[@karlsmith2570]

I wouldn't have been all that surprised if you were to have seen soldiers from India during that period pairing a Sosun Pattah with all Khukri

[@scholagladiatoria]

The kukri was certainly used in India, as well as Nepal. And various Indian swords were also used in Nepal.

[@GOAT-rl2uq]

Ooh I love that blade shape! Recurves are so cool.

[@dougsinthailand7176]

Comes out as Susan Potter in the subtitles. Nice lighting btw. Diffuse sunlight I think.

[@GrandDungeonDad]

Would love for you to do that follow up on indian sword as it refers to hunting. As an avid hunter myself I find these sorts of historical journeys fascinating!

[@scottpreston5074]

Try it against a bear, then report back to us curious folks. Replicas must be available somewhere.

[@GrandDungeonDad]

@@scottpreston5074 for bears i just go with the bowie knife like Davey

[@dreembarge]

Thanks, Matt.

[@Hissatsu5]

I recently read the book Dracula and was pleased to see the kukri and Bowie was featured in on in the book . I won’t give any spoilers

[@Sirsethtaggart3505]

I'm not a fan of the hilt, but I really like that blade. Probably best Indian blade I've seen.

[@Cuddlestrike]

Hey Matt! just curious, are you planning on making a video about the Egyptian Khopesh anytime soon? not sure if there is much to say about it or not, but would be interested to hear your thoughts about it none the less. keep up the great work! cheers

[@M.M.83-U]

Very nice video. I think more of those older Indian blades should be featured here.

[@Yanate1991]

bro made the title to attract indian horde clicks, well played

[@oldsailor9022]

Time for some experimental archeology - can someone lend Mat a tiger

[@maunz5791]

That's a real beauty! Thanks for presenting it!

[@PaTrickRTreat]

What a lovely sword

[@RonOhio]

There is a lot going on there, between the reinforced point, forward curve, and the partially serrated blade edge.

[@theghosthero6173]

Very nice seeing such weapon in a video, please do continue to make videos on lesser known indian swords

[@shovelchop81bikeralex52]

You should team up with Todd again and test why serrated blades were used by testing them on boar hides etc.. (not tigers obviously!). This design makes me wonder why they changed to the more scimitar like tulwar as much as I love that sword (I have an antique one I bought in Meteora Greece on a school trip when I was eleven with all my week's lunch money lol, I think the Turks brought them over but the Greeks used them against them in their war of independence 1821 along with yatagans of which I own a Greek one two from the same period). I love that you are covering all these amazing Indo/Persian weapons! I'm still trying to get my hands on the perfect killij, got three so far.

[@gimbles123]

I think the tulwar hilt was more of an Indian invention than a Mughal import. The tulwar hilts resemble older pre-Mughal styles of Indian sword grips. In particular, the bulge in the middle of the grip and the restrictive pommel are typical of Indian hilt designs.

[@scholagladiatoria]

Yes the hilt was definitely an Indian thing and as you say, an evolution of earlier types. But the form of the blade seems to have been a 16th century Mughal introduction.

[@factshistory3193]

@@scholagladiatoria Mughals didn't bring talwar to India. Talwar was influenced by persian shamsher during arab invasion of India between 6th to 10th century or Delhi sultanate which ruled northern India in 13-14th century.

[@scholagladiatoria]

@@factshistory3193 I have seen no evidence for that in any research. The tulwar appears in India in the 1500s. There is no evidence for that type of curved blade in India before that.

[@scholagladiatoria]

@@factshistory3193 Or, put this another way, do you know of any examples surviving or in art of tulwar from before the 1500s in India? All the earliest examples in art or surviving I can find are from the 1500s. I cannot even find any from the 1400s.

[@factshistory3193]

@@scholagladiatoria I checked few sources and you are right about it. I was not able to find any sources before 15th century. But I just wondered what took them so long to make a talwar like sword in India because Indians faced both arabs amd turkic invaders from north-west frequently since 7th century. Turks even ruled Delhi in 13-14th century.

[@mikesummers-smith4091]

Props for the play on Mogul/Mughal after dissing the talwah/tulwah pedants...

[@mahakaalsinghji7190]

Met yourself the other day fella😊

[@Wastelandman7000]

I actually had head of it. And I really like the design.

[@kailashblades]

Absolutely wild example!

[@JKLynar]

Howdy, Matt! On a practical note on this exact blade design, I refer you to Lynn Thompson of Cold Steel. Of all the great folding knife designs this company has offered through the years, he always carries a Voyager Vaquero XL on his person. It has a serrated recurved blade. Whatever you think of him, few modern humans have done more blade testing. He might be an interesting chap for you to have a chat with. I bet he watches your channel. Just a thought! Great show as always. Please keep it up! Cheers back at ya!

[@Valscorn01]

Matt could you do a video of the katana behind you with the seemingly large tsuba? (bottom middle of screen in this video) That one looks antique and a bit different from the normal katana you own.

[@naimishtiakahmed9221]

Actually the earliest miniature painting I've seen that depict the Talwar is from 1430s. About 3 decades after Tamerlane's invasion of the Delhi Sultanate. Although the manuscript is from Malwa Sultanate.

[@prototypeprototype8878]

My favourite sword of all time.

[@Jim58223]

Amongst other thing! Zac Evans is rubbing off on Matt.

[@KuronoCthulhu]

So Bloodborne's system where serration does extra damage to beast enemies has historical basis? Fantastic!

[@Aditya897]

3:17 if you back into the Indian weapon history there was a blade called ram dao , most of the Indian blades evolved from that dao

[@Ichithix]

Would it be possible to for you to test a serrated blade versus a normal blade on various surfaces they might have encountered? Animal hide in particular for that hunting angle.

[@scholagladiatoria]

It's a great idea - I'd just need to find an example that is suitable for such tests, and which has been properly sharpened.

[@stefthorman8548]

@@scholagladiatoria if possible, if you have the budget, it would be highly accurate to test it agaist an dead pig that's wearing thick clothes

[@adambulmash6880]

Seems very similar in blade design to Skallagrim's Grim Grin, particularly the forward curve-recurve blade that re-aligns with the hand. To my knowledge he wasnt influenced by the Sossun Pattah in his design (though he was influenced by its relatives, like the Yatagan), so its fascinating to me that he and some Indian blacksmiths were thinking along very similar lines, but hundreds - if not thousands - of years apart. Swords are cool, man...

[@ShadowyFox_86]

😍 That's gorgeous in its complexity!

[@mahakaalsinghji7190]

Hello Matt that is not a Sousan Patta, its called a " Katari " Unfortunately everyone calls it a Sousan Patta!

[@RiverofGrassFencing]

Two things: Serrated blades, certain types are 100% advantages for hunting. Not to get morbid but I have hunted with a serrated katar and also a plain edge, when it comes to boar hunting it bleeds the animal quicker when you pull it out, clearing fibrous clotting that happens almost immediately. Second: I was so excited to see that sword. That particular hilt is exciting on its own being jodpuri, with a knuckle, which is kind of rare onto itself. Throw that blade on it and , while you said it’s a well off person, we are def talking very well off despite the lack of gold

[@anantasheshanaga3666]

Do you practice Shastarvidiya?

[@JoakimfromAnka]

I want to see Matt do some test cutting with strange indian swords and knives.

[@Harry-bc2dn]

Thank you for another great video! Such a cool sword 😍

[@CDKohmy]

I'm growing fond of that profile. While I doubt they have direct lineage to the Greek kopis (though I heard the yataghan was at least inspired by it like much of the Renaissance), it is that that helped my fall in love with the profile. On the note about comparing it to axes, can you talk about Rhaetian axes? I heard they curve the haft for the blade to be more in line.

[@Evan-rj9xy]

I have accidently cut myself with both a knife and with a sharp saw before and I can easily say that serrated blades create a more ragged wound which bleeds more rapidly than a clean cut. Serrated blades are probably meant to cause the animal you're hunting to bleed out or faint as quickly as possible. A thrust with a serrated blade would probably be very effective.

[@jonathanalaniz2621]

Dang it every time you introduce me to a new sword I have to have it

[@taylankammer]

Very interesting. The reinforced tip would contradict the hunting theory though, wouldn't it? Since a tiger won't be wearing chain mail. xD Maybe it was meant to be multi-purpose, or maybe someone thought a reinforced tip would be better at penetrating animal hide as well. Or it wasn't for hunting and the serration was just for the fear factor and the blade was mainly intended for thrusting, even though the recurve would have made it better for chopping... So many questions.

[@nickdavis5420]

It looks incredible I love it !

[@kaoskronostyche9939]

In Hindi, when it is Romanized with proper diacritical marks, the letter 'a' has two sounds. One is like the 'o' in Mother and the other is like the 'a' in Father. Putting a 'u' in the word makes me think the first sound is the 'o' in Mother and the final 'a' is like the the sound in Father. Hindi has no 'a' sound like the English 'a' in cat, mat or hat. That is my best guess based on my three trips to India in which I became sufficiently fluent in Hindi to get by as a tourist. Any true Bharatis are welcome to correct me. Cheers!

[@Vlad_Tepes_III]

You are absolutely correct! The word 'talwar' is pronounced the same way even when spelled 'tulwar'. When spelled 'talwar', the 'ta' is pronounced like the 'ta' of 'pasta', whereas when spelled 'tulwar', the 'u' is pronounced like the 'u' of 'understand'.

[@kaoskronostyche9939]

@@Vlad_Tepes_III Thank you for your affirmation (not that I as looking for such). I was a bit apprehensive about posting that; you know how utterly nasty ToobBoobs can be over the tiniest thing. Cheers!

[@raics101]

I love these Susan Potter swords.

[@prajjwalray7030]

I remember you showing a hindu basket hilted khanda like sosunpatta once, long ago.

[@raphlvlogs271]

they can be made with imported European Yataghan bayonet blades as well considering that the overall design and geometry is very similar

[@emarsk77]

The serrated blade is obviously for fighting against ripe tomatoes.

[@michael3088]

Good luck stitching up the wound from a serated sword

[@waltermacpherson3648]

I bought an Indo Persian Jambiya as seen in Levin's Guide to Knives and their Values, 2nd. Edition. It is a "5 finger dagger," that I cannot find any information on. If you could mention anything about this dagger, please let me know the reference in which you found it. It appears to me wootz steel.

[@LionAstrology]

Thanks for sharing thats an awesome sword very interesting characteristics..paints a picture of a beautiful and effective fighting style.

[@maciejcocieto4361]

Yes please! I would like to see another serrated Indian sword!

[@sergireig]

Very interesting. Also lot in common with the magreb’s flissa

[@-RONNIE]

Thanks for the video

[@mekhane.broken9678]

We all love Susan's pasta.

[@DaraEhteshamzadeh]

One thing that jumps out to me as a Persian speaker, is that sozun or suzan (سوزن) means needle. Perhaps sozun pattah means any needle pointed sword or point with a reinforced tip. Fabulous looking sword. How does it handle?

[@stefthorman8548]

as an recent cold steel fan that just bought an Vanquro voyager xl(basiclly an 12" foldable Yatagan with an 5.5" blade) although i got the plain edge, but the serated version is proven to cut 3x deeper, cutting clothes and flesh, better then the plain edge, also it will have an bite, even when dulled, while the plain egde won't even cut the clothes when dulled, also it's harder to stich up, compared to an plain edge. i would assume this sosun pattah, is for anti cloth/hide armor.

[@lasselen9448]

The serrations are the first thing I noticed when seeing the blade. That was surprising. Thinking about it, I understand the serrations near the hilt. They can have a tool use (saw) and are not going to have any effect on the weapon's combat capabilities. However, the serrations at the center of percussion bug me. Aren't they going to make chopping less effective? At least I suppose shallow serrations like these will not get fabric to bunch up and will remain effective for draw cuts, but in this case I would put them anywhere but at the center of percussion, which is the only place (that may actually contact with the opponent) they're at. Although, I don't know what effect they have on giant kitties, so maybe in this specific context you don't really chop and the serrations are optimal.

[@rikospostmodernlife]

If a brit from yesteryears were to meet a spanish speaker, would they spell 'agua' as "uwuh"?

[@jeremiahkindel9301]

Windlass so needs to do a reproduction of this piece. Without the serrations.

[@mvn514]

Ayudha katti next on your obscure weapons list please

[@braddbradd5671]

Id say that would be my favorite swords so far ..But im holding on untill you show some more beautiful weird Indian swords .By the way i never knew they hunted with swords in India well Tigers any way

[@bassemb]

Yatağan is pronounced "yatahn". The ğ serves to elongate the vowel before it.

[@adwarfsittingonagiantsshoulder]

Super cool sword !

[@rogerlacaille3148]

Beautiful sword ❤

[@gadlicht4627]

Would serration help you cut things like wood if you were scout or travelling? Combining utility and weapon?

[@elio7610]

It could but i am not sure if this sword specifically is suited for that.

[@alphanumeric1529]

Q - Sosun means "lily"? Is that where we get the female name "Susan"? Q - Scabbard for the Sosun Pattah? Seems impossible to have a tight fitting scabbard.

[@thedamnyankee1]

I rarely want a repro of a historical sword matt shows here. Usually, there is usually something close on the market anyway. But this one would be nice to have a reproduction of. Matt, take the measurements off it in case you get a chance to partner with someone in the future.

[@dillonbuford]

Is this not the perfect sword: it chops, stabs, and cuts. This specific one is extra staby and cutty.

[@adrianjagmag]

My family sword, Matt 🙂

[@Zbigniew_Nowak]

Beautiful weapon! :)