Dear Forum ~ the example posted by Iain is what I would describe as near perfect of the Omani Old Kattara and is best seen at
http://www.trocadero.com/101antique...47179store.html
Unusually it carries an Omani stamp in Arabic possibly with the name of the owner though perhaps Al Nakkas can better decipher?
There is no dot/ dots on the blade. That could be for several reasons not least that not all blades had dots... Look at the point and notice how degraded it is. It degrades in the centre.. at what I call the "Dot Position" I have seen blades with a single dot at the point about an inch from the tip and dots at the throat. (See this thread for an example by Michael Blalock #61) . Regarding the degraded point I believe this is because the dot near the point is a natural weak spot and as the point wears it breaks or is worn and degraded at the very place of the dot evidenced by a "soft W shaped tip" ...
That is also the place on the Abbasid sword( at the TIP) where the dot is placed...
and is one of the 11 copies, influences or similarities taken on board the Old Omani Kattara "Style" in CIRCA 751 A.D.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.