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Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi
Salaams Iain, It amazes me that the ashok website continues to ignore the raft of information provided on this forum about the Old Omani Battle Sword. The shape of the pommel is related to ancient archways in the Abbasid dynasty and Islamic helmets also reflect this design down the ages. The pointed pommel often has the same number of geometric sides as the hilt... either 6, 8 or even one in my collection has 9.
However, I describe the pictured item as an "Old Omani Battle Sword" hilt fitted with a European (probably German blade) between the 17th and 19th Century. The fitting is crudely fastened with two rivvets at the cuff through the blade and I assume the tang is modified etc. Odd blade marks of a possible European nature and the tell tale non sharp parts of the blade in front of the cuff at the throat (ricasso) typical of many European blades so that the "half sword" tactic could be employed and for speed and control. ~Perhaps this blade was one destined originally for Ethiopia and later hybridised. Nevertheless it is an interesting switch over but is not original (nor, to be fair, does it state that) though it is as an example of a rehilted European blade (German Solingen?) on an Omani Old Battle Sword Hilt...It is, I suggest, a viable weapon on an Old Omani hilt and not done for the tourist market unlike changes carried out on later swords.
Thank you for the clear reference and pictures.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.
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Hi Ibrahiim,
I don't think you can count on all dealers reading the threads here.
To be completely honest I think you are playing with semantics at this point by wanting to focus on the hilt and not the sword overall. Agreed the hilt was quite probably not made for this particular blade.
I know you have your definitions for what constitutes an Omani sword or not but this is where those definitions are problematic in my opinion. This is a sword, for Omanis put together by an Omani and if the blade is European that doesn't change what this is in the least to me. It's an Omani saif.
By the logic you are using quite a number of my takouba are simply takouba hilts on European blades. Same goes for kaskara and many other ethnic weapons from Africa and Asia.
I've spent enough time in this thread pointing out European bladed examples and I know your arguments for how to classify them, so I don't think either of us needs to spend time retyping it all.
I find this example very interesting and I would assume there are more of them out there. It would be interesting to find a hilt made for one of these blades, it would not surprise me to find one as obviously there was no problem locally to accept such blades.
Frankly I think this also throws into question the idea that the European blades turning up in modern mounts are exclusively from outside Omani use and simply remounted for tourists. Judging by this there was no issue to use European blades even in the Old Style hilts.
Cheers,
Iain