Ibrahiim:
I think you have made a strong case (several times) for this sword to be a recent marriage of an old European blade and an old Omani hilt that has been dressed up to be sold as something it is not--in other words it is a fake pretending to be an older sword. I don't hear anyone really objecting to your conclusions.
I think Iain and Fernando have now moved on to talk about the blade and what the inscription might mean. Fernando's reading of SUARES/SOARES is an interesting suggestion and might indicate a Portuguese origin. The other inscription seems more problematic.
Ian.
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