A possible hybridization or variant of an Omani Blade or an actual Omani blade in Wootz.
During the last few weeks I have had a most interesting exchange of letters with Rick Stroud on the subject of his excellent knowledge of Wootz and Omani and Indian blades. Somewhere herein could be the answer to the origin of the sword on this thread at #1 and other similar weapons. More importantly we may be on the edge of a fresh discovery; Omani Swords with Wootz blades?
(Tagged on the end as a note is a comprehensive methodology on etching by Rick which I commend to the Forum with the proviso "That this level of work should only be attempted as a detailed program in a workshops environment by competent restorers and that if in doubt don’t do it… moreover have an expert do it for you".)
Below is a more or less precise interchange of letters between Rick and myself on the subject of Wootz in Omani Swords.
Please see this but if it does not work simply copy the string into search;
http://www.vikingsword.com/library/rick_seldomwootz1.pdf
Salaams Rick,
In considering your sword shown on the webpage reference as Omani I have a few pointers which ring fence this type of weapon to the Red Sea rather than Oman.
First I have seen no Omani wootz examples therefore this suggests that there are none therefore it is an out of area blade on an Omani hilt. There are similar blades in both the museums of Saudia and Yemen on forum and TVV s thread #1 which I believe is a similar blade though not apparently wootz.
The second test is in the flexibility range which from an Omani blade ought to easily go through a 90 degree flex and return to straight immediately.
Your fine sword may not do that though may well be flexible in the 5 to 10 % range.
Thirdly yours is pointed to take advantage of the straight stiffer blade whereas Omani Sayf (of the type argued as European Trade Blades perhaps 17th to 21 st C ) are as you know; spatulate tipped.
Originally straight swords passed from the Mamelukes down the red sea though your blade may have been made as a one off perhaps in Sri Lanka or Hyderabad.
In conclusion I would suggest that your blade is a Saudia or a Yemeni variant on an Omani long Hilt. It could be an Omani merchants or slave traders sword but I believe it is on the flank as a peripheral and important Iconic Red Sea style.
Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.
Salaams Ibrahiim,
Thank you for the e-mail and thoughts about the Omani sword that used to be in my collection but unfortunately has moved onto another collector. A couple of details to add to your assumptions.
First, the blade is thin and very flexible/pliable. It definitately would bend 90 degrees and return true. You mention Saudia or Yemeni as a possible origin but as in your experience with Omani swords and not running across any wootz examples, in my experience, I have not run across any Saudia or Yemeni examples of wootz. Of course, this is not to say that none existed in any of these areas.
A couple of possibilities. One is that we don't have sufficient number of examples left in original polish. A rusted or well patina'ed blade doesn't always reveal the wootz pattern. Matter of fact, on the example under discussion, when I first purchased the sword a wootz pattern was not clearly visible. It was only upon close inspection that I noticed the pattern and I sent it out for a polish which revealed the pattern. It is an unusual pattern and not one I would classify as typical Persian, Ottoman or Indian wootz. However, over the years, I have seen a number of variant patterns that could have originated from anywhere.
Another possibility to consider is that there may have been a small center of blade forging that was familiar with forging wootz that eventually died out and no longer was passed down the generations. From that, there could have been a small production of wootz blades that you may find still hilted in Omani long hilts but the pattern no longer visible due to time and patina.
The third possibility is as you say, an imported blade. On the example we are discussing, in my opinion, a likely source for the blade would be somewhere in India. I have seen a number of very thin, very pliable blades mounted Indian style which would suggest either an Indian blade origin, or, an imported blade from another region. If only our blades could talk to us! No doubt, continued research into this area should yield more findings.
I would suggest that on every blade you have the opportunity to view, that you take it out into very good light and really study the blade surface to see if there are any signs of patterning. Even polishing/etching some blades would reveal the forging technique and metallurgical properties of the blade and with enough samples you may begin to see patterns/similarities enough to opine as to a possible origin for these blades.
With kind regards,
Rick Stroud.
Conclusion (By Ibrahiim)
Essentially I agree with everything Rick has said and have undertaken to search for the Omani Wootz connection by looking very closely at Omani blades.
The likelihood of an Indian or Sri Lankan Wootz sword maker looms large in my calculations. It is likely that sword style was copied from either an Omani straight form ~ Sayf ~ and or styled on swords emerging in the Red Sea area from Saudia or Yemen which may be of Mameluke (or pre Mameluke) origin.
We may be looking at an Omani slave traders sword or an Omani merchant sword. The door is perhaps opening to more Omani swords with Wootz Blades.
If it is the case that this sword and others turn out to be Omani then a very important find has been discovered. The sword is fitted to an Omani Hilt and is flexible though fashioned to a point. Nonetheless the indicators are there for a very interesting addition to the Omani Armoury.
Regards, and with particular thanks to Rick Stroud,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.
Notes; Etching by Rick Stroud.
Hi Ibrahiim,
Thanks for the Christmas and New Year well wishes. Much appreciated.
Yes, feel free to record our conversation on your post. I'm happy to contribute in any small way.
As far as a polish and etch, my first recommendation is to utilize a professional polisher. I work with a gentleman in the US that does fantastic work and understands the proper way to clean, etch and neutralize the blade plus understands the proper contours of the blade, can straighten bent blades (when possible), etc. He really does great work. I have done some light cleaning and etching on my own. It is a multiple part process that you have to follow diligently.
The first is that the blade has to be made as smooth and as clean as possible. To do this, you have to remove any rust. Typically, a sanding block or sanding stone can be used to remove the rust but one has to be very careful not to scratch or damage the blade. Keeping the surface of the blade wet while doing this will help and then starting with coarser grades first and then moving down to finer grades will help remove scratches and keep the blade as smooth as possible. Deep pits are challenging because you have to remove too much of the surface of the blade so in those cases conservation of the blade is more in order than a full polish but you still may be able to determine if the blade is wootz or not in smoother/better areas. This is the most labor and time intensive part of the job. You can't rush it. You have to be patient and take your time.
Once you have removed the surface rust/oxidation and have the blade as smooth as possible you then need to make sure the blade is clean and free of any oils or other product. At this stage, you clean the blade thoroughly with a degreaser, like dish soap, and rinse with water. Once you have given it a good clean and then rinsed with water, dry it off with a towel and let it air dry for a bit. Make sure the blade isn't handled with your fingers because they contain oils and this defeats the cleaning you just did.
For an added layer of degreasing, you can take some acetone or denatured alcohol and wipe the blade down really well and then let it air dry for a while in a spot where it won't pick up any additional oils or particles.
Etching should be done with an acid like ferric chloride. It's best to start out with a diluted mix. About 2 teaspoons of ferric chloride and about 10 teaspoons of water. It's good to heat up this solution so the water being mixed in should be hot, even boiling hot. The blade should also be warmed up but not too hot. You don't' want to distort or retemper a blade from heating it up too hot. A hairdryer across the surface will warm the blade up or sitting in the sun for a little bit will warm the blade up.
Before etching the blade, you want to make sure you protect the handle or any important cartouche, inlay or koftgari. You can do a wax resist by the handle so the etchant doesn't run in there. You can also do this around the cartouche or a row of inlay or koftgari.
Then take a foam brush and brush the etchant onto the blade. Work the etchant thoroughly and evenly up and down the blade. Make sure you continue to reapply and keep "painting" the etchant onto the surface. Make sure you wear gloves because the etchant is not good for your skin. If there is a wootz pattern, it should begin to show up pretty quickly. Only etch the blade for a few minutes and then rinse with water. If you are seeing something in the blade, dry it real well, degrease it again, and then do another application of the etchant. I wouldn't do more than 2 or 3 applications. If a pattern is not showing by this time, then you are likely not to have a pattern.
Once finished with the etching, it is important to neutralize. You can take baking soda and make a paste with water. Make it thick enough to apply and "stick" to the surface of the blade. Leave it on for a few minutes and then rinse with water. Rinse well, take a towel and wipe dry and apply some acetone or denatured alcohol and wipe blade thoroughly. You may notice some discoloration on the blade from the etching. These are areas that were missed by the neutralization. You can take some 0000 steel wool and some oil and hit these spots to remove the color.
Most importantly, when you are finished with everything, you need to give the blade a good oiling. Depending on the steel, you may need to reapply a time or two as a blade tends to be "thirsty" after a good clean and etch. And that is pretty much it. At least one method. There are a dozen other ways to try and bring out a pattern but I have found this method to work pretty well on wootz. Good luck if you decide to give it a try.
All the best,
Rick