The question regarding any substantial attribution of these 'D' ring saif's to Zanzibar is well placed. Actually some years ago I acquired one of these 30 swords from Artzi, and of course recall the provenance detail. I have always regarded Artzi's knowledge on arms to be outstanding, and entirely accepted this classification as 'Zanzibari' as correct.
In years following I saw the examples with these 'D' ring guards in "Catalog de la Collection D'Armes Anciennes, Europeennes et Orientales de Charles Buttin" (Francois Buttin, Rumilly, 1933).
I admittedly presumed I had seen reference in that catalog noting the Zanzibar provenance in years following, and did not recheck.
As I reviewed that reference this evening (items #996-1002) the examples shown with 'D' ring guards are all classified as 'Arab' and dating from 17th thru 18th centuries. There is no reference to Zanzibar in any of the text, but interestingly on p.258 there is a reference to the ring feature probably derived from various sword hilts from Italy and through constant contact with Venice.
About 10 years ago Louis-Pierre Cavalliere did a great paper on these sa'if typically termed 'nimcha' and in rechecking that, he showed variations in the hilts. These with 'D' rings were again, and correctly, shown as Arab, with no reference to Zanzibar.
The only reference to possible Zanzibar production of swords linked to these type hilts is found in "Islamic Weapons: Maghreb to Mughul" (A.Tirri, 2003, p.79), ".in Zanzibar, documentary evidence identifies an extensive edged weapon manufacturing center during the 19th and 20th centuries". While this sounds compelling, this 'documented evidence' is not cited, and only presumes these type hilts must have been among the arms produced.
As shown in the links Marcus has provided to the examples of these from the Oriental Arms site, the attribution to Zanzibar though presumed, is noted as never having been substantiated.
Therefore it would seem that the Zanzibari attribution to these D ring hilts has developed through collectors lore, to which I myself long subscribed.
It is interesting to note that among various hilts of these sa'if there is one type which has projecting pitons on either side. Perhaps the addition of the bar across the blade was a developed with this as a transitional form, it is hard to say. The reference to the similarity to Italian hilts with the ring feature (Buttin, op.cit.p 258) is of course freely associated and conjectural, yet naturally compelling with these trade connections.
In the collecting world there has always been a compulsion for 'neat' classifications and terminology , but as can be seen, these are often quite misleading and eventually can be counterproductive.
I would say these sa'ifs with this peculiar 'D' ring feature should be included collectively with Arabian forms of sa'if typologically, with specific qualification to Zanzibar added with said detail noted as inconclusive as Artzi has clearly done.
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