Thank you so much for posting the Buttin page Ibrahiim! As I recall I once obtained one of these 'Zanzibar' type sa'if from a grouping which came out of Yemen. It seems that the traffic of arms mounted with trade blades in Zanzibar supplied Yemen as well as of course Oman in some degree as they returned. I am naturally not as well informed on the actual forms or distribution of these weapons to and from Oman, but the presence of the Omani sa'if does appear to have followed trade routes into North Africa. I still believe that these swords deeply influenced the Manding sabres of Mali, as Timbouctou was not only a key trade center but Islamic cultural center of profound importance.
It seems likely if not established that Italian blades had continued coming into North Africa in varying degree from earlier times, and became even more prevalent in the latter 19th century as colonization increased. It is often difficult to determine as Solingen producers spuriously applied so many established maker and guild type markings from Italy. Actually, many schiavona blades were indeed Solingen produced with such markings.
It is most interesting to see the hilt quillon systems on many of these 16th century Italian swords, particularly the storta, and the remarkable similarity to the 'nimcha' saif and the kastane. It seems the earliest known example of the kastane in the familiar hilt form was 1622, from a Japanese diplomatic mission which stopped in Ceylon and returned to Tokyo that year. This would suggest of course that the late 16th century Italian swords had established thier influence in those early decades. There are portraits of English merchants trading in Morocco wearing the familiar 'nimcha' hilts c. 1640s so the influence had been established there presumably in roughly the same period.
Ibrahiim I really appreciate the way you keep discussions going and extend well thought through ideas and suggestions which promote serious evaluations of material and evidence. I very much like your tenacity in ongoing research as clearly shown in your outstanding note regarding items penciled in for further look....as we always say..more research to be done!!!
All the best,
Jim
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