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Old 26th May 2023, 08:45 PM   #5
Jim McDougall
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Route 66
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This is interesting as one of the very reasons the European Armoury was created here was that the crossover with European weapon blades were so often used in ethnographic forms. One of the great references we have on European blade markings is "European Blades in Tuareg Swords and Daggers" (L.C.Briggs, 1965) as an ironic analogy.

With these Moroccan sa'if (often colloquially called 'nimcha' in collectors parlance) these were used throughout the Maghreb, thus from Morocco into Algeria (Briggs was in Algeria, and shows blade markings on one of these).

These swords were invariably mounted with trade blades from Arab entrepots, which might include a range of blades from various centers, but of course mostly German. The term backsword typically refers to a straight blade cavalry sword, often 18th century (broadsword typically means double edged).

These slightly curved saber blades as shown with East European provenance were typically Styrian and Austrian blades were often coming into North Africa in the mid 19th century and probably earlier. As well known, the straight broadsword blades were favored in the Sahara with Tuaregs and of course Sudan with the kaskara.

However in the Sahara there were cases of saber blades in Tuareg takoubas which might have come from numerous sources, often French or German.
These blades ended up in the regions were the Moroccan sa'if was typically in use, so any number of blades turn up in them.
The markings are not always attributable to particular European makers, and often interpretations of commonly known European marks are added.
i have seen examples of these 'nimchas' with Andrea Ferara as well as 'Spanish motto' blades.
It should be noted that both of these types of blades are Solingen products and were straight blades. So either curved or straight might occur on these nimchas.

Blades of the type known on Hungarian sabers were much favored in Arabia, and these often made it into circulation in North Africa. These blade forms remained in use for many years.
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