Saif, Moroccan saif, sife, nimcha, nimsha

Jim McDougall · 14th May 2025, 07:36 AM

Nimcha is just a collective term for these Maghrebi sa'ifs, not technically correct, as often the case with the terms collectors and writers describing them over a century. The term nimcha supposedly refers to a small sword but the proper etymology is a bit unclear.
These are simply Arab swords from Maghrebi regions (Algeria to Morocco) and locally termed sa'if only. As blades were typically European, and of them mostly straight cavalry or hanger blades, it seems most collectors regard them as a form distinguished by the familiar hilt and guard system, at least these are my understandings. The use of curved blades was simply incidental just as were the straight blades, availability.
The Brotherhood? of course!

14th May 2025, 07:36 AM	#12
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,281	Nimcha is just a collective term for these Maghrebi sa'ifs, not technically correct, as often the case with the terms collectors and writers describing them over a century. The term nimcha supposedly refers to a small sword but the proper etymology is a bit unclear. These are simply Arab swords from Maghrebi regions (Algeria to Morocco) and locally termed sa'if only. As blades were typically European, and of them mostly straight cavalry or hanger blades, it seems most collectors regard them as a form distinguished by the familiar hilt and guard system, at least these are my understandings. The use of curved blades was simply incidental just as were the straight blades, availability. The Brotherhood? of course!