[Jim McDougall]

Thank you Gav, for the kind reference to my previous comments on the cited thread and as you have noted, Broadaxe has outstanding knowledge of these weapons as well as well situated collection of them, as shown by his outstanding post.
A. Ainakkas, the wonderfully photographed book by Mr. Tirri is an outstanding collectors guidebook which is large on photography but in my opinion wanting with regard to detail in captioning and assessment, particularly in cited references. I would note here that it is typically dangerous to regard any material published as the final word on things such as identification or classification without subsequent corroboration in other references ( I am not directing toward you as I know you simply cited that as a reference). As with most published material, it is of course common for new evidence and data to surface which results in revision of the original material. In many cases when statements or observations are based more on opinion that supported material, and not clearly qualified as such, it can lead to unfortunate outcome circumstantially.
Having noted these instances in a broad sense pertaining to published material in general, I would note here what I have expressed on many occasions. Mr. Tirri's book is an outstanding collectors guidebook, and as such was apparantly not intended to be a scholarly reference, but a compilation of mostly his own collections with identifications applied to the items reflecting his own opinions and observations. It accomplishes its role as a collectors guide accordingly and serves well as such, and while largely well identifying items, there are some which leave a degree of question with regard to final assessment, and need qualification pending continued research.

With regard to the Algerian attribution, I would presume personally that the design of the horn grip and fluted motif on the sides seem to recall a particular character also seen on certain Maghrebi koummya grips, and may support in degree that influence. Naturally the diffusion of these decorative influences travelled considerably in the ever present trade networks, and certainly would have been experienced in those into the Sinai.

The sharply right angled pommel, and cap does seem to me to recall Eastern European sabre hilt forms of 17th-18thc. and the blade certainly does seem to be a trade blade of similar form to Solingen types of latter 18th century with the cavalry 'hatchet tip' which would have been of course quite present in the Red Sea trade networks. It is worthy of note that Hungarian blades and influences were quite present in Arabian swords. The apparantly spuriously applied 'sickle marks' are likely native additions as they are seemingly misplaced through the fuller area and incongruent in configuration. These became quite well known from Styrian blades and in turn with blades from Eastern Europe. They became the 'gurda' in Caucasian parlance from Genoan and later Styrian trade influences in the Black Sea regions.
The pommel seems to correspond to the same profile seen as mentioned on the vestigial versions on the Bedouin sabres previously described.

While decorative character and for that matter, even the blade, as well as the two downturned quillons would lead in some degree to the Algerian presumption, the shape of the pommel and knuckleguard direct compellingly in my opinion to the Sinai Peninsula and the Bedouin tribal groups there and eastward.

Actually it seems that there may be potentially a place for this type of sabre in the broader classification of the North African and Arabian sa'if's collectively referred to by collectors as 'nimcha'. This would extend from the Moroccan and Algerian versions to the Arab forms with varying hilt features often termed 'Zanzibari' and well classified by Louis-Pierre (LPCA) in his outstanding work. In this case this perhaps may be considered the 'Sinai Bedouin' version with eastern provenance of the group.