Teo,thank you, these are well thought out and well presented arguments, and I must say, most valid in considering these ideas of weapon vs. non weapon.
It is mindful of the 'flyssa' whose presence with the Kabyles was always regarded as a significant 'weapon' which of course must have been used.
Yet, at least in my example, it is terribly balanced, and the disproportional brass hilt without guard (of course) defies any logical assessment of actual use.
As in many of these kinds of cases, there are no accounts or evidence of their use in combat, despite posed illustrations of Kabyle warriors wearing them.
As I have noted, there are no records (as far as I know, or Peter in his nearly three decades there) of any Omani use of these open hilt broadswords used in combat. He often spoke of the laughter of Omani military figures who were colleagues of his when he suggested the potential of these in battle.
However, the same hilt on the curved saber does beg the question of why? if that type hilt precluded actual use.
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