[Jim McDougall]

Interestingly, the Omani 'kattara' (another collector oriented term, these are simply termed, again, sa'if). The curved blade version of these open hilts of somewhat flattened cylindrical style are actually the 'kattara', and these are usually with German trade blades.

The open hilt broadswords regarded as kattara over the years with the rounded tip are typically with very thin, flexible blades as used in the traditional dance ceremonies...however these were popular with Omani merchants and prominent figures as status aligned accoutrements, these often had trade blades.

In Burton (1884) these 'kattara' open hilt swords are noted as 'Zanzibar' swords, just as listed in Demmin (1877), however they are profoundly Omani and found in the Omani ruled Sultanate of Zanzibar.

Its great you have the Elgood book coming! It is one of the few references which direct us through the mysteries of Arabian arms, and Robert Elgood is one of the most tenacious and thorough researchers.

The Moroccan (Maghrebi) version of these sa'ifs indeed used all manner of trade blades. These have even been found with ANDREA FERARA broadsword blades and other European examples. These were long termed (incorrectly) 'nimcha' which has become a colloquially used term for them.

The 'Zanzibar' type of Arab sa'if as discussed, was present in Zanzibar in degree, much as were many forms, as this was a busy trade entrepot. However while there are some examples with motif distinguishing the Zanzibar location, others are simply corresponding to hilt forms known from western India into the Arab sphere. As noted, the trade blades into Ethiopia (then Abyssinia) often filtered into trade centers in Aden and Yemen. It is not surprising to see them on various type hilts.

The Ethiopian shotels with straight blades, like most of these trade blade variations had different fullering in accord with which suppliers were providing them. There were mostly British with many German types. Many of these blades coming into Harar to Armenian merchants were inscribed with Amharic inscriptions and Lion of Judah, so often Arabian swords from Yemen are found with these. The term gurade typically typically refers to European style stirrup hilt sabers provided into Ethiopian military strata.

Thank you for the note on the red over silver banding. Elgood notes this as a Hadhramati characteristic coming from swords mounted in Hyderabad India in accord with their mercenary forces active there. These kinds of styles found as far as SE Asia, and even Central Asia (Uzbekistan) are often found in the Indian subcontinent conduit. A distinctly Arab feature however in the silver work is the element known as the aghrab (=scorpion), which aligns with the evil eye superstitions.

In pics:
An Omani 'dance' sa'if as used in Zanzibar Funoon ceremony. These have commonly become known as 'kattara'.
Next is likely a Manding saber from Mali, but this is remarkably similar to the curved sabers also from Zanzibar which are actually deemed 'kattara' by the Omanis. These are noted to often have German 'cavalry' blades.
It is interesting to see the similarity of the cylindrical hilt of Manding sabers with this type of pommel........trade caravans westward which often had Zanzibar origins traveled through the interior carrying Omani influences into the Sahara, especially Timbuktu (Mali). Here eastward influences from as far as Morocco interacted traveling eastward back to Zanzibar.
Moroccan s'boula are known in Zanzibar (Burton calls them Zanzibar swords), so the cross diffusion of these weapons is certainly viable.