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Old 17th February 2021, 06:57 PM   #16
Jim McDougall
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Route 66
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Thank you Joe, it is interesting looking into these sabers which we know as 'nimcha' , but are actually simply termed in the Arab world, sa'if. As shown by Charles Buttin (1933), these Arab sabers are simply known by this term in the many regions they occur in which extended throughout those in the Arab trade and colonial spheres.

It is well known that forms of this type sword became as some point, the collecting community began to regard a certain hilt style with a ring on the guard as a 'Zanzibar' version. We have discovered, that as these same hilts were regarded by Buttin, one of the foremost authorities of his time, as 'Arab sa'if' collectively with these more well known types.
This example (illustrated) is one of these 'zanzibar nimchas' and was apparently among a grouping of these (about 40) acquired in Yemen in the 80s. These were among weapons presumed for use in the ongoing civil unrest in those regions.
Note the triple cross markings on the blade, which seem among the many spurious copies of presumably European markings found on many trade blades.

The next example I add here is an earlier type blade, which is more the falchion types with flared tip which would have been used on sabers perhaps even of those seen at Malta and Lepanto (though this blade is not quite that early). The hilting on this is of the 'karabela' style which comes from Ottoman form of late 16th century and became well known in Turkish and Iraqi areas into Europe.
As seen in "Arms and Armour of Arabia" (Robert Elgood, 1994) these remained in use traditionally well into the 20th century, and much as the form seen in the OP here which certainly found use with the notorious Barbary pirates.....these were used notably by pirates in Muscati regions in Arabia.

As discussed, much earlier blades were often rehilted as they changed hands and in accord with traditionally held design through not only generations, but centuries. As these were typically more ersatz weapons for rank and file, many almost munitions grade, the higher quality of those for higher station persons was obviously more prevalent.
The gold metal band at the base of the grip on the hilt is simply a bolster (not sure of Arabic term) and perhaps approximates the wire wrap on Islamic shamshirs. While decorative, this may have once had pragmatic value in strengthening hilt in cutting blows.
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