Ah.........I see (said the blind man as he picked up his table and saw......).
Thank you both!
Oh and yes Bob - the blade is worn (and not a 2 ply welded newby) and this is typical of some of these pieces. I once had one I think from Oman, newer made (looking back). Even then, the scabbard was much larger than what was needed for the blade. However, I have only seen this feature on Arabian pieces and pieces from Sudan (if I remember correctly) where the scabbard is upturned at the end.