Jim,
I asked an informant in Kassala about the cross guard "X" and he just said it was preferred by some and not by others. It does add a fashion quality to the guard, but I know nothing about the origin. It could have been a stylistic addition in the Ali Dinar era.
Re imported cross guards, I found this reference:
1871. Frederic-Benoit Garnier wrote about imports through Suakin from Egypt. Andreas, in a 2014 EAA post, translates from the French that “among the goods were blades and cross guards of German manufacture. “ This is the first and only reference to imported German cross-guards. We don't know the material or design on the cross-guards, nor has any known examples emerged.
We recognize the cast brass guards on Ottoman/Mamluk sabers that were also usually seen on thaluthed blades. That type were readily casted in Egypt and could have been surplussed from captured Mamluk/Turkic weapons or cast in Omdurman during the Mahdiya. I believe that a pin was sometimes used to secure the Guard through a hole the blade's tang. I don't think that at least the Kassala smiths put a hole in their tangs; no need.
The kaskara is fitted together by wood from the grip wedged between the blade and the cross guard to. create a unitary assembly. The size of the space in the cross guard would be difficult to prescribe in a foreign made forged cross guard. So I doubt if imported would have been desired or used. Also note that imports from Egypt were halted in 1885 due to the Hicks Event, and the British controlled Suakin port throughout virtually the same period. Any smuggling would be for higher value goods rather than cross guards.
Regards,
Ed
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